Danny sighs as he stood in front of the Harpy Queen now fully dressed.
"Look, I'm grateful for everything you've done, but I can't just sit here until..." He tried to explain.
"We understand that you wish to save them, but it will take a month to ever reach their territory. Even if you were able to fly, a week is still far too late." The Queen said.
"I'M NOT GOING TO SIT ON MY ASS, WHILE MY FAMILY IS IN TROUBLE!" Danny shouted, surprising a few harpies.
Danny took and breath and turned from her.
"I'm sorry." He said, sighing.
He felt a wing over his shoulders and looks up to see the queen next to him.
"Danny, we understand. Lots of humans lost their families to the Armed Harpies. Some of my flock used to be human girls that didn't want to leave. We gave them a chance and freely let them turn into us. You are the first human male that we saved from the Armed Harpies." She said, sighing.
"Offering to make you one of us doesn't seem right. Plus, we need to get you to human family before next month." She said.
"Why?" Danny asked.
"Mating Season." The Queen said.
'Mating...Season?' Danny thought before blushing.
He remembers Sam telling him that some animals have types of mating seasons and since harpies are a type of bird, they have mating seasons as well. However, he took a breath.
"Look, even if my mom and sister are harpies when I get there, I'm not going to stop until I find a way to free them. Even if I can't change them back, I'm not going to leave them in the hands...err...talons of those...those..." Danny stops, having a bit of trouble coming up with a word that won't offend the harpies taking care of him.
The Queen sighs before smiling.
"Lots of girls tried to save their families. Some were caught, others made it back to us. If you are able to save your family, then I wish you luck." She said.
Danny sighs before he saw Harp walking toward him, holding two bags of fish and berries. She didn't tell the queen that was going to leave as well. Danny was unsure after what he heard, but Harp did sound stubborn. Reminds him a bit of himself.
"Danny." The Queen said, making him turn.
"Even if you fail, just know, you're welcome back here to recover." The Queen said.
Danny nods, taking the two bags.
"Harp will help you down the mountains. Good luck." She said.
"Thank you," Danny said before Harp grabs his shoulders.
Later, the forest,
Danny sighs as he started to look for something that could help him track in the forest. He would normally fly above the trees and head for the Armed Harpies. Flying for a week sounded much better than walking for a month, but he doesn't know if the harpies have any bad reactions to ghosts. So he was stuck with walking.
Danny found a big stick that he could use to mark the ground so he doesn't get lost. The trees were kind of thick, making it hard to see the sky so he could use Harp to lead him out.
Danny blinked when he felt two wings covering him and something soft against his back. He tries his hardest not to blush as Harp lays her head on his shoulder.
"So, where to?" She asked.
Danny clears his throat, trying to keep it together.
"Well, the mountains are on the other side of the forest, yes? I just need to make sure we are going the right way." Danny said.
Harp looks around before spotting something. She flew up to a tree with letters crave into them.
"Harp?" Danny asked, walking up to her.
"Family tree." She said, smiling.
Danny blinks before seeing the letters. Strangely, they were names he never heard of. At least, for half of them.
"This is my great-grandmother," Harp said, pointing at the name, Kets.
"She was the first harpy in centuries to mate with a human," Harp said.
"What?" Danny asked, surprised.
"Kets found her human mate during a flight. He didn't look anything special. He was looked down on by a lot of people, even his parents. But Kets saw something in him, something that made her fall for him. It took a while, but she helped him feel better about himself before my grandmother was born." Harp said, looking at another name.
"Talon. Named after her sharp talons. Grandmother was one of the best hunters in the flock. She could hunt anyone! But she was feeling lonely. Surprisingly, she didn't like those big strong mates, saying, "they are too dumb to see me as the Harpy am I! They are not worth my love." Harp said, making Danny chuckle.
Harp looks at the human name and smiles.
"He found what some of those dummies call a nerd. The minute she lay eyes on him, he was her mate. Of course, remembering what her parents told her and the rules of the hunt, she took the time to know him. Before long, they fell in love and mating almost every time they meet. Grandmother was happy for a long time even when my mother was born." Harp said.
