The trip to Aviary was, thankfully, quick and smooth. The village was nestled in a valley, and the mountains around it reached so high into the skies that the peaks disappeared in a curtain of clouds. Joey couldn't help but crane his neck to gape at the massive peaks. The Aviary itself was half-shrouded in mist so that despite the bright and clear day, shadows still swept over the towers of the village. Dark figures constantly swooped through the air, often vanishing into a tower or gliding down to the ground, and as the Oracle's royal carriage approached the Aviary, Joey could tell that the figures were at least humanoid.
"The Aviary," the driver announced once they were outside the gates of said village. The companions climbed out of the carriage and stood in a wide arc, taking in their new surroundings. "I shall wait here until you return," said the driver.
"So, who do we have to talk to again?" Bakura asked for what had to be the hundredth time.
"Lady Ishizu said we had to meet with Mai, the Aviary's governess," Serenity said, finger on her chin in recollection. "She's the one who requested the investigation."
"I wonder why the Aviary allied with the Fiefdom," Yami said. "They're much farther than the other towns, and they look...different."
Joey could see what he meant. As they neared the gate, he could see the flying figures in much more detail. They were all shaped like women but had large, shimmering green wings and talons for hands. Joey wondered if they were more bird than woman as he watched them perch atop any branch or ledge they could find before diving into the air again.
"Never thought I'd see a Harpy," Bakura said, looking around curiously, "let alone a village full of them."
As they approached the first of many towers, one of the Harpies leapt down from an unseen spire and landed before them. She had short, shoulder-length brown hair and deep blue eyes that regarded the group cautiously. "Greetings, travelers. What is your business here?" she asked.
Joey stepped forward a bit. "Lady Ishizu sent us to respond to your investigation request."
The Harpy nodded. "Then you'll be looking for the governess. I'll take you to her."
Joey exchanged a smile with his companions. This Harpy was unexpectedly helpful, and the sooner they met with this Mai the sooner they could be on their way to the Delphine and, finally, toward the other two domains. The brunette crouched before zooming into the air, kicking up dust as she flew. She arced back down toward the group and hovered just over Joey's head, holding out a hand toward him. Four other Harpies swooped down, circling the group in the air. Joey swallowed and thought up a few incapacitating charms in case the Harpies decided to attack.
"Take my hand," the brunette said with a hint of exasperation. "We'll fly you up to the Aerie." Joey hesitated before reaching out to take her hand, and the other Harpies grinned, laughing silently at his anxiety.
The moment he touched her taloned hand, Joey was airborne. He felt his stomach drop as she lurched higher into the sky, seeming not to care about the comfort or even safety of her passenger. He opened his mouth to shout a warning or threat (or just to shout, the experience was terrifying), but they slowed at the top of the tower they had just stood at. There was a wide window with one panel angled outward so that the Harpies could fly inside easily.
As soon as the Harpy released him, Joey bent over, hands on his knees, to catch his breath. He didn't even care how he appeared to the others as they landed behind him (although he did take comfort in seeing them wear similarly haggard expressions). When he stood up fully again, he looked around the room they were in. The walls were the same dark grey stone used on the tower's exterior, and the only light came from natural sources outside through the window they had just flown in from and a skylight above a veritable throne. And sitting on that throne was another Harpy, though she was wore a dark metal breastplate that left little to the imagination. She stood and sauntered over to them, making her long blonde hair wave and bounce.
"Governess, these travelers were looking for you," said the brunette who carried Joey up. "They're here on Lady Ishizu's behalf."
"Thank you, Téa," the governess said. She put her hands on her hips and eyed Joey. "This is who the Oracle sent to answer my request?" She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "I guess I'll have to make do." She returned to her throne and rested her head on one hand while beckoning the group to come forward with the other.
"Right," Joey began, "we're here because –"
"Did the Oracle explain to you what I wrote in my letter?" Mai cut across him. She wasn't even looking in his direction but rather in Serenity's.
