At the edge of GreyClaw forest as Tinferd was up in flames, a Fox creature sits on a tree branch, He has mostly orange fur, his chest and stomach are white and the tip of his tail and ears are red. One of his eyes is pupil-less, and gold, the other is green with a slitted pupil, a large gray mark surrounding it. He has two tails, one a large but otherwise normal fox tail, the other a long, whip-like tail. It has six spines close to the end of it, they are folded down towards the tail, keeping them out of the way, the tip of the tail has a small red leaf-shaped part that gives off a low glow. . . .
I looked out at the smoke rising into the sky in the distance. "Been a while since something's happened in that town," I said, talking to myself. I turned around and hoped tree branch to tree branch, heading back deeper into GrayClaw. In only a few minutes, I climbed down from the trees, walking toward the edge of the cliff, and looking down at the lower levels of the crater. I hear wing beets behind me. I turn around to see a harpy land in front of me. She has mostly black feathers with gray ones sprinkled over and large completely white eyes.
"Do you wish to go back to your level, friend?" She asked. I nodded in response, she then lifted herself off the ground and grabbed me in her talons as she brought me back down to the mid-layer of the Crater. As she placed me on the ground, she nodded to me before speeding off into the sky and above the clouds. None of GrayClaw native harpies had names, and they've been stuck here for almost ten years, since their god attacked and killed all but five of them.
I had been a good friend with one of them, he managed to make a deal with their god to leave him and his children alive as long as they stayed here in GreyClaw. He died a couple years ago at the age of 203. His four children took up his role not long after, to make traversal of the three layers of the forest simpler and possible for most of the creatures, though I know it's been rare for the youngest to come down from the clouds.
I walked farther into the forest towards the nearby pond. As I crossed into the clearing around it I sensed another presence on the other side of the pond. Looking, I could see a younger Greyclaw fox, one of my sisters. She has white fur and blue eyes, and looks like she is around half my age. She was drinking. "Why are you here again? Last time I checked, Mother didn't want me near any of y'all or vice versa!" I hollered across the pond. As she noticed me, she jumped. "Uhm, I. . . I didn't know you were here Shadow, I'll. . . I'll go." She said before turning and speeding back into the forest towards Mother's territory.
I huffed and drank some water, I had seen her hanging out around here twice the past week, and countless times over the last couple months. I finished drinking and turned towards a nearby tree. I walked over to it and uncovered a hole at its base covered in sticks and leaves. I crawled inside and used my tail to close it behind me. Crawling down the tight tunnel into a small den. The walls were held together by moss and roots. There was another exit opposite the one I came in that went down to the bottom layer of the crater.
I had left a small kill in here, though I noticed it was gone, and I gave off a low growl. I guessed that my sister had taken it and that was why she was here, and she somehow managed to get in and out before I got back. That would explain why she was even here in the first place. She looked young, and I can most likely say that our mother had no part in this. I couldn't smell her scent in here, which means she was probably hiding it. I shook my head as I walked toward one of the roots outstretched from the wall. Hidden on it hung a necklace. It hadn't been touched and I picked it up off the root. I felt a tingling sensation for a second, I walked over to a bed of moss and layed down. Closing my eyes, and drifting off to sleep.
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In the tree trunk at the edge of the forest about 30 minutes later.
Lýcos's eyes shot open as he heard footsteps and whispering. They're back? He thought in confusion. He didn't think the Hunters would have come back. He slowly stood up and picked up the broken sword. Listening to where the footsteps were coming from. He noticed they were walking to the left of the trunk, and there was a chance they wouldn't see the opening into the small crevice. He was still half asleep but he was awake enough to realize those weren't giant footsteps, humans maybe? Around five of them. They just reached the tree and we're starting to walk past it. Suddenly one of them spoke.
"Well if a giant snake or lizard came out of the crack in that tree and attacked us, I would definitely be able to beat it." A male said, Lýcos immediately knew he was human due to his voice, it wasn't as deep as a giants. ""SHUT UP DUDE!"" two voices resounded and echoed through the forest. Lýcos couldn't make their exact voices out because their voices mixed and resounded in the hollowed tree, but he could tell one was a male and the other was a female "All three of you stop. We can't be giving away our locations like that, I have a creeping feeling here. Isaac, what are we looking for again?" A female voice asked Lýcos's ear twitched, something about her. . . a sense of familiarity.
"We're hunting a GreyClaw fox rumored to be a half-demon. We're also going in the direction those creatures from Tinferd were going." A final voice said, this Isaac. . . his voice awoke some internal instinct in Lýcos. He stepped towards the exit but then froze. He couldn't give away his location to hunters over an instinct like an idiot. He stepped back and waited for their footsteps to fade completely from his heightened hearing. He peeked his head out of the crevice. He didn't see anything, so he stepped out of the tree. He looked at the ground and saw their footprints heading Northeast. He familiarized their scents before going east, heading away from the edge of the Forest as he realized that there would most likely be a lot more encounters like that.
As he walked, he noticed something peculiar. The clouds in the sky, light sometimes peaked through, and when it did, he swore he saw fast-moving shadows speeding past them. He found it interesting but eventually completely forgot about it when he entered a clearing. In front of him, a cliff led down to another area. He looked out over the large crater. The sight was magnificent, there were rays of sunlight peeking through the clouds across the crater, lighting up small areas. He leaned over the cliff a bit to see how far exactly it was, all he could see were trees though. He was about to cut his losses and turn back when suddenly light exploded from the clouds straight toward him. He covered his eyes as the light appeared. He could hear something, but he couldn't see anything. He turned around, turning his back to the hole in the clouds revealing the sun. He noticed shadows and he jumped out of the ray of sunlight and looked up, the sun finally out of his face.
