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The harpies’ living quarters consisted of a massive pit leading down into the earth. A road spiraled down towards the center of the pit, following the walls. Along the road, there were hundreds of caves. Harpies flew back and forth through the pit, heading towards different caves while chattering with each other. Raea stood at the edge of the giant hole and squinted her eyes at the bottom. She could barely make out a blotch of yellow.
“That’s where I live,” Cory said, following Raea’s gaze. “The matriarch gets the safest spot from intruders, but she gets no privacy. But privacy isn’t really necessary when you’re the strongest. Come, let’s go down.”
Raea nodded and began to walk on the road leading down. “Not like that,” Cory said and rolled her eyes. She gestured towards Raea’s back. “What are those wings for?”
“Right,” Raea said and furrowed her brow. Occasionally she’d forget she had them. The majority of her life was spent wingless and walking. “Who created this place?”
Cory tilted her head to the side as Raea’s wings spread open. “This place was created for us,” she said and blinked. “No one knows by who, but our ancestors agreed to live here because this structure existed.” Raea walked to the edge of the pit and flapped her wings. Cory hopped beside her. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Raea nodded and flew into the air. Her wings glowed with a bright red light as she spiraled downwards into the hole.
Cory didn’t bother spreading her wings; instead, she leapt off the edge like she was diving into a pool of water. “Get out of the way, fools!” she shrieked while plastering her wings towards the sides of her body. A few harpies looked up and squawked before clearing out the center of the pit. Raea frowned as Cory continued to fall like a rock. When it looked like she was about to crash into the ground, her wings flared open, slowing her descent.
Raea took in a deep breath and folded her wings, causing her to plummet past a few harpies. She mimicked Cory’s actions and spread her wings open to stop herself before hitting the ground. “Wasn’t that fun?” Cory asked when Raea arrived. Dozens of corpses lay scattered about the bottom of the pit. There was a massive nest created from yellowing bones in the center. Cory flew up and into the nest. “This is mine.”
The nest was relatively empty. The bottom was covered with a fluffy animal skin that Raea couldn’t recognize. In the corner, there were a few cracked eggshells that rose up to Raea’s waist. “Are those your eggs?” she asked, her mouth gaping. Did those come out of Cory like that? “Aren’t those a bit … too big?”
“Hmm?” Cory glanced at the broken eggshells. “No. Those were the previous matriarch’s. I haven’t found a suitable mate. Well, actually, that’s not true.” She stared at Raea with an odd expression. “I found one, but I don’t know if I can have him. The competition is very fierce.”
“Aren’t you strong?” Raea asked as she paced around the nest. A few odd objects lay scattered about. Most of them were shiny metals, but there were a few wood carvings as well. “Who would compete with you for a mate?”
Cory let out a hollow laugh before shaking her head. “Forget about it,” she said and looked up. “Our area looks pretty unified, doesn’t it? There’s no clear divisions, just one giant spiral leading down.”
Raea nodded. “There was space for seven tribes?”
“Yup,” Cory said and pointed with her wing. “You see those faint lines on the wall? Those were drawn with harpy blood. The harpies at the bottom could invade the space of the ones at the top because up is the only way out of here, but the harpies at the top weren’t allowed to come down to the bottom; otherwise, they’d be killed and have their blood smeared as a warning. But I changed all that because I’m the best.” Cory chuckled. “The centaurs used to call our nest the seven layers of hell.”
“Hell?” Raea asked.
“Mm. Some place where disbelievers of grassism go when they die,” Cory said and nodded. “It’s supposed to be a very scary place, but I don’t think so? This place is totally paradise. Look at all the underlings I have to do my bidding.” She gestured towards the harpies flying overhead.
“Right…,” Raea said. Didn’t Cory bring her here for something important?
“Are you ready to meet everyone now?” Cory asked and turned her gaze on Raea. “I hope you prepared your speech.”
“I have to give a speech?” Raea asked.
“Well, I mean, you don’t have to, but, you know, it would be nice,” Cory said and nodded. She raised her head and let out an ear-piercing shriek. “Everyone gather!”
Hundreds of harpies flew out of the caves along the spiral before flying towards the bottom of the pit. They began filling in the space around the nest, shoving some corpses out of the way. When there weren’t any more harpies descending, Cory nodded and flew up. There was a pole extending from the center of the bone nest with several places to perch. She alighted on the second highest perch and gestured for Raea to fly to the top. “Don’t be shy now,” she said and nodded.
Raea bit her lower lip. When Cory said she’d introduce her to all the harpies, this wasn’t what she was expecting. She thought they’d go around to the important harpies and have a few talks over tea created from mushroom juice or angel blood. “C’mon now,” Cory urged again. “Everyone’s waiting.”
Raea sighed and flew up next to Cory. “Higher,” Cory said, gesturing towards the perch above her. Raea’s brow furrowed, but she did as the red harpy asked. Cory cleared her throat. “Everyone! This is the harbinger! She’s promised to lead us to the lands above ground: fresh air, blue skies, green grass, abundant food sources that aren’t mushrooms!” A few harpies whistled and let out shrieks. Not all of them had experienced the outside world. “And now,” Cory continued when the whistles died down, “she’ll be giving us a motivating speech. Listen well. If I see any of you not paying attention…..” Her eyes narrowed as she drew a talon across the air in front of her throat. All the harpies turned their attention towards Raea.
“It’s all you now,” Cory whispered to the angel above her.