Flight of The Harpy's Heart

Chapter xx: Shackled Feather

Nearly every adult had gathered around in the cellar, drawn in by their curiosity for the captured harpy. The children were forbidden to gaze upon the harpy as the harpy was quite vulgar —almost completely nude—her body covered in nothing more than a few patches of soft feathers on her most private parts such as nipples and genital area.

Aden noticed some kids trying to peek, only to be stopped by their parents' hands— It was almost comical. After all, those same children had already seen the winged women when they had ransacked the village. To think that their parents felt the need to shield them from something like this seemed almost ironic.

The children were pleading with their parents to let them have a glance. Only little Jasmine remained uninterested—the only one who didn't attempt to peek.

As Aden stood there, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Martin behind him. The mute gestured for Aden to step aside so he could get a better view of the harpy.

"Ooh," Martin's jaw dropped to be able to see a harpy this close without fear of getting gutted.

"Beautiful creatures aren't they?" Gilbert was astonished as he looked into the dark-skinned harpy.

"Yes, beauty—" Aden spoke, "yet deadly."

The harpy glanced at Aden and then she looked around not in focus.

Gilbert waved his quill in front of her face, trying to get the harpy's attention. The harpy kept looking around.

"Is she blind?" Gilbert asked.

Marcus scoffed, "She?"

Marcus seemed to not like the idea of identifying the harpy as people.

"Do you want to name her too, Neckbeard?" He mocked.

"No, I don't—" Gilbert stammered.

Marcus menacingly closed at Gilbert. "I give you free advice, once you attached to them that's the part where you growling on the ground with your belly gutted by them wildlings."

Gilbert stared down. He let out a sigh, "I just want to know whether they have a blind night or not."

"Harpy was barely able to see when dusk came, they have nyctalopia—a night blindness. a condition which they could barely see in the night." Old man Jed butts in to clear the air. He explained. He appeared as if out of thin air.

"Like a human?" Gilbert asked.

"Aye, you got it right Neckbeard, some humans have night blind conditions if they grew up malnourished." Old man Jed followed up.

"Don't they have the ability to see objects when they were flying?" Gilbert brought up some info he read in his compendium.

"You mean resonance?" Old man Jedd cleared his throat, "Even with resonance, they are barely able to fly at night. Their resonance was not as powerful as bats."

The old man explained about the harpies' abilities and conditions.

The harpies' beauty was not their main weapon—it was their resonance. Their ability to utilize their voice. Their voice could sway the oblivious people, resonate with their souls, and lead them to their doom. Their voice could also utilized to talk with Mother Earth, an ability to see with sound.

Gilbert's eyes widened—Amazed with the new knowledge he never read in any of the books or compendium about the wildlings.

"So, that's why they always cease fighting and rush to collect their kind's dead body before dusk." He murmured.