Descending from the hole in the clouds at top speed was a small winged creature, as it sped toward him, he realized it was a strange-looking harpy. It has black and purple feathers across the entirety of its body, gray scales cover its face and talons. It landed in the middle of the ray of light, staring at him. It was around half his height. It tilted its head curiously, radiating an aura of curiosity and took a few small steps toward him. Lýcos crouches down so he can seem less intimidating, even though it seems just fine. It hopped toward him, its large purple eyes staring at him full of curiosity.
Suddenly a loud screech came from off in the distance. The harpy turned towards the sound and then turned back to Lýcos. It plucked a feather from its wing and placed it in his hand. Lýcos realized that his body started to glow with a purple aura. He felt weightless, he noticed the harpy had it too. A childlike voice suddenly rang through his mind, "Sister in trouble! Must help. Wish to go lower?" Lýcos jumped slightly, not expecting it, before nodding to the bird-like humanoid.
He nodded and she gave a happy chirp before flying up and gripping onto his shoulders. She suddenly lifted him into the air as if he was weightless, flying him over and down the cliff towards the second level. She slowed down and set him gently on the ground, giving him a small bow. "New friend keep feather. Call if in trouble." Her voice rang through his mind again as the purple aura disappeared.
She quickly lifted off into the sky and sped through the hole in the clouds flying towards the north. The hole filled itself back in with clouds leaving the area back in darkness. He examined the feather before sticking it in his hair. The black feather gained purple streaks when it was plucked, which gave off a low glow. Lýcos turned and walked further into the forest. The movement of something orange caught his attention. He didn't get a good look at it before it disappeared.
He sensed it wasn't a strong creature, exceptionally weak probably. Most likely some creature's cub. He decided not to find out, especially if Mama was around and was extremely protective. He sped up his pace a bit, he eventually found the edge of the second layer. He looked over the edge, and noticed the large lake out in the middle of the crater, other than that, it mostly looked like rocks and sand. He decided he would rather stay on the second layer only when he saw a dragon-like creature off in the distance creeping through the dunes. A second one suddenly launched out from under the sans and the two of them started to brawl, Pillars of fire erupting into the sky.
When he went to turn back around, he saw two blurs charge at him, knocking him off the edge. As he was falling, he couldn't get a good look at them, and all he could see was that they were both dog-like creatures, one was orange and the other was white. They both had blue eyes. He landed with a thud, everything going black. . .
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A little way north in the forest around fifteen minutes before, back to Isaac's party.
We stand at the edge of a cliff, I draw my sword as the ray of light lands on us and a shadow moves above us. Everyone else backed out of the light, I stayed put, my eyes instantly adjusting. I could see a harpy descending from above us. "GODKIN!" I shouted as the others were rubbing their eyes. They quickly drew their weapons, the creature slowed and hovered as it saw us do so. "Hmph, not coming to us? Then I'll bring you down myself!" I yell as my Greatsword lets off a glowing white aura and I swing it, sending a blade of light at the winged beast. It doesn't have time to react as the light blade hits it.
It landed with a thud and a crunch, its wing was broken and it was bleeding badly. My boots thump loudly as I step toward the still-living creature. It looks at us dazed, in confusion, and ultimately in pain. Suddenly a loud screech from above makes me drop my sword as I cover my ears. I look up to see two more harpies descending rapidly. They land in front of the other downed harpy, checking on it. The wretched ringing in my ears slowly fades and I reach for my sword. The first harpy passes out as the other two start making sounds signifying they were extremely upset.
They turn to us, hissing and flapping their wings as most of the rest of my group grab their weapons off the ground. A glance shows me that not all of my party is up, Lisa was on the ground, most likely passed out. I stepped towards the harpies and backed up as one of them flapped their wings and sprayed dust in my face. I wiped off my face as I heard Nessie chant a spell and looked as she blasted ice at one of the harpies, Tim mimicked her with a smaller one at the second one. The ice was basically ineffective on both of the harpies, though they still chirped in discomfort as they were covered in ice and frost.
The two harpies back up, getting closer to the unconscious one. Their feathers were ruffled, frost covering their bodies, and their eyes showed emotions of fear, sadness, and frustration. I pitied them for a second, I raised my sword again, lunging at them and swinging my sword.
. . .
"Oi, you ok down there?" I say. Lisa's arm twitches slightly. "James!" I say as I flip her on her back and lift her off the ground. "You didn't do anything, hold her," I say as I place her in his arms and turn towards the cliff. I hear James huff behind me, I pay him no attention. As I step towards the cliff, pulling out a small crystal and crushing it in my hand, a purple aura covering me, I hear three more small pops behind me. I jump, floating down to the layer below, softly landing on the mossy ground. I see everyone else land, then turn to walk but then freeze. I see at least eight pairs of blue eyes staring at us. . .
Meanwhile back on top of the cliff. . .
A small harpy flies through the hole in the clouds and glides down slowly. Her purple eyes look over the scene in horror and terror. She sees two of her older sisters dead, and her eldest sister lying down, but still breathing barely. She flies down and lands and runs to her, chirping and panicking. She attempts to cover the massive wound on her chest to stop the bleeding but it doesn't work, the area is badly burned. Her sister weakly opens her eyes as she chirps something back before closing her eyes and going limp.
The youngest harpy cries loudly as a mysterious figure approaches her from behind. She looks back at it, her eyes widening. . .
End of Chapter 2