Golden light washed over the boulders and crags of a small valley as the sun rose above the mountaintops. The light warmed the skin and scales of a solitary figure, a harpy hovering in place, her four wings pumping at the air to resist the pull of gravity.

Princess Arawn exhaled slowly as she drew her bow, calming her body and mind. She listened to the sound of her dragonbone composite greatbow creaking, the recurve limbs straightening under load. They were sounds she had heard countless times. She found them comforting, even soothing.

The mastery she had honed over many years was Arawn’s greatest strength, and her greatest comfort. To the princess, archery was as much a meditative practice as a combat art.

The bow recoiled as the string left her clawed fingers, her arrow whistling towards the ground far below. The ram that was her quarry was pierced through the eye and fell without a cry. The carcass tumbled a few times before coming to a stop at the foot of the rocky slope, crushing a small tree under its elephantine bulk.

The harpy flew down to alight atop the body, sinking her talons through the metal fleece that covered the beast like wire armor. Beating her four wings hard she returned to the air with her prize.

As she rose up out of the stony valley she looked out over the Cyclopean Bones, bathed in the morning sun. Arawn sighed. Were it not for her duties she could have lived a simple life as a huntress, free of worries and responsibility.

One such worry was the impulsive and carefree behavior of her sister the queen. It wasn’t lost on Arawn that Aellope’s hunting trips were not entirely unlike her own, but at least Arawn stayed close to the Eyrie.

The Stormqueen had disappeared for days on end when matters at court were already tense. While she was away disaster had struck in the southern reaches of the mountains.

That was another worry, but all that could be done had been. The Valkyries were preparing for battle and scouts were investigating the enemy. Even at that moment she was returning to the palace for breakfast, then it would be on to the arena for combat training. Arawn didn’t shirk her duties, even if she might fantasize about doing so from time to time.

Her flight back towards the distant Eyrie was arrested as a smaller figure waved her down. It was a young harpy from the temple, whose name Arawn had forgotten. She was of lesser noble blood, making her around a quarter Arawn’s stature, but even so it would be discourteous to talk on the wing. The girl bowed her head gratefully as the princess landed and set down her prey.

“What is it?” Arawn asked, “If the priestess has a message then you should take it to the Stormqueen, now that Aellope’s back.”

“Please excuse my intrusion,” the other spoke with a measured voice, “but Priestess Thessaly has a message for you personally, Princess Arawn.”

She frowned at that. “Why? I’m not devout and I’ve certainly never troubled myself with her teachings. If this is some scheme to-”

“The human,” the smaller harpy cut in. “Who bears the revered name of Safkhet, yet shows no respect for our people or our past.”

Arawn’s sister Ael hadn’t simply returned late from a hunting trip, at a time when the mountains were already troubled. No, on arriving back to the Eyrie she had presented the human responsible to her court, as if it were an old friend…. Arawn let the messenger go on.

“Did the Stormqueen tell you how she came to fight a duel with this human of hers?”

She recalled the previous evening. Arawn had met with Ael to discuss matters of defense in her capacity as Marshal of the Valkyries, the dedicated military force of the harpies. Once their other business was concluded she had asked her older sister was had happened, that she would allow a human into the Eyrie, as an honored guest no less.

Seeing Arawn’s hesitation, the smaller harpy guessed how the conversation had gone. “Forgive me, but it seems that the answer is a no then?” The messenger showed a sympathetic smile.

The princess’ expression darkened. “The Queen’s business is her own and it is not your place to pry – or mine.”

“Just so!” The messenger nodded quickly. “It is exactly as you say, your highness! We each have our own place and our own duties to fulfill.”

The smaller harpy went on, wringing her hands obsequiously. “I regret that I must broach this issue to you, your highness, but I have a duty to serve the will of the Priestess before my own. I am certain that as general of our warriors you understand. There must surely have been many times when you had to set aside your personal feelings and relationship as sister of the Queen in order to do your duty as her Marshal and her staunchest advocate.”

“That’s… true, yes,” Arawn nodded, mollified by the display.

“That is why I must once more beg your forgiveness as I ask… do you truly believe that the Stormqueen was fought to a draw by a naked human not even a tenth her age?”

Arawn opened her mouth to rebuke the messenger, but the words caught in her throat.

The finest human warriors would struggle to survive a duel with her sister, even if they were fully armed with enchanted equipment and seasoned by decades of combat. The idea of the diminutive young girl Ael brought home not just surviving, but fighting the Stormqueen to a draw naked and barehanded, was absurd.

