Heavenly Harpies

Chapter 19

The group all looked at each other. "Oliver could of been using this to get Leona on his side..." Jackie slowly said. Chase seemed shocked, dazed. "But, if that's true then..." Poppy cut him off, "Then that means we have to RESCUE HER! Come on!" She flew off as everyone else followed. But Kai, he stayed on the ground, shaking. Jackie came over to him as the group paused. "Kai?" He sniffled, "Jackie, I can't go. If I hadn't showed up, Leona wouldn't be in this situation. Neither would any of us." She inhaled deeply, taking his hands. "Its not your fault. Oliver seemed very trustworthy. He would've found a way to trick us with or without your hypno necklace." He looked up at her, hopefully. "Now come on. You can help us fix this." He smiled, took her hand and they flew off.

As they flew, they looked behind them. Darkness had spread throughout the valley. Now, going to where Oliver and Leona were. "Oliver? Why did you come back to me?" You asked innocently. He looked at you and sighed, "I need you to open the gate." The manticore stopped. "What do you mean? What gate?" He looked down, "The gate to the source of the darkness." The manticore bounded away, you clung tightly to Oliver, pondering. He knew what he had to do, his master needed to feed. He loved you, truly he did. And once he was finished with you, you and him would take over his master and rule the world. You had fallen asleep, the bouncing had rocked you till you dozed off. Oliver held onto you as you arrived at a foot of a large, towering, mountain. Finding a small cave at the bottom, he slid you off and then made a small bed, and tucked you in. You murmured and slightly whimpered when he left the cave. Pausing, he looked back at you, then forward. He hopped onto the manticore and bounded off.

The group had encountered a grand storm and had to find shelter, and quickly. They saw a small cave near a large mountain and gathered in there. It was a dark, damp, and spooky cave. They lit matches then made a fire. You wake up with a start and yell. They all jump and almost attack you, till they recognized you. You stretched your wings and yawned. "Guys? What on earth! You aren't supposed to be here, he will be back soon!" They shook their heads, "We won't let him near you. We found this, a hypnoses necklace. Oliver dropped it. He had you fooled...He had all of us fooled." You grab the necklace and stare at it. Oliver was back. You could hear the manticore panting. You tied your hair into two braids and walked out, your wings spread. He looked up at you and before he could say anything, you punched him hard in the jaw. You grabbed his body and pulled him into the cave.

After making some ties from rope, you had him securely bound to some stalagmites. The group watched over him as you took out the hypno necklace. As he started to wake up, his head was spinning, you swung the necklace in front of his eyes. He watched it swing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. He fell into a deep trance. The group and you looked at each other and talked amongst yourselves on what questions to ask. With this hypnoses, they would be able to manipulate him to tell them his plans, and truthfully too. Jackie had studied herbal serums, and whipped up a truth potion to give to him.

And he woke up.