"Oh, um, n-no, she didn't," Serenity replied after a moment's hesitation.
"Figures. Well, as I said to her, the Aviary suffered an attack a few nights ago. My guards fended off the assailant, but only just. Our protection charm was damaged in the fight, among other things."
"Your protection charm?" Marik asked. "Then how have you –?"
"Without our protection charm, we've had to increase security at the most vulnerable points in the Aviary," Mai interrupted. Again, she only addressed Serenity. "Unfortunately, that's not the only trouble. One of our guards was injured in the attack, although we don't know the extent of her injuries. She's been unconscious since the fateful night."
Serenity's eyes widened. "Oh no! May we see her?"
Mai nodded. "Of course."
The governess stood and led the group back toward the window, and Joey gulped. He wasn't relishing another haphazard flight, but if this was what it took to complete Lady Ishizu's task, then he didn't really have a choice, did he? So, once again he grasped Téa's hands and grit his teeth as they dropped from the window. This time, he couldn't hold back a short yell as they fell to the ground, only for Téa's wings to yank them upward again. He chanced a glance ahead of them, if only to avoid looking at the ground some more, and glared at the care with which Mai was cradling Serenity.
They landed in the center of the village in front of a round, low building made of the same dark stone. Mai led them inside, with Serenity and Téa close behind and the other Harpies wandering off to other parts of the village. Joey hung back so that he was huddled with the men in their group. "You guys getting a weird vibe from this place?" he asked.
"Like they're all waiting for us to let our guard down so they can devour our flesh?" Bakura asked. "Yes, definitely."
Joey wouldn't have put it that way, per se, but at least he wasn't the only one feeling out of place at the Aviary.
"No wonder Lady Ishizu didn't want to come herself," Yami said. "Although Serenity seems to be enjoying herself." He nodded, and the four looked ahead to see Serenity and Mai chatting amicably, joined in occasionally by Tea.
"Maybe they've got something against Acolytes, woodsmen, ex-Sentries, and former Golems," Joey said.
"Sure," Bakura agreed wryly, "that must be it."
The round building was small, with only a few rooms within, with the unconscious Harpy in a room all the way at the end. Indeed, she lay on a long bed, her arms crossed and wings loosely draped over her shoulders. Mai walked to the head of the bed and frowned at the Harpy. Serenity bent down to inspect her more carefully. "She's breathing normally," Serenity said, "or, I assume she is." She glanced to Mai, who nodded. "And she looks normal." She bit her bottom lip in concentration.
"What's that on her arm?" Marik asked, pointing to a slightly discolored patch on the Harpy's upper arm.
Serenity leaned over to inspect it. "It's...a bruise?" She looked further up the arm, then the chest and neck. "There's another one around her throat," she said, dismayed.
"Is it large enough to have been made by someone's arm?" Bakura asked. Serenity nodded. "It could have been another Shadow Ghoul. Remember?" he said to Yami.
"That makes sense," Serenity said, and she turned to Mai. "She might be unconscious because her life force was drained. Do you have anything that can cure that? A potion or...something?"
Mai shook her head. "We'll have to request supplies from the Delphine. I'll get started right away." She turned to leave, but Joey held up a hand.
"Wait!" he said excitedly. "I think I have a charm that can help. Let me just –" He stepped toward the Harpy, but Téa crouched defensively between him and the bed, and Mai threw out a winged arm to stop him.
"Stay away from her," Mai commanded in a low tone, her amethyst eyes narrowed to slits.
Joey flinched back and held up his hands. "I was just gonna use a healing enchantment on her," he explained carefully. "It'll help her get her energy back. Right, Serenity?" And he gave the girl a significant look.
"Oh, right," Serenity said. "Joey is a very talented Acolyte from the Kingdom of Black."
Mai slowly lowered her arm, and Joey could see behind it that Téa stood up again. "Fine," she said, "but make one false move and you'll regret it." And she flexed her talons.