The other harpy’s face turned grim. “So you share our misgivings.”

“What are you telling me, messenger? Has the priestess foreseen some threat to Aellope?”

“The Priestess simply wished to share her concerns with you, who are responsible for the safety of her majesty the Queen. If some outside force were to influence or threaten our monarch it would endanger all of us.” Her face was grave.

“We would have preferred to raise the matter more openly of course, but… it would be inappropriate to publically question the Stormqueen’s judgment.” The smaller harpy took flight once more. “The Priestess sends her thanks for hearing out her message. Please think on what we discussed, your majesty.”

Arawn rested atop her kill for a few minutes as she watched the figure of the messenger returning to the Eyrie. She still couldn’t understand what Ael was thinking, but she knew better than to challenge her sister once her mind was set. The only time she’d ever won against Ael at was archery.

But willful as Ael was, the Queen could still be manipulated, or worse yet ensorcelled. What if the human wasn’t named Safkhet on mere whim, and actually lived up to the name of the great witch?

For the present she would wait and watch the feeble-seeming girl. Perhaps Arawn was worrying about nothing, and the girl was no more than a passing curiosity to Ael. If not….

Arawn sunk her talons into the ram once more and took flight.

~~~

When I awoke on my first morning in the Eyrie it was to the sound of the door of my room opening. I was snug and warm under several fur blankets, atop my wonderfully soft feather mattress. After a blissful night of sleep this was my first lie-in in a long time, so I didn’t move. Perhaps whoever was there would go away if they thought I was still asleep?

Someone walked over to the hearth and started reviving the embers of the previous night’s fire. Opening a small breach in my defenses I peered out to see Agytha. She looked over at me with a typically inscrutable expression on her thin features.

“Good morning, Mistress. Breakfast is being served in the hall.”

My stomach rumbled at the suggestion of eating. Apparently it agreed I should get up.

I certainly liked the sound of breakfast, but I had an uncomfortable feeling that Agytha and Chione were planning on dressing me. I’d already given up on them seeing me undressed after ‘bath time’, but I would have liked to at least handle my own underwear. Ultimately however, I yielded to my hunger and stepped out of bed wrapped in a fur.

My suspicion proved accurate once Chione had arrived with an armful of wood. The larger harpy gave me a contemptuous look, but then the two of them weren’t really supposed to be my servants in the first place. Ael had assigned them to me without a word to either girl in advance. When I thought about it like that I felt rather sorry for the two of them.

Agytha had picked out the appropriate items of clothing from the harpies’ vault and it had come time to try them on. I’d known this was coming, but still I balked at the sight of the gown she suggested I wear. What she had held up was a striking red sleeveless silk number, with slit sides that showed off a lot more than it left to the imagination.

“Agytha? Are you sure that’s… appropriate for breakfast time?” I asked. It was certainly gorgeous, but way too much for me in several senses. I wanted to see someone else put that on, not wear it myself!

“It’s all just cloth right?” Chione said sulkily. “Not like you got anything to hide after yesterday. Gave the whole court a show.”

I held the fur a little tighter around my chest as I reminded myself to take deep breaths. “All the more reason I should be better dressed this time. I need to make a good impression. I don’t want to cause any more trouble for Ael after everything she’s done for me.”

Chione gave me a sidelong look that I couldn’t read, but she obediently pulled out another item of clothing while Agytha was replacing the first. I wasn’t so lucky as to find any trousers that would have fit me in the vault, so it was a dress of course, but a more modest green one.

The fabric was like cotton, but it had a lightness and strength that seemed unnatural. I wondered if it had some magic to it, but neither of the girls could tell me. The design was long and flowing, with short sleeves and good coverage at the bust – it was the best I was going to get.

First were undergarments however. I had a few simple sets thanks to the trunk from the vault. Donning them was a disconcertingly tactile reminder of the many ways my body had changed since my life on Earth, highlighting both things lost and gained. I couldn’t complain though; the clothes were a welcome relief from my exposure.

The dress came next, Agytha buttoning it up at the back while Chione straightened and adjusted everything.

Once I was dressed and they had brushed my hair, Agytha conjured up a floating surface of ice for me to use as a mirror. Steeling myself for the embarrassing sight I took a look.

I gasped as I saw someone I barely recognized.

I looked nothing like the disheveled apparition I’d seen in the waters of the forest.

Shining gold hair cascaded down my shoulders to frame my elegant features. Large upturned eyes stared in bewilderment, irises flecked in a stunning rainbow of colors. Between them a petite button nose sat over full lips, soft and naturally pink against my light skin. They parted as my jaw hinged down to hang ajar. I reached up to touch my cheek, as if to confirm it was really me.

Looking at the face in the mirror I broke into a smile. I’d been ready to hate what I saw, yet I looked… beautiful. I’d always loathed pictures of myself back on Earth – I never seemed to look good no matter what I did – but as different as it had become, my new appearance was oddly comfortable.

Casting my eyes down, I took in my clothing, fingers caressing the green fabric. It felt silky against my skin, flowed down to my ankles. I couldn’t resist giving a spin and watching the fabric whirl. The ornate gold thread embroidered around the hems sparkled as I moved, accentuating my hair.

I’d never imagined feeling pretty would be so… pleasing. Suddenly I could understand why my high school girlfriend used to spend so long getting ready to go out.

Chione seemed impressed by how well I cleaned up too, but Agytha was chilly as ever.

“Apologies, mistress, there were no suitable shoes,” the smaller harpy said as if nothing had happened.

“I suppose that’s to be expected, my size is on the small side, and your people don’t wear them,” I nodded lightly. Going barefoot would have bothered me on Earth, but here I had nothing to fear. If anything I was emboldened after seeing my new look.

“I suppose that means this is my new look. Thank you both for helping. Have you girls eaten breakfast already?”

“Yes mistress,” Agytha nodded.

“We eat separate,” Chione added as if that should have been obvious. “Likes of us don’t get to eat with the Queen.”

“Oh… you’re not allowed to?” I asked, frowning.

“It would be inappropriate.” Agytha said, tight jawed.

If handmaidens weren’t allowed in the breakfast hall then I didn’t want to make trouble for them either, so I left it at that. Even if I wasn’t happy about how my handmaidens were treated at meal times I was the very definition of a newcomer. I was also starving.

Agytha would lead me to the hall and wait outside.

