Flight of The Harpy's Heart

Chapter xx: Early Bounty

Aden had just returned to the courthouse's main hall from the second story where they stashed the collected arrows and bolts, suddenly he alerted when he heard villagers shouting in the distance, "Harpies! Harpies!"

harpies? in the night? aren't they daylight wildlings? Have they changed their strategy and now attack in the dark as well?

Aden got so many questions in one slight moment. his mind raced. He was ready to pick up his sword and spear at the armory when he saw Oliver running toward him from the front yard.

"Aden!" The kid called out his name repeatedly.

"Hey, kid. what is it?"

"Harpies." Oliver panting, "They caught a harpy."

Aden's curiosity was piqued as he heard the commotion in the front yard, jubilant cheers slicing through the air.

"Let's go! don't you want to take a look at the captured harpy?" Oliver invited Aden to go with him.

"One moment," Aden rushed to the second story, put his spear in the armory corner, and armed himself with a longsword.

He went to the front yard with Oliver. Forging a path through the crowd with the boy, he arrived at the epicenter of the excitement, and what unfolded left him momentarily speechless.

In the heart of the throng, Marcus, Victor, and Ethan proudly paraded a captured harpy, her striking dark skin, and resplendent golden wings a vivid contrast against the muted tones of the village. Her wild, dark hair cascaded down her back, a representation of her fierce and untamed essence.

The captain and the knights congratulated them for their achievement. For them, this might be a game changer.

The villagers' cheers echoed, drowning out the harpy's struggles and anguished cries, as the men flaunted their triumphant catch. She appeared confused, frightened, and vulnerable at the same time.

Aden's heart sank witnessing the harpy being showcased in the front yard, her once-majestic wings now cruelly bound, freedom snatched away. The men's exultant expressions and the villagers' fervent cheers sharply contradicted the harpy's grim plight, underscoring the delicate balance between man and nature.

The captain's gaze was stern, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the captured harpy. The creature's wings were bound, her talons shackled, her eyes lowered in defeat.

"Secure her in the cage," Captain Willem ordered, his voice echoing through the dimly lit cellar.

"At once, sir," Ethan responded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.

Aden, Oliver, and other people followed the former smugglers who captured the harpy.

The former Crown enforcer knew precisely where to take the prisoner – the cellar's iron cage, a detention area where the village's Crown Watches put the criminals. Without his guidance, the Regalyon response party and the villagers would have struggled to access the armory, let alone locate the keys to the cage. He had uncovered the late Crown Watches' secrets, the hidden spot where the village Crown Watches hid the keys to the cell.

Ethan's fingers pulled out a bundle of keys and walked toward the cage's lock, the key and the lock clicking into place with practiced ease.

The heavy iron door groaned open, revealing a stark and unforgiving chamber. Ethan gestured for the knights to bring the harpy forward, her wings dragging against the stone floor, leaving a trail of shed feathers.

As the creature was forced into the confines of the cage, her piercing gaze met Aden's who happened to watch her in the corner of the cellar, a silent plea lingering in her eyes. The door slammed shut, the resounding clang echoing through the cellar, leaving an ominous silence in its wake.