Danny was starting to place together the pattern.
"So, your mother found a human to mate with as well?" Danny asked.
"Yes, she was still young when she met my father. He just turned 18 and went on a hiking trip. He loves the outdoors. My mother saw him during his trip and she flew down to talk to him. They got along fine and soon fell in love. It took a few years for them to have me, and my father would actually visit from time to time. He helped me read and write, I'm the only harpy that can do so!" Harp smiles
"Really? So where is your father?" Danny asked.
"Don't know. After my 10th hatch year, he disappeared. My mother looked for him, but she could find him." Harpy said, sadly.
"Sorry," Danny said, feeling bad.
"Hang on, did you say that your great-grandmother was the first harpy to mate with a human in centuries?" Danny asked, thinking back to what she said at the beginning.
"Oh, yes. My ancestor was the very first Harpy to ever mate with a human. She hated them." Harp said.
"What?" Danny asked, confused.
"We mostly call her Queen, since her real name was lost among the flock. Queen was hurt badly after her last attack with humans. None of the other harpies could carry her, leaving them no choice but to leave her behind. However, a human took notice of her and brought her back to his home. He nurse Queen back to full health, but she didn't trust him. But she found that he had no hate toward her kind and thought of her as a person. As the weeks went by, Queen found herself enjoying her time with the human, whom she named Feather. They also started to fall in love, as Feather gave Queen the idea that not all humans were mindless creatures. On the day she was fully healed and ready to head out, they mated. She visits him from time to time, telling her flock all about her time with him. He was the one human he could never bring herself to hate. Then one day, she discover she was going to have an egg and flew to his home to tell him the news. But when she got there, his home was on fire and Feather was laying on the ground, in a puddle of his blood. Queen try to help him as he helped her, but it was too late. Feather stated that he still loved her and she told him about the egg. He died in her wings, smiling." Harp said.
Danny looks down. It wasn't like her other family members, her ancestor lost her mate before their child was even laid.
"His death made her hate for humans return, even after learning it was his own kind that destroy his home and killed her chick father. But she would still return to the burn-down home, using it as a birthing place for her chick, whom she named Feather after him." Harp sighs.
"Did she find the ones that took her mate from her?" Danny asked.
"They found her, they were going to kill her chick, but she lass out killing each one single-handly. Well, it was with her talons but you get the idea." Harp said.
She then walks away from the tree before stopping at a clearing near the mountain base. Danny follows her and notices that the trees bend away from the clearing as if something was forcing them to.
"Queen move her flock to this mountain, and live there ever since. Many harpies would see her fly down here and cry. Her chick would follow suit, knowing who her father was. The home had long disappeared, but many harpies could sense that something was walking around the empty field. Some of them even heard a door close when there was none." Harp said.
Danny blinks before getting it.
"I think it might be Feather, the human," Danny said.
"Huh?" Harp asked.
"Well, you see, my parents are known to study ghosts. Sometimes a ghost doesn't pass on after death. I think that Feather has grown attached to this place and doesn't want his spirit to leave. To him, his home is still starting, waiting for Queen to visit him. I bet even after Queen pass away, he kept watching over their chick and her chick and so forth. And since you're part of his family, he might be watching over you and your mother as well." Danny said
Harp blinks before she felt the breeze blow across her face. Strangely, it felt like a pair of hands touch her face, and she could have sworn she saw a face nodding at her. Danny felt his ghost sense acting up but relaxed. He knew there was no danger.
Harp close her eyes and started to sing. Danny listens, smiling as well. He felt his ghost sense appear again and felt a pat on his shoulder.
"Take care of her."
Danny turns to see if he could find the ghost, but it was nowhere in sight. Danny sighs and listens to Harp singing.
And stopping here. I decide to cover Harp's family little and even her ancestor. The next chapter will have the two start their quest to save Danny's family. There will be dangers along the way and Danny might have to use his ghost powers, but it will be until later. If you guys want to hear more about Harp's family, I can write some chapters that explain how her great-grandparents, her grandparents, and her parents meet in side chapters.