~~~

Chione had disappeared somewhere and Agytha was silent as ever, so I just let my mind wander as we walked. I almost stepped into the towering leg of another harpy in the giant tunnels.

“Ah, forgive me, I didn’t see you there,” spoke the huge figure in a soft voice, bowing her head. I’d have taken that as a dig about my height but in her case I believed it – she had to be near the same height as Ael.

If my understanding of harpies was correct that meant she was part of the royal line, but she looked quite unlike Ael or Arawn. Hers were snowy white feathers and scales, her skin pale to match. Her features mirrored her gestures and speech, the embodiment of refinement.

“You must be the Queen’s friend, hmm? I am Thessaly, a cousin to Queen Aellope. It is a privilege to make your acquaintance.” She beamed down at me.

“Oh, uh, thank you! It’s great to meet you,” I bowed back, blindsided by the sudden courtesy. Was this really a relative of Ael?

“I am so very glad you were able to find such lovely clothing in our vault,” she went on. “It must have been difficult; to be thrown into the affairs of court with only borrowed feathers.”

“It’s been a running theme for a while now,” I replied, smiling. “Being thrown into things unprepared that is. I’m grateful to the Daughters of Nemoi for your hospitality.”

“You honor us, Safkhet,” she bowed her head once more. “I can understand why the Stormqueen bestowed you so auspicious a name. And yet…,” she paused, frowning.

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“Is something the matter?” I asked uncertainly, as the harpy stared down at me, lost in thought.

“Ah, forgive me, my dear,” she said, bowing her head. “I quite forgot myself. I was wondering what remarkable circumstances brought you to us, and yet I cannot read your fate at all.”

“Wow, you can see the future?”

“Alas, the Goddess has not bestowed so beneficent a blessing upon me.”

She raised a hand to her mouth, looking troubled. “Ah, but that was ill-spoken of me. I should rather say I have not the puissance for so wondrous a felicity. As priestess of Nemoi I have the gift of glimpsing the destinies of those I encounter.”

“Oh! Can you tell me more about that? Just what is destiny? Is it important?” I asked earnestly, recalling the words of the evil god Myr.

Her saintly smile faltered at the intensity in my voice but she did answer. “Why… destiny is the power to overturn adversity. It is the protection of the gods and of the world itself. A being of great destiny can move mountains.”

“Oh, I see,” I couldn’t help but sound disappointed, which seemed to add to her confusion. “Is that the same thing as fate?”

