A little exploring, a little binding

Better get a look at your new digs. You’d been so distracted lifting the boneless heap of the priest you hadn’t gotten a good look at your new home. Gathering the web and moss in your new talons, you leave the massive web behind and take to the sky with a single immense beat of your wings.

Gods it feels so good to fly this high! You never dreamed of it before, your stunted wings making you easy prey for wind currents to toss you around, but now you glide on the updrafts, cool air brushing your hair back and tickling your naked chest delightfully.

Right. You have a job to do. You look down the slope of the mountain. Your new perch is quite high up, and you smile with contempt as you look down at the rolling foothills you were so recently **** to inhabit. Your new cave is little more than a gash in the raw cliff face, one of many along a narrow ledge providing space to land. No one without wings is going to get in or out of there you think with pride.

You bank, cruising about the mountain and scrutinizing the land about your lair. You groan. Being an area for adventurers, there are plenty of ledges just wide enough to be walked across while hugging the sheer stone face, mazes of jagged rocks and trails leading to other caves no doubt inhabited by monsters waiting to be mowed down by the discriminating hero.

But it’s quiet now all along the rocky landscape. Only the mournful moan of the wind reaches your ears, but while the mountain looks barren of anything but cold grey stone, you know only too well life creeps and clings to the crags and cliffs like the scraggly trees and bushes that eke out an existence wherever they can. You look up, where you can see the snow-capped peaks of the upper mountain, where even stronger creatures lurked. You look down and to the sides, and see gaps and clefts where small valleys, streams and rich greenery shelter their hidden nooks. Gods. For a moment you hover there before the immenseness of the Sissiphun mountain, your stomach shrivelling within you as for the first time you truly appreciate the vastness of the mountain, its five peaks clawing like fingers at the puffy clouds. From the foothills it had all looked so simple, you so small, yet here, now, for perhaps the first time, you realize how small even a level eight harpy is to this thing you call home.

You shiver. You’re satisfied for the moment and tuck in your wings, making for your new nest. Landing lightly on the ledge you push through the inverted V of the cave entrance and into its dark recesses.

You pause, blinking as your eyes adjust to the gloom. There isn’t much space inside, the whole thing like a cut into the mountain side. There’s the priest, still lying where you dropped him. His even breathing informs you he’s not faking his rest, and you stalk slowly up to him. Hm. Now, what are you going to do with him?

To help you think you deposit the moss and quickly flip the priest over and prepare his new bindings. It’s a little awkward with your talons, but as you work you get a better feel for it and have soon thoroughly bound his hands up with the gossamer strands. You don’t bother with his feet. Where’s he going to run?

Next, you disarm him. His belt gives you some trouble, but eventually you just tear it free. He has only two pouches, and they slip free from the cord without protest, both clinking to the stone floor. One holds a few coins, the other a couple potions. You lift up one of the narrow bottles and stare at the blue liquid sloshing inside. Okay… Curious, but probably not important just now. You stash them beneath the moss of your bedding. You’ll find out what they are later.

Finally, you stand back up and loom in your new height over the priest. Now, the only question is what you’re going to do with him. Maybe one of your new skills…Your abilities flash before your eyes once more.

Sky's the Limit: Allows flying higher on mountain
Sweet Song: Lure creatures to you with your sweet song
Harmonious Song: Compels obedience from creatures with low willpower

Hm. Those first two are useful, albeit not in this case. But that third one could be the answer. However, he is an adventurer, even if a low level. His willpower isn’t going to be so low your ability could **** him to obey. However, maybe you could lower his willpower somehow. Yes. That might work. But how?

As you think you hear a groan. You look down and see the priest begin to stir. Well, now or never.