Question the Harpie!

Your control over the bow remains firm.

The arrow...is not yet embedded in her naked breast.

Adrenaline had carried you this far, to be able to disable this wretched creature with a few deft shots of your ranged weapon.

But now, seeing that she was indeed downed and disabled, hesitation took to you instead.

Glaring right into her golden eyes, those ovals once filled with predation and pure malice, you could see something else occupying her pupils.

Fear.

The bird-woman knew exactly what was supposed to happen now.

Predator once.

And now...the prey.

That’s what the arrowhead currently aimed at her heart meant.

And yet….you are not yet prepared to take this monster’s life, even though she had presumably taken countless others before you even ended up on this hill, entangled in this bloody melee.

Why was that?

Why were you not yet satisfied to end the harpy?

“Do not take pause now, friend!” The urging voice of the armored man to your left brings you back into reality. “Her and her kind would not afford us the same luxury if we were in her same position.”

You narrow your eyes, tightening your grip over the bow.

Her kind.

Perhaps that was what gave you the pause.

Not knowing enough about the nature of this ungodly abomination of woman and beast brought together.

“This man says you kidnap humans, bring them up high above these rocks to whatever place it is that you shelter your young. He says you breed the men, and sell the women off to other abominations like yourself.” You keep a firm, authoritative tone when commanding her next, “Is that true?”

Baring her teeth, the harpy made a series of growling noises before replying in plain human words, “Why don’t I show you, instead?’

Amusing.

Without hesitating, you fire that arrow off into her taloned foot, causing the creature to cry out sharply as you target yet another body part.

Loading up another narrow projectile from your quiver, you speak again, “All I have known in the past few days is ****. My family, my friends, all dead. I wept for them, for many days while journeying through this godforsaken place. You have my word, creature, that if you do not state your true intentions, I will not shed a single tear for the body I leave for the scavengers to pick at in the morning.”

The harpy felt the severity of your words there, surely.

And so, her entire demeanor shifts slightly, especially in the renewed threat of immediate ****.

“Usually, we work in twos. Target poor, defenseless humans traveling on their own this close next to our home,” she gradually reveals to you, before stating, “Once we collect them and bring them to the others, the men become our mates. The women, they either entertain us, or they entertain whoever bids the most.”

“Don’t forget to tell him what happens to the men after you’re all done spreading their seed throughout the entire flock, you feathered fiend.” The man in armor spits at her disdainfully, brandishing his sword while keeping a close eye on the other harpy that had not yet jumped back into the fray.

Indeed, that one is smartly still licking her wounds.

The lone harpie, held still at arrowpoint, managed to carve an almost vindictive smile across her face in spite of her circumstances.

As if to dare Hans to let go of the bow.

“You will sustain my people for a long time, pathetic humans,” she taunted them both. “Do what you want with me. More will come. And they will take you up, up….”

Her eyes flicker upwards, towards the mountains. “Up and you will never come back down.”

The armored man twirled his blade around menacingly. “We cannot allow these creatures to return home, friend. We risk incurring the wrath of the multitude if we make such a folly.”

You have had enough of her treachery, as well. “Make peace with whatever demon you homage, creature. I’m about to send you straight to-”

“RAARWW!!!” The sudden shriek of the other bird-woman captures both your and the other man’s attention.

Seemingly abandoning the grounded harpie, the injured creature flapped her wings and began to fly away from you all., seeking to fulfill the exact scenario that the armored man just warned you about.

Cursing under your breath, you turn your bow on the fleeing harpie, seeking to end her flight once and for all with one, well-aimed arrow.

“Gods be with me,” you whisper to yourself, closing in on the trajectory, and then….