Emma woke up completely alone, chained to a wall of a cave. Her head was thumping with the weight of a pulsing headache. Her eyes seemed to be stuck together like glue. Her body felt weak and drained of the last remaining amount of energy.
"By the mother of fairies…" Emma muttered as she tried to get a grasp her surroundings.
"Stupid…" she grunted, "…bloody, pirate. What did he get me into?"
She sits alone in the silence cave with the only the quiet echo of water droplets filling her ears as she nodded in and out of consciousness. A sharp kick to her ribs brings her out of her stupor.
"Wake up, human," a high-pitched voiced shrilled as Emma grunts in pain, clutching her hurting side.
Emma, her energy still being low, stares lifelessly towards the half-human-half-bird creature infamously known as a harpy. The harpy that stands before her is a silvery pearly-white one: the almond shaped eyes of the creature glim darkly that shimmer white. There are very light, faded blue scars run horizontally across her eyes. Her face is human-like but instead of soft curls of hair, there are long, snowy-colored feathers that are twisted together to form dreadlocks
"Kasimir has no interest in a female," the harpy snaps as she racks her talons against the wall in heated anger.
Her body is naked except for a large golden medallion that hangs between her breasts. Her arms are similar to any other human, but form into long, graceful wings with five sharp inky-black talons that are shaped like human hands. Her legs are covered with feathers that form into bird-like feet with three long, sharp black talons. There is a small golden anklet on each ankle.
"Kasimir only wants the men," the harpy slashed her talons against the wall once more causing sparks to fly, "Men are more honorable to kill." Her feather ruffled up in a fighting stance that makes her seem larger than before.
"He…is going to kill them?" Emma stuttered out, licking her dry lips, as she stares at the ghostly eyes of the harpy.
"Stupid human, what else do you think would happen? You humans are so stupid. Coming into our territory. Humans!" She spat as she flapped her wings in hate, "Humans never learn their lessons!"
"We needed a feather," Emma whispered, trying to sit up straighter.
"That is what they all need!" The harpy cried out in anger, "All of you! Come, sneaking through! Try to steal what is not yours! Try to steal parts of us!"
"Our feathers! Our talons! Humans, so greedy!" She caws as she lunged for Emma's pale neck.
"They come from regions and realms and even other worlds for us. Sometimes they come in peace; sometimes they come with bloodshed in mind. One thing has change though…" The harpy mutters as she touches one talon against Emma's cheek, "They don't leave the island once they find us…"
"You kill them! That is murder…" Emma weakly argues as she stares into the dark, angry white eyes of the humanoid.
"We kill them before they kill us. We let a few humans go, to warn others to stay away. And when the new humans come, we feast like we haven't in years." The harpy smiles evilly.
"We didn't come here to hurt any of you. We don't want to harm anyone! We just needed one feather…it's for a good cause." Emma begs as she pulls on the chains.
"Excuses! Humans, all say 'good cause' but is it truly a good reason?" The harpy howls, "Humans. They come and they took my baby. MY baby. All the humans said it was for 'a good reason' or 'good cause!" The harpy cries out as she pulls on the chains, snapping them.
"I watched them as they took my child away from me. Those humans burnt my home. They killed my family. The harpy's help the humans no longer." The harpy began to cry as she fell into the ground.
"Humans send other humans! Dark creatures send humans! All want the same thing! All want a pieces of the harpy!" The harpy trills as she cries into her talons.
"I…I'm sorry…" Emma muttered quietly, "I…I don't want to take your children. I wouldn't let my companions take a child either." The guilt begins to rise in her chest as quickly as the fear for her life.
"MY baby is dead!" The harpy cried out in sadness and anger as she sends a powerful gust of wind towards Emma, causing her to fly into the wall of the cave.
Emma grunted in pain and coughed out, "And I am sorry…I know it doesn't mean much coming from another human…I wouldn't be able to live if someone killed Henry," Emma whispered in fear as she pulls herself away from the wall and closer to the sad creature.
"What…what was your baby's name?" Emma asked as she reached out towards the harpy to gently touch her arm.
"Jahzara…my baby…my baby girl…" The harpy muttered as clear, wet tears rush down her face.
"My son, his-his name is Henry," Emma whispered as she begins to sooth the harpy.
"You have a baby?" The harpy whispered, unmoved from her spot on the floor. She stares into the eyes of the human across from her to try to detect if she lies.
"Yes. I have to get back to him. That is why I am—we are here…my companions and I…" Emma whispered as she moved one of her hands onto the bare shoulder of the harpy.
"You…are separated from your baby?" The harpy whispered as she continues to stare into the eyes of Emma.
Emma nodded slowly, "I was separated from him. I had to make a deal with the man that is going to be killed by Kasimir." Emma clears her throat; "He is going to take me home, if I take him to someone else. And I am the only person who knows how to get to this person. But, he needs that feather in order to get me home. We have a deal."