“Ah, there I fear we stray into the theosophical, a daunting matter to address first thing in the morning. Perhaps you could care to discuss such questions at greater length another time?”

“Of course, thank you,” I nodded graciously, but I suspected that the answers I got wouldn’t be the practical ones I was looking for. “Are you going to the hall too?”

“Sadly not, I am returning to the shrine. You would be most welcome to join me there after your own meal,” she suggested.

“Priestess…,” spoke a smaller harpy, around a quarter her size, following behind her. I hadn’t even noticed her before.

“Ah, of course, I am being rude,” the towering holy woman nodded, holding out her hands, clasped in apology. “You are Queen Aellope’s guest; I should not steal you away. Please don’t trouble her by mentioning my indiscretion.”

“Uh, please think nothing of it.” I replied. I felt like I had to step up my speech around her with how polite she was. She was more regal than Ael by a mile.

At that we parted ways, Thessaly’s attendant taking wing to follow along in her wake. The smaller harpy could never have kept up on foot.

~~~

On reaching the hall the first thing that struck me was the mouth-watering scent of roasting meat, followed shortly thereafter by the bustle of hundreds of people at their meals.

Entering through a huge archway I found myself in a vast room where the stone had been cut into smooth walls and floors. One side of the space had towering glassless windows and even doorways out onto the sky. From where I stood it was as if we were floating, the clouds and other mountains both far below Skycrown’s peak - a magnificent sight indeed.

A series of huge tables looked to be carved from the same rock as formed the hall, but the seating was in the form of backless timber stools, with varying heights to accommodate the wild range of heights that harpies exhibited.

At the top of the room sat Ael, in the central seat of the grandest table. Her sister Arawn was to her right but there was a space to her left.

Agytha was waiting near the door as if she were a bodyguard, leaving me to do whatever I wanted, so I looked around for a spare chair that looked high enough and picked it up.

It must have been a funny sight; a tiny girl in a dress hefting a wooden siege tower of a chair like it weighed nothing. The seat was so tall that I had to be careful not to let it tip, as it threatened to overbalance me.

A hush fell around the room as the pillar of wood seemingly moved itself over to the space to the left of the Queen. People looked shocked as they realized their human guest was responsible.

Climbing up proved more difficult, as there was no ladder. In the end I just bent my knees and jumped.

All eyes were on me as I landed atop the narrow platform of the seat. Arawn in particular looked stunned. I ignored them all, turning to Ael. “Good morning!” I smiled up at her.

She grinned back down at me. “I see you found something to your liking in the vault, Saf.”

She reached down to brush my hair with the tip of a finger, letting my straight locks cascade from the tip of her claw, shining like spun gold in the morning light.

“And to think your hair was blonde not brown, what a surprise!”

“Yeah yeah, you try fighting your way through the forest for days with no baths, see how your hair looks.”

I said that, but somehow it was hard to imagine Ael ever having a follicle out of place, no matter how long she was in the forest. Perhaps that was why she was grinning so much. I was quick to change the subject.

“Anyway, Agytha said to come here for breakfast and I’m absolutely ravenous. Do I just help myself, or is there some royal breakfast procurement procedure?”

“Normally one would order from the servants, but it seems they have brought me entirely too much roast ram this morning.” Ael carved a sliver off the giant joint of meat on her equally huge metal plate. Placing it on a more normally sized dish revealed that it was as big as my head.

Receiving the platter from the queen’s huge yet careful claws I grinned. “I guess I’m getting the best service in the Eyrie today, aren’t I?”

Ael laughed in her charming contralto voice. “Hoh hoh, you’re in a bold mood I see, Saf.”

“I finally got a good night of sleep and some real clothes. And some proper food! I could take on the world!”

Tearing into the ‘ram’ with a fork the fibrous meat almost fell apart in my mouth, grease trickling down my chin. I had to grab the handkerchief Agytha had slipped in my pocket quickly, before it got on my clothes.

I had no complaints about the taste however. The flavor was rich and gamey, but it was cooked just right, with a browned top and a pink interior. The succulent feast was enough that I could have cried in joy.

Seeing that I was otherwise engaged, Ael went back to talking with others while I demolished my ‘breakfast’ barbecue. It was the first time I’d had what I’d call a real meal since Earth… however long ago that was now. My time in hell had been a blur.

When I’d finished every last bite I leant back on my seat and sighed in contentment, kicking my legs as I looked up at the distant ceiling overhead. The foul Myr and his torture masquerading as ‘training’ felt very far away now.

“That was to your liking, Saf?” Ael asked after a while.

“Ahh, definitely! I didn’t realize how badly I needed some real food. Thank you again, Ael.”

“It is Arawn here you should thank,” she suggested, gesturing to her right with her wings. “Sister is a huntress beyond compare.”

“Thank you too then, Arawn,” I said bowing my head. “You’ve all been really kind to me; I’m glad to have met you.” There was a tear in my eye that I couldn’t entirely explain, but I made myself blink it away, before anyone could notice. Anyone would get emotional after everything that had happened.

Arawn grunted at me. “It’s fine. I enjoy hunting.”

Her tone reminded me of Chione there, if the handmaiden had been better spoken of course.

“I saw your bow yesterday, it was magnificent. Is that how you hunt?”

“Yes.”

“So… you killed a ram today?”

“I did.”

Even Agytha wasn’t this hard to talk to. It was time for my special move, honed through many trials in the world of Arcadia; the emergency subject change!

“So I met one of your relatives,” I said, looking back up at Ael, “Priestess Thessaly.”

Ael nodded at that. “My dear cousin is the spiritual guide to our people.” Her voice had a stiffness that belied her fond words, but emergency subject change was still on cooldown.

“She, uh, seems nice?” I said after a brief hesitation.

“The Priestess of Nemoi is the voice of the Goddess in the mortal world,” cut in a harpy whose name I didn’t know, glaring at me.

Ael shot her a look and she shriveled, but gave no apology.

“I am sure the priestess would understand that Saf is not among her flock,” Ael said once her target was thoroughly crushed.

“Now!” she said, clapping her hands. “As the Empress of the Cyclopean Bones I have many duties to attend to, but it wouldn’t do to leave you to wander the Eyrie. Perhaps you and Arawn would care to get to know each other a little better while I am indisposed? I am sure Saf would be interested to observe your training this morning, Sister.”

Arawn looked ready to object to that, but Ael turned a look on her just as she had the other harpy, and the Valkyrie princess gave a curt nod.

