The Harpy's Perilous Message
The Khan strung her bow as she spoke.
“Harpies flew here before you arrived.”
Harpies—half-human, half-bird creatures from the Steppe. Creatures one could never see in the Empire.
“Hard to spot in the Empire, right?”
“Yes. I saw my first one in the Wilderness.”
Vesta was polishing his sword beside the Khan, blade gliding in steady strokes.
“Only a glimpse from afar, but still…”
“More will appear before long. The Steppe holds as many varied harpies as it does birds of prey.”
“I had no idea they were so diverse.”
“They say even finger-sized ones exist.”
“Finger-sized? Does that mean hummingbird harpies?”
“Only nectar-loving harpies, I’m told. I’ve never seen one myself.”
“They sound adorable.”
“They do. I’d love to see one too. Every living thing in my lands feels so fierce and untamed.”
That was only natural. The Khan’s territory lay so close to the Wilderness.
A place far removed from anything cute.
“Vesta, inspect your gear more thoroughly.”
The Khan offered premium wool grease from her saddlebag. Vesta wiped his blade clean with it.
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Sooner than expected.”
The moment the Khan finished, a bright voice rang out.
“Khan-nim! I have urgent news.”
Arin’s voice.
*I knew she knew how to use honorifics.*
The woman who spoke so casually to even her closest superior, Bia, now addressed the Khan with the utmost respect.
*Poor Arin. Even the Khan must have been terrifying.*
“Very well. Come in.”
The Khan waved them forward and turned to Vesta with a gentle smile.
“You seem ready to leave the safety of camp.”
She reached out and stroked Vesta’s head.
*
The harpy that had come to the tribe was no wild bird.
It was a messenger, carrying urgent dispatches like a living pigeon.
The Steppe was a paradise for raptors. Using birds to deliver messages was almost impossible there.
Pigeons would never make it. Eagles would snatch them long before they reached home.
That was why they had sent a much larger harpy.
The Khan had received the message from the bird and chosen Arin to carry out the task.
And Arin leaving camp meant…
Vesta and Rahan would accompany her.
“Whoa, Vesta. This harpy is massive!”
Rahan, armed with his quiver, stared at the creature in awe.
“Indeed. Up close, it’s even larger than I thought.”
Vesta and Rahan watched the harpy settle onto the ground. Vesta studied it from a distance where his hand could almost reach.
This was the first time he had ever seen a harpy up close. He finally understood why they were called half-human half-bird.
No feathers covered the face. The beak was extremely short, almost lip-like.
The eyes were fully human, with no whites. The head was hidden beneath thick, long feathers.
“Half human… half not.”
“Harpies come in every variety. There are ones far more human-like than this, and others that look almost entirely like birds.”
“Really?”
Rahan took one step closer.
The harpy suddenly launched into the air and hovered.
Rahan yelped in shock.
Vesta, sword half-drawn, sighed.
“You’re really jumpy.”
“W-wait! It wasn’t fear—just startled!”
The harpy puffed out its chest.
“Angry? Maybe.”
Rahan edged closer to Vesta.
Vesta smirked and stepped forward.
“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
“Pfft!”
The harpy chittered in some language Vesta did not understand.
“I doubt it understands spoken words.”
The Khan’s voice came from a distance.
“It simply memorizes the words and spits them out at the right moment.”
“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
The Khan stepped forward.
The harpy launched again.
The Khan casually extended one arm.
The bird landed on her forearm and began preening.
“Keen… keen.”
The Khan smiled. “It’s a female. Short beak.”
The Khan looked regal perched on the arm of her hawk.
“Stand.”
She raised her arm.
The harpy took flight and landed lightly on Vesta’s wrist.
“Ka-haaaan?”
The harpy pecked Vesta’s earlobe twice with its tiny beak.
“Human!”
“Surprisingly obedient.”
Vesta looked perfectly natural with the harpy on his arm. Even Rahan watched with interest.
“You’re giving it to me too?”
“Watch and learn.”
Vesta tossed the harpy toward Rahan.