The harpy stared silent and unblinking at Emma. "What is your name, human?" She whispers.
"My name is Emma."
"Emma." The harpy whispers as she pulls herself up from the flood, "Emma, you speak the truth to me. I will help you. Mothers should not be separated from their babies."
"My name is Zuna. I will get you your friend back; however, you mustn't tell anyone of the harpies help toward your cause. We do not want the return of more humans."
Zuna led Emma out of the cave, which turns out to be on the Cliffside that she had seen during the night. The sounds of drums can be heard from the ground below.
"Kasimir is going to kill the men," Zuna said calmly as her and Emma stand on the edge of the cliff.
"We have to stop him," Emma said passionately, staring down the cliffside.
"Hold on, Emma..." Zuna whispered as her human-like talons wrap around Emma's wrist before diving off the cliff and speeding down towards the ground. Emma's screams echoed down.
When the two landed, Zuna began to screech a warning causing other harpies caw at her as they back away, fluttering in the air.
"Kasimir!" Zuna cried as she flaps her wings and slashed at the air, "I am calling an end to this feast!"
A deep rumbling shrill filled the air to challenge the warning call.
"Zuna! Wife! Do you not know your place?" Kasimir cried in anger at his wife's disrespect, "These humans have come and these humans must die!"
"No!" Zuna demanded as she flew up to her husband, "I am helping this human! I want the human who made a deal with Emma!"
Kasimir snarled at his wife before ordering two lower harpies to question and retrieve the prisoner his wife is looking for.
"Zuna! Humans killed our child!" Kasimir snarled as he lashed out his talons towards her, "Or did you forget?"
"This human has a baby too. Mothers should not be separated from her babies!" Zuna cried harshly towards her husband as she stands on her feet, glaring up at her husband.
Kasimir's hot, yellow eyes glared down at Emma. "Emma the human," He called mockingly. "What is your baby's name." He asked.
"Henry," Emma stared hard into his eyes as she tried to mask her fear.
Kasimir stared back at her before jerking his head up and calling out another shrill to his men.
Within moments the two lower harpies returned with Killian. "Hook!" Emma calls out and runs to him.
He was battered, limping slightly, and clutching one side of his ribs. "Emma, love. Pleasure to see you again." He joked with a grin and a lift of his eyebrow.
"Making new friends, I see?" He continued
"Now leave." Kasimir ordered. " Emma has the companion she made deal with. Leave!"
"Kasimir." Zuna snarled, "The deal involves the harpies. Give her one of your feathers. A long one."
"Woman!" Kasimir howls as he springs up into the air, his feathers spiked out. "Humans always want pieces of the harpies!" He repeated Zuna has said before.
Zuna's head tilted back, as she glared at her husband. "NOW!" Zuna screeched with all her energy as her skin turning a light red with heated anger and her feathers spiking as if to fight.
Kasimir snarled before forcefully plucking a feather off his lower arm and handing it to Emma.
"LEAVE!" He snarled, lashing his talon at Emma before shooting up into the air.
"My crew…" Killian began to speak, looking towards Zuna.
Zuna quietly turned to look at him; her once pearly white eyes are now crimson red. She is silent.
He hesitated, his eyes dropping to the ground and with a wave of his hand he muttered, "…Are back aboard my ship. My…companion and I will be off now. Emma, love, say goodbye to your new friend."
Emma looks at Zuna, whose eyes are fading back to pearly white. "Go, Emma..." She whispered before flying into the air after her husband.
Emma and Killian look at each other for a moment before silently making their way out of the village of the harpies.
The two were back aboard the ship by sun up. Both sat in the Captain's quarters silently until Emma broke the silence.
"I'm sorry about your friends." Emma said softly as she looked at him sadly. "I didn't know that getting you out would mean leaving them behind."
Hook glanced up at the princess for a moment, his hand resting on his mouth. "Ah…" he sighs, "that is not the first time I have lost part of my crew."
"That doesn't make it any easier." Emma muttered as she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Do you care now, princess?" He said sarcastically as he sat up straight.
Emma looked taken back. "I care about the lives on this ship, yes. Life isn't something that should be given up so easily."
Hook shook his head as he stood up and walked towards the window. "We are headed to our next task. We must find the Blue Fairy."
His abrupt change in subject threw Emma off of a moment, before she asked her next question.
"Are we going back to Neverland, then?" Emma asked as she sits on the couch watching him.
"No. Neverland is pixie territory. Fairies are in this realm. She will make this feather into a magical quill that will be used to bind the Dark One to the Heart of the Ocean. All he needs to do is to touch it."
Let me know what you think of this chapter!
*Edited 11/11/13