~~~

The arena where the harpies trained their warriors stood in the open plateau within the ring of spires that topped Skycrown. An open central area was reminiscent of the Colosseum on Earth, raised seating arranged in concentric rings around a flat stage, yet that was only a small fraction of the totality.

Outside the stadium was a green area, an order of magnitude larger, filled with trees and shrubs, growing between rocky hills and spires that in places rose over a hundred feet up. It was a keen emulation of the wider terrain of the Cyclopean Bones.

It wasn’t the arena which impressed me however. Arawn had deposited me in the stands then put the assembled Valkyries to training. There was a metallic tang to the air, befitting of the professional soldiers on display. Even as a total novice I could tell the women fighting were highly trained.

They were engaged in a variety of combats, clashing in pairs and groups, both in the air and on foot. These were supposed to be exercises, but they looked more like life and death warfare to me. The sky all around was dazzling with flashes of magic and the reflected sun glinting off a storm of metal blades and shields.

“Do you train like this every day?” I asked when Arawn landed beside me. Overhead two smaller harpies made vicious spear-thrusts at a larger girl, who dodged each narrowly, even as she counterattacked with a whip of coiling fire.

“Of course,” Arawn replied, “warriors do not hatch with a spear in hand. They have to train diligently.”

“Even Ael?” I asked incredulously, recalling the fearful magical prowess the Stormqueen had demonstrated in our fight.

The princess frowned at me. “The Queen is special, but yes, even she trains herself. But you must be well aware of what it takes to master battle, to have survived a duel with my sister at your age.”

“Actually I… don’t think I ever had much training. I’m a beginner really.” I was uncertain of exactly how much Ael had told her, so I gave a safe answer.

“Hmph! Don’t mock me, Safkhet. If what Ael told us is true you would trounce any of the warriors here, even two on one.”

“I don’t know about that,” I insisted, “I was pretty lucky when I fought Ael!”

Arawn rose to her feet, towering over me as she glared down. “The magic of the Stormqueens is not something you challenge with ‘luck’, human. Pick a weapon and prepare yourself, I will see your skills for myself!”

My mind went blank there, leaving me staring back up stupidly at her. A princess was challenging me to a duel in the middle of all her subordinates?! Was the harpy royal family composed entirely of battle maniacs?