Joey nodded and gingerly approached the unconscious Harpy. He recalled the healing charm Solomon drilled into him early on in his lessons. (With Mai a breath away from tearing him to shreds, he couldn't afford to forget a step or word now.) He gently brushed her violet bangs away and placed a hand on her forehead and closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the tense atmosphere. He muttered the magic words and felt warmth seep out of him and into the body on the bed through his hand. A chill began to set inside of him, but he ignored it until he completed the chant.
Finally, Joey released the Harpy and stepped back. He watched breathlessly as the flying woman inhaled sharply and sat bolt upright. She heaved a few more breaths, causing her bangs to float up and down, and looked around. Her eyes widened when she saw the group of travelers but she smiled when she spotted Téa. The two embraced, and Mai visibly relaxed.
"Thank goodness," Joey said, and he stumbled back a step before clutching at the wall to keep from falling.
"Joey!" Serenity rushed to grab his elbow and haul him back on his feet. "What's wrong?"
"Magic demands a price," he said with a wan smile. "I...I had to give her some of my life energy, but don't worry, it'll recharge. I'll recover soon enough."
Serenity worried anyway, and by she wasn't the only one. Yami grabbed Joey's other arm and helped him back toward the door where the rest of their group stood. "You've got to be more careful," he chided.
"Hold on," Mai called. Joey tensed and, with his friends' help, turned to face the governess. She put a hand on her hip and regarded him coolly. "You saved one of us at the expense of your own well-being."
Joey wanted to respond with the assertion that they would have done the same for him, but he wasn't quite sure about that. Instead, he said, "It was the right thing to do. It was nothing."
"No, it wasn't nothing. You have my gratitude and my respect." She inclined her head reverently.
"And mine!" called the now-healed Harpy. She hopped out of the bed and walked over to lightly place a hand on Joey's shoulder. He nodded to her, understanding that the motion was some important gesture for her. "Thank you."
" Téa, take Ceres back to Aerie and get her settled in," Mai directed. She turned back to the travelers and said, "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the broken protection charm."
Mai led them out of the room and up a set of stairs spiraling against the exterior of building. On the roof, in the center, stood a rod holding an orb that would barely fit in a hand. It was a glossy and translucent green with a symbol floating inside of it. It was perfect except for the large crack running through it, pole to pole. Mai lifted the orb of the rod and held it out to Joey. "As you can see, it was damaged in the battle. Without our charm, our village is susceptible to all kinds of magical attacks. We've been lucky thus far, but I don't know how long that will last. It must be repaired immediately."
Joey nodded and held out his hands for Mai to drop the orb into. "What happened? Who attacked you?"
Mai turned toward the mountains and pointed to a line of trees. "They came from there, a group of creatures we'd never seen before. They were black, hideous things with uncanny strength. We had the advantage of flight, of course, but one of them shot out its tongue and grabbed onto Ceres. It dragged her clear out of the sky." Mai shook her head, morose and disgusted. "We were able to defeat the creatures, but their bodies disappeared, like the ground soaked them up. Our only evidence of attack is the charm, which broke when one of them picked it up and threw it at us. If I had to guess, I'd say that group of creatures – Shadow Ghouls, you called them? – was only the first wave, to test our defenses. And if that's true, then whoever coordinated all this could be after the Delphine." She folded her arms. "Tell that to the Oracle, maybe she'll respond quicker this time."
Joey snorted a laugh. "Will do." He handed the charm to Marik and turned to address Yami. "Hey, have you ever seen a Shadow Ghoul whip somebody with its tongue?"
Yami shook his head. "That's a new kind of shadow creature all together."
"Oh, lovely," Bakura said. "Because Ghouls weren't bad enough."
"I'm just glad everyone's okay now," Serenity said, her shoulders relaxing.
"For now," Mai said. "I'm counting on all of you."