This time Rahan caught it without flinching.
“Hehe.”
*
“Still not good enough,” Asmur muttered, arms crossed.
She had watched the exchange and found it unimpressive.
Arin poked her shoulder lightly.
“If it makes you that nervous, stay behind.”
“I’d rather go,” Asmur said quietly.
She could not leave the camp. Her comrades were out there fighting, and even Ahor the guard captain had been sent on patrol.
She was the only one left to guard Rahan.
“I must fulfill my duty here.”
Of course the desire burned like a furnace.
Asmur pressed her fingers against her brow.
“I thought we were leaving right away. Why so far?”
“I didn’t choose the distance. The harpy came to us.”
“I honestly wanted to refuse.”
“Haha. Stubborn as ever.”
“I know. But once the Khan had already given permission, I couldn’t change my mind.”
“Originally, why did the Khan even approve it? Ushun would have thought you ate something rotten.”
“Ushun’s words… I’ve been thinking. Why would Rahan be so eager to go?”
He had a human friend his own age now. Of course he wanted to play with him.
He probably thought that the magnificent centaur warrior who happened to be his mount would be impressed.
Asmur had wanted to say he didn’t need to prove anything, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Recently he’s been acting strangely.”
She sounded like a worried mother.
Every new bride faced the same thing.
“I know I don’t act like myself,” Asmur admitted. “But… my husband wants it. And…”
“And?”
“He said I could go with you.”
“Oh? He trusted me that much?”
Since Rahan had agreed to join them, Arin would have to protect him herself.
“Gold is an undefeated warrior.”
“Gold.” The name of Bia, centaur knight of the Altangerel clan.
“Exactly.”
“But that undefeated streak exists only because of you and Aishil. I trust that your protection will continue.”
“Haha. If anyone heard, they’d think we were marching to war. No, we’re just running to a nearby clan and coming right back.”
“Still, I’m worried.”
“Near there, just a little while ago, you and Small Hawk were stationed. Orcs would run screaming at the mere mention of ‘Gold.’”
The Khan had sent Bia on patrol for exactly that reason. The rumor alone kept the beasts away.
“If you want even safer, you’d need to ride with an entire army.”
Asmur nodded thoughtfully.
Arin was right.
If it had been Vesta—the Khan’s own champion—then perhaps. But Rahan was just an ordinary boy living on the Steppe.
His peers rode without worry. They faced no threats.
Where in the world did one find safety without any danger?
Asmur watched her young husband feed a meaty chunk to the harpy. Rahan’s innocent, laughing face.
“…I feel like I’m giving birth to a child.”
Arin burst out laughing and placed a hand on Asmur’s shoulder.
“If anything happens, I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”
Arin ignored Asmur’s reply and summoned the two young men.
“Let’s go!”
“Whoa!”
Vesta nodded.
Rahan cheered.
*
The group halted after riding for some time.
“Let’s rest.”
“How much farther?”
“Look at that hill. It’s the most obvious landmark in the area. We’re almost there.”
“Perfect last rest stop.”
Vesta dismounted. Even Gansinbae, his trusty horse, relaxed for once.
Vesta sat on the ground. Arin rested straight-backed as always.
Rahan played with the harpy.
A short distance away, he practiced throwing it back and forth, coaching it like a hunter.
He must have been thinking of the Steppe’s traditional hunt.
Of course, it was not easy for anyone.
After many failed attempts, the harpy finally spotted something and rushed in.
It snatched something from the ground with its beak.
“I got it!”
“Another rat?”
Rahan ran over in delight.
“It’s getting farther away.”
“Yeah. I’ll call it back.”
“I’ll do it.”
Vesta called out.
Rahan looked back, waved wildly, and yelled,
“Be-sta!”
At that exact moment.
Kyaaaa!
The harpy, which had been gripping its prey carelessly, launched into the air.
Rahan froze.
“Rahan!”
Squeeee—
A sharp sound lingered in the air like a trailing tail.
Thud.
One arrow punched clean through Rahan’s thigh.
“Eh?”