“I’m… not sure that’s a good idea, one of us could get hurt,” I suggested diplomatically. “Probably me! And I can’t fight in a dress, I’d ruin it,” I added quickly as her expression darkened further.

“Then take it off. You fought my sister nude after all,” Arawn’s voice left no room to refuse.

In the end I could only accept the fight and do my best to protect my clothes – I certainly wasn’t undressing in public. So it was that I chose a simple disk-shaped metal shield and metal shortsword, and took a place in the middle of the arena. If Arawn wanted a fight I’d give her one.

Seeing my choice of weapons Arawn took up a gargantuan spear.

“You’re not going to use your greatbow?” I asked, curious.

She cast a cold gaze down at me. “I will if you can make me use it, human.”

I grinned at that. “Very honorable.”

This fight was probably a bad idea, but it might not be to my disadvantage. If I could survive lighting strikes then surely a spear wouldn’t be the death of me, and even I could tell that Arawn was a master warrior, with a great deal to teach. Besides, I’d surprised her sister once… time to surprise her too.

The two of us took positions at opposite sides of the arena, the other harpies gathered in the seats that ringed us to watch. “The match will be decided by surrender or first blood,” announced a warrior with a booming voice. “Begin!”

I had thought to take the initiative and use my speed to confuse Arawn, but before I knew it she was on top of me with a rush of wind. A spearhead thrust out in her colossal hands, my vision pushed to the limit just trying to follow the movement. I put up my shield and a resounding boom shook my body.

I felt oddly light after that, but even so it was a moment before I understood that I was in freefall.

The shield I held had a hole torn through the middle and my arm was throbbing.

A few moments later the ground rushed up on me from behind with a slam that winded me.

Arawn stood over me, pointing her spear at my chest. “Don’t mock me, Safkhet. Even a novice knows to anchor herself. Get up, we’re going again.”

The audience was quiet. The looks on those faces big enough to make out were distinctly unimpressed.

My first thought as I sat up was to check myself and confirm that I was indeed bleeding where the spearhead had hit my arm. The wound wasn’t too deep, but it was a humiliating loss; defeated before I could even move. At this rate all I would accomplish was getting my clothes shredded.

“I’m sorry, I took you too lightly, Arawn,” I confessed, annoyed with myself more than her, “But what do you mean by anchoring myself? There’s no way I could have stayed on my feet taking a hit like that.”

The harpy looked just as un-amused as I was with my performance, perhaps more, but she answered nonetheless. “I mean using your mana of course, girl, how else can you fight an opponent ten times your size?!”

“If I use my mana I can stop myself being knocked back?” I asked with surprise plain to see. “How do I do that?!”

“If you truly don’t know then learn with your body,” was her only answer, as the harpy attacked once more.

The huge spear was like a utility pole with a greatsword on the end, yet she was swinging it as lightly as a twig. With no time to try anything fancy I jumped over the incoming swipe, but rather than swing again she slammed me to the stone floor with the wind of her sweeping wings!

I landed on my feet, skidding back but staying upright. Her spear was already returning but I crouched lower to duck under the swing – only for Arawn to change the trajectory and track me with the tip. There was a boom as I was knocked back once more, but this time her spearhead had embedded itself in the stone… with a nice knuckle print in the flat edge.

“Not bad, your strength at least is on par with mine,” Arawn smiled for the first time. “But your movements are pathetically direct. If you can’t even attempt to disguise your footwork or gaze then you might as well be shouting your every move in advance.”

I couldn’t really argue with her there, but nor could I suddenly learn to feint and disguise my movement. Her words gave me another hint however.

As we clashed once more I willed myself to broaden my focus; not just to follow the spear-point flying towards me, but to take in the wielder behind it too. Her arms were still bent as she swung, her posture coiled as if to spring forward. If I dodged the sweep she could catch me with a thrust.

My prediction came true.

I laughed in triumph as I deflected the spear with my angled shield, sparks scattering all around.

That was when her tail lanced out from the shadow of the spear shaft, stopping inches from my throat.

“My win again, Saf, unless you wish to make me run you through,” she declared.

That was two in a row. The other harpies were applauding her win this time.

“Best three out of five?” I asked, grinning despite myself.

“Don’t make this boring for me,” she replied.

As our third contest began with a thrust from Arawn I began to understand more. Her spear was terrifyingly fast and powerful, but in exchange for the unparalleled reach there was a limit to the number of ways she could attack me while it was extended. Every blow would in essence be a thrust or a slash.

