Harpy
Spices
Karashi languidly lay in a sunny
spot on one of the mountain ledges, her orange-red wings splayed wide and
her warm brown hair messy and unkempt, almost obscuring her short black
horns. She should be doing the tasks she'd been assigned but the weather
was so cosy today it would be a waste to not enjoy it. The tasks could
wait anyway. The other harpies knew better than to give her urgent or
important jobs. Some might yell, others might chide but Karashi didn't
really care. They wouldn't throw her out of the aerie.
As if right on cue, another harpy flew by. Though younger, Rayu was
definitely stronger than Karashi, and she did not like the lazy excuse for
a harpy. Rayu squared her shoulders and puffed up her chest, seeming to
grow even larger than usual. Being one of the biggest harpies in the
aerie, with golden-brown wings and neatly styled hair and feathers, Rayu
was a known sight among the other harpies. But she was someone to admire
from afar as she had a bad temper and a cruel streak.
"Get off your lazy arse!" Rayu bellowed.
Karashi ignored the other harpy, but did get up so she wouldn't be an easy
target. If Rayu wanted a fight, she would get it. Karashi was still older
than her and in all rights, Rayu should show her respect. Charged by the
sun, Karashi felt warm and limber, as if she could move as fluid as the
water, but strike as hot as a roaring fire.
Rayu felt much the same, thinking that Karashi should respect her for her
prowess and value to the aerie. And likewise, she was burning and ready to
establish her dominance over the wimpy harpy that everyone seemed to
indulge.
Fighting commenced with a lot of claw-scratching, name-calling and
shrieking. Karashi stayed put, refusing to move from her pleasant perch
while Rayu attacked her from every direction she could try. But Karashi
was smarter than Rayu gave her credit for and the slightly older harpy had
quite a few tricks up her sleeve. Far from being coddled, Karashi was left
alone for fear of her vicious plotting.
It was like this that Wasabi found them. Gashes ran down both their arms
and legs, wounds from defending, were evident on either harpy. They had
been at it for quite some time but neither was close to budging. Wasabi, a
dark-skinned, distinctly present harpy with green feathers and a talent
for music, felt she should intervene lest something really terrible
happened - and she was blamed for it.
"Break it up you two." she called, brandishing her wooden flute
as a weapon.
But both Karashi and Rayu outright ignored Wasabi's attempt at
peacekeeping. In fact, they were quite intent on adding the third harpy to
the fight. A frenzy of rage and anger seeking to be quenched. Wasabi was
by no means a pushover. In fact, people should know that she was by far
better than anyone else in the aerie. She was going to make it big.
The name-calling, claw-scratching and now hitting with blunt objects
continued. Insults were hurled to and from until finally Karashi uttered
the one thing that would make any harpy see red:
"Can't even beat me, can you? You're all talk. I'm betting you'll
just run to the mothers right after this!"
Even as she said it, Karashi realised what she'd done and finally she fled
from her rocky perch. She sped away as both Rayu and Wasabi chased her.
Karashi was lithe and definitely had the advantage of speed, but the other
two were stronger and would have greater stamina. She had to think quick.
Lightning fast, Karashi dove for cover in the trees. The other two
followed her, grasping for her legs and claws.
Distracted by the fight, nne of the three harpies noticed anything amiss.
None even registered the swirling mass of shadows that had been growing in
the forest, aiming to wreak chaos and havoc on this place. But it was too
soon. The shadow wasn't ready. As the three harpies collided, they passed
through, dragging the shadow along with them as they floated into the
non-space of the elsewhere.
It seemed like both seconds and an eternity when they were expelled out
again, into a whole new world. A large mountain range dominated the
place and wild minds watched their entry into the world. The three harpies
had travelled far and would not be able to return. But they were fearless
and wild themselves and they would thrive in the Arx.
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[STORY] -v-
[KARASHI] -v-
[RAYU] -v-
[WASABI]
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Lantessama Isle
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