Learning to Fly (6)

"Hey, do you think you can walk on your own now?"

Berkah was growing weary of carrying Ariel over his shoulder.

"... I never asked you to carry me."

"Tch! Ungrateful brat."

*thud!*

Berkah pushed Ariel away and he fell to his face.

"Ugh..."

Ariel dragged his frame off the ground and frowned at Berkah.

"Why do you keep calling me a brat? We're the same age you know."

Berkah shrugged and continued walking.

"So, where did you guys find this Human, Tori?"

Berkah directing his question to the girl at his side.

"She was leaning against a tree close to the clubhouse, bleeding from her stomach."

"Ugh, I'm getting chills just thinking about it."

Tori felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she recalled the Human's gory appearance.

"Then... Why didn't you guys call the adults?"

Berkah raised his eyebrow.

"Well... you know... won't they just kill her?"

"Humans... aren't that different from us you know? They just don't have wings and talons is all..."

"I don't know what humans are like when they are awake but... she looked so peaceful when we found her unconscious. "

Tori spoke, an awkward smile adorning her face.

[Ah... I see, this must be what the disagreement is about.]

[On one hand the other kids must have wanted to tell the adults, and the others are worried that she'll be killed afterwards and they'd probably feel guilty about it.]

Berkah mused, strutting forward with his hands in his pockets.

"So you guys need us to make a decision?"

"Yeah, I mean you are the leader of the clubhouse after all. "

She said, exposing her pearly white teeth with her bright smile.

[Ah... That's right...]

Berkah was bored a few years back and he decided to band the village kids together to create a "Clubhouse Mafia" as he called it.

They all sparred to decide who the leader was and of course Berkah beat them all up.

Afterwards they collected planks and what-not to build a tree house, which wasn't that shabby to be honest, it's as if all Harpies are born with an innate ability to build.

Berkah decided to call the treehouse a clubhouse, though they all had no idea what a clubhouse was they just accepted it as that.

Though, he soon got bored of it and rarely went there, now all the kids used it as a spot to gather and play, before Berkah knew it, every kid in the village was a part of the clubhouse.

Soon the trio arrived at the clubhouse, which was a bit shabby compared to the houses in the village but it was still a sight to behold.

It was built on top of a very girthy branch.

The trio swiftly climbed the tree and headed for the door.

"Hm?"

Berkah heard loud clamoring coming from inside the clubhouse.

"Hm?"

[Are they arguing? This is gonna be a drag.]

Tori entered first.

"Hey you guys! Why are being so loud —*gasp!*"

Tori suddenly gasped and covered her mouth.

"What's wrong?"

Berkah stepped forward.

[Ah... She's awake...]

Berkah's eyes beheld the Human woman who was tied up and breathing heavily, the bandages covering her abdomen soaked in blood.

"Berkah!"

Most of the kids exclaimed and ran towards him.

"Long time no see!"

"Glad to have you here after so long!"

"How is your training going? I bet you're stronger now!"

There were fifteen of them in total with varying ages and they all gathered around him, bombarding him with questions.

[I feel bad... I don't even remember most of their names.]

"Ahem. Yeah it's been a while, we'll catch up later let's focus on the Human for now."

They all nodded and made way for Berkah.

*Step*,*Step.*

Berkah glanced at the human in front of him, his piercing blue eyes analyzing her every feature.

[Wow, she's a beauty. I wonder what happened to her?]

[I'm so used to living as a Harpy that it's weird seeing someone without wings or talons.]

[She's in pain, I can feel it and she's scared. ]

The woman glanced up at Berkah, her eyes trembling from the pain.

Berkah knelt down and made direct eye contact.

"Hey, how did you get here? What happened to you?"

He spoke, glancing at her injured abdomen and her attire.

"I hate to admit it but I am..."

She bit her lower lip, as if trying to prevent the next words that she would utter.

"I am part of a group that kidnaps Harpies and sells them."

"But... I was forced to do it."

"I told them I didn't want to do it anymore, and they decided to kill me."

[She feels... Conflicted?]

The woman wept uncontrollably, her cheeks turning red and snot running down her nose.

[Slavery huh...]

[How cliché of a fantasy world...]

*Grit!*

[Ah... This is actually pissing me off.]

He frowned, his breathing gradually becoming erratic.

Berkah felt a surge of rage bubble up inside of him, he had grown attached to the Harpies, so imagining them as slaves really irked him.

[So this is why they hate Humans...]

"I'm so sorry for everything I've done, I'll do anything to atone for it, even offer my life."

"But...*sniff*,*sniff*."

"I have children who depend on me, so please let me return to them."

She continued crying a river tears.

Some of the kids felt bad for her and insisted that they let her go but some were against it and insisted she be turned in to the adults.

But ultimately the decision was not theirs to make.

"Berkah, what do you think we should do?"

One of them asked.

[I feel a little touched by her story and I might be biased because I was once a human too.]

[But... She could be lying to us, it's easy for a woman to cry after all, what more if her life depends on it.]

He glanced back at the kids behind him.

[By letting her go, I risk putting these kids and the villagers in danger.]

[ I can't do that... Even if it leads to her death, I can't risk the lives of many for one.]

Berkah came to a conclusion after pondering for a while and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I say we take her to the adults."

The group of kids behind him had mixed reactions, some had relieved expressions and some were sour.

"No, please!"

A young girl with short silver hair and pure white wings on her back stepped in between Berkah and the Human woman.

"Huh? You are..."

"Ava! What are you doing?"

Ariel shouted, the girl standing in front of Berkah so happens to be his little sister.

"Please don't, they'll hurt her!"

Ava, who was two years younger than Ariel pleaded with tears in her eyes.

The woman was puzzled by the girl's actions.

"Ava are you crazy..."

Ariel grit his teeth and stepped forward.

"You know what happened to dad right? How could you..."

"Yes I know... and I'm tired of people dying!"

"So what if she's a human? She cries the same way we do and has a family like we do too."

"If they kill her, then her kids will also feel the same pain that we did!"

Ava pleaded, tears trickling down her flush cheeks.

["Did"?]

[How could you possibly understand Ava?]

[You weren't born yet when dad died...]

Ariel habored a deep animosity towards humans.

He swallowed his words and clenched his fists, his fingernails digging through the flesh in his palms, allowing a trickle of blood.