That didn’t mean I could suddenly read her attacks of course, but with each stab and sweep I evaded I was seeing and taking in more of what was happening around me.

Her attacks didn’t just come from the arms, they began with her feet and wings – her talons would grip the stone tight enough to pierce it before a powerful blow, the force transmitting all the way up through her body – while her wings kept her balanced and gave extra thrust.

The wild card was her tail. Sometimes she used it too for balance, but at other times it was a second spear, just as deadly as the first.

Totally unlike her sister in fighting style, Arawn was nonetheless a nightmare to battle.

Even so, I had been focusing on evasion and blocking for perhaps a minute now, and I was still in the fight… just barely.

It was as I thought such that the princess grinned, taking her hand off the spear I’d just ducked to throw a punch.

The fist was as big as my whole body and it sailed right over my arms to crack me in the jaw.

When I sat up I found that I was in the seats at the edge of the arena, surrounded by the other harpies.

She really got me with that one. I’d been too focused on the limitations of her spear and tail.

My chest was still heaving as I caught my breath from the intense exertion. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been out of breath since ‘training’, but with how high up we were the air was very thin. But clearly I could get used to it – Arawn wasn’t even breathing hard.

“Once more!” I called out, jumping down from the seats.

Arawn actually laughed at that. “Excellent!” she nodded. “Come at me, Safkhet, prove that you are worthy of your name!”

After that I realized that Arawn had barely even been toying with me in the first three bouts.

Every move was faster and sharper now.

Attacks came in countless forms, from kicks to slashing claws and even wing-strikes. Her spear was at times a sword, at times a staff.

Somehow I was able to keep up, to just barely follow each new attack and react.

Seconds turning into minutes, she stepped things up once again. Quick and light thrusts started flowing into heavy sweeps. Her footwork would tell me she was going left while her eyes said right. She would begin a move, then pull back while I was already committed to my defense, or shift into a different form entirely.

The first time she threw in a tail feint in addition to her eyes and spear I found myself laid out by an attack I didn’t even see.

That made it 4 to 0.

But there was no way I was going to stop there!

I jumped right back into the fifth round. The world around me had already melted into a vague blur of no consequence as I pushed my senses and my awareness to the limit.

I recalled my ‘training’ – not the torment, but the heightened alertness and split second reactions it had forced me to develop.

Already I was learning what to look for. With my senses and reactions I could keep up. I could do this.

As the fight reached a new level of intensity I saw my opponent’s muscles contracting and sensed energy flowing through her. My eyes followed the torsion of her limbs that announced the next thrust before it could emerge. The motion was in a different dimension of speed and complexity compared to all that had come before.

I understood at an instinctive level now that if I tried to leap aside – as I would have at the start of the morning – such exaggerated movements would just give Arawn an even greater advantage.

But that didn’t mean I was giving up.

My body could handle this; I just had to use it correctly. I took a half step forward and gripped the stone with my toes, feeling the surface cracking underfoot. Having fixed my footing I would slip around the blow and counterattack.

Or so I thought.

As Arawn unleashed her attack mana overflowed from the spear and the blade exploded out with terrifying speed, curving impossibly through the air to defy the telegraphed motion I’d predicted and catch me totally flatfooted!

Despite that I felt oddly calm as I took in the whole scene, the princess, her bent arm, her leg brought forward as she stepped in.

I had no chance to dodge but just blocking wasn’t enough either – she was positioned perfectly to follow up with a kick or a tail attack if I dared lose focus or stagger – assuming I could stop the hit to begin with.

Bracing against the stone floor to meet the blow, I received the spear with my tattered shield and undersized sword both.

A wail of shearing metal filled the air from the incredible blow, my muscles straining under the force. The shield was utterly destroyed, but I held my stance firm against her thrust!

Even Arawn hadn’t seem that coming; she was a split-second late in following up with the tail thrust I’d predicted.

That was all the opening I needed.

I leapt forwards to get inside the range of her spear before she could recover, batting her tail-spike aside with my blade.

The look of surprise on her face was gratifying – until her wing swatted me out of the air.

Her size advantage and the reach it gave was simply too great. I’d only been able to beat Ael with a sneak attack after all.

Arawn pulled back her wing with a smile, but her face turned blank as she saw that her target wasn’t sprawling on the floor…. In fact there was no sign of me at all.

She raised her guard at once, scanning for some trace of my presence, but it was too late.

With an exultant roar I kicked off the crook of her wing towards at her face. She raised a hand to guard herself and I thrust my sword into her palm to force it aside, pulling my fist back for the knockout blow.

The butt of her spear cracked against my head like a hammer, and that time I really did crash to the floor in a heap.

“Ughhh…,” I groaned, holding my head as I sat up, disarmed and dazed. “I thought I had you that time, Arawn.”

“You did,” the princess replied with a look of chagrin as she pulled the toothpick-like blade from her hand.

She offered her other huge hand to me, and I accepted the help back to my feet.

“Well fought… for a novice,” she said with a lingering hint of a smile in her eyes. “But it seems you will need more training. You have a great deal to learn.”

“Thank you, Princess Arawn, I look forward to learning from you,” I nodded, bowing my head.

It was then that I felt something at my shoulder give way. Looking down at myself I gasped in horror at the sight. My dress was ruined!

For a moment I was despondent, but even as the pain in my head was fading so too were the stains and rips in my clothing. Even the torn shoulder was gradually re-knitting itself.

“Uh, is this normal for clothes?” I asked in confusion.

“It isn’t a rare property for enchanted armor,” Arawn volunteered, looking surprised herself. “But self-restoration will use a lot of mana. Enchanting a fragile piece of cloth with the magic seems foolhardy.”

“So it’s using my mana to do this?”

“Naturally, can’t you feel your energy being drained?”

“Apparently I have quite a lot of mana, so I guess not,” I replied, Arawn raising an eyebrow at that.

“Then you’ll have no objection to joining me again tomorrow morning, right?” the princess asked.

“I’m counting on it,” I grinned.

~~~

Once the human was gone and the other Valkyries had been dismissed Arawn retreated to her rooms in the palace. She had her handmaidens bring her favourite drink, warm milk with honey, and sat looking out the window at the mountains as she sipped it. She was still processing the surreal events of the morning.

She had begun the day with a number of worries, but she hadn’t expected the matter of the human to come to a head so soon.

The warrior princess had seen the imposition of Safkhet upon her after breakfast as a chance to test the veracity of the girl’s story of her meeting with the Queen, yet the human girl had openly cast doubt on the events with her inane claims of inexperience.

How stupid could she be? She was not only undermining her own tale, but insulting her opponent in the bout, the Stormqueen herself!

Arawn had resolved to make her regret her words.

The Marshall’s thoughts were thrown into complete disarray once the battle started however. Her initial thrust had settled the match before the human had even taken a single step!

For a moment she thought the girl must have died, but the girl sat up with barely a scratch on her. The Marshal wondered if it was a trick to make her lower her guard, or else some scheme to win sympathy.

But as they fought on Arawn realized the truth.

The human wasn’t lying at all; she really was a complete beginner, not even at the level of a novice. The girl wasn’t using her mana or making the most basic of feints.

Arawn couldn’t understand it – she hadn’t even tried to counterattack. The girl should have been easy prey for Ael yet somehow she, a total beginner, forced the Stormqueen to accept a draw?

Yet at the same time, even as the Valkyrie pushed the human harder, mixing in feints and actual martial techniques, the tiny girl had stubbornly refused to break. If her experience and skills were laughably pathetic, Safkhet’s basic strength, durability and speed were terrifying. If the girl had actual training just how powerful could she become?

Arawn mused on the final clash as she took another sip of her milk.

She had decided to settle the last round of their bout with the Spiral Spear, a martial technique that defied the mundane rules of the world to curve her blade through the air with supernatural power and speed. It wasn’t an especially flashy technique, but its simplicity was also its strength – it could be produced in an instant, yet struck with exceptional power and variability.

Opponents who failed to read the arcing trajectory or harden their defenses to the utmost could only be pierced though. There were few even among her hand-picked wing of Valkyries who could receive such a blow unharmed.

And yet the human stood her ground, bracing herself against the stone and actually turning aside the attack, creating a window to retaliate.

Even then Arawn had kept her head of course, calmly dismantling the desperate attempt Safkhet had made to turn the tables on her. Or so she had thought. In that moment she had relaxed just enough to miss the tiny extra weight clinging to her feathers after her wing attack.

Arawn flexed her hand around her goblet, feeling the lingering tingle of the already-closed cut the human had given her. She wondered if the girl had pulled a similar trick on Ael. Maybe the human and the Stormqueen really had been telling the truth about their fight.

At the very least the princess was confident that Safkhet had been honest in their battle.

Perhaps Safkhet was one less thing for Arawn to worry about.