Early Bounty

Aden had just returned to the courthouse's main hall from the second story where they stashed the collected arrows and bolts, suddenly he alerted when he heard villagers shouting in the distance, "Harpies! Harpies!"harpies? in the night? aren't they daylight wildlings? Have they changed their strategy and now attack in the dark as well?Aden got so many questions in one slight moment. his mind raced. He was ready to pick up his sword and spear at the armory when he saw Oliver running toward him from the front yard."Aden!" The kid called out his name repeatedly."Hey, kid. what is it?""Harpies." Oliver panting, "They caught a harpy."Aden's curiosity was piqued as he heard the commotion in the front yard, jubilant cheers slicing through the air."Let's go! don't you want to take a look at the captured harpy?" Oliver invited Aden to go with him."One moment," Aden rushed to the second story, put his spear in the armory corner, and armed himself with a longsword.He went to the front yard with Oliver. Forging a path through the crowd with the boy, he arrived at the epicenter of the excitement, and what unfolded left him momentarily speechless.In the heart of the throng, Marcus, Victor, and Ethan proudly paraded a captured harpy, her striking dark skin, and resplendent golden wings a vivid contrast against the muted tones of the village. Her wild, dark hair cascaded down her back, a representation of her fierce and untamed essence.The captain and the knights congratulated them for their achievement. For them, this might be a game changer.The villagers' cheers echoed, drowning out the harpy's struggles and anguished cries, as the men flaunted their triumphant catch. She appeared confused, frightened, and vulnerable at the same time.Aden's heart sank witnessing the harpy being showcased in the front yard, her once-majestic wings now cruelly bound, freedom snatched away. The men's exultant expressions and the villagers' fervent cheers sharply contradicted the harpy's grim plight, underscoring the delicate balance between man and nature.The captain's gaze was stern, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the captured harpy. The creature's wings were bound, her talons shackled, her eyes lowered in defeat."Secure her in the cage," Captain Willem ordered, his voice echoing through the dimly lit cellar."At once, sir," Ethan responded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.Aden, Oliver, and other people followed the former smugglers who captured the harpy.The former Crown enforcer knew precisely where to take the prisoner – the cellar's iron cage, a detention area where the village's Crown Watches put the criminals. Without his guidance, the Regalyon response party and the villagers would have struggled to access the armory, let alone locate the keys to the cage. He had uncovered the late Crown Watches' secrets, the hidden spot where the village Crown Watches hid the keys to the cell.Ethan's fingers pulled out a bundle of keys and walked toward the cage's lock, the key and the lock clicking into place with practiced ease.The heavy iron door groaned open, revealing a stark and unforgiving chamber. Ethan gestured for the knights to bring the harpy forward, her wings dragging against the stone floor, leaving a trail of shed feathers.As the creature was forced into the confines of the cage, her piercing gaze met Aden's who happened to watch her in the corner of the cellar, a silent plea lingering in her eyes. The door slammed shut, the resounding clang echoing through the cellar, leaving an ominous silence in its wake.As the procession happened in the courthouse, Aden grappled with conflicting emotions. The courthouse, a bastion of justice and order, now loomed as a stark symbol of the harpy's captivity. The cells—a square box of an iron cage— designed to easily transport the criminals, would now serve as the harpy's prison.It was a harsh fate for a creature of the wild. Unease settled in Aden's stomach, a silent protest against the harpy's captivity and the celebratory revelry enveloping her capture.The harpy's haunting cries resonated through the front yard, a mournful lament that pulled at Aden's heartstrings. Her once-proud wings, now tethered and confined, spoke of a lost freedom and a spirit shattered. As the villagers and defenders were watching her in the cellar, the gravity of the moment hung thick in the air—a somber reminder of the consequences of man's unrelenting pursuit of the unknown.Aden's gaze lingered on the harpy's captivity, a silent vow to remember the cost of her capture and the precarious balance between humanity and the untamed wilderness.In the midst of this conflict, Aden felt torn. On one side, he was relieved that they had captured one of the harpies who was responsible for the damage and death in the village. Yet, this capture was akin to witnessing the soft, seemingly harmless side of a soldier.Aden knew that while captured soldiers might appear frightened and docile, on the battlefield, they wouldn't hesitate to take a life. The captured harpy, like a soldier, bore the weight of a more menacing truth beneath her apparent vulnerability.⁕⁕⁕Aden's gaze drifted towards the far corner of the cellar, where the Regalyon knights stood alongside the smuggler gang – Marcus, Victor, Ethan, and the youngest, Oliver. The dim lighting cast long shadows across their faces, obscuring their expressions but doing little to mask the tension that hung in the air.Marcus, the leader of the smugglers, stepped forward, a jingling set of keys dangling from his calloused fingers. His eyes met Captain Willem's, and for a moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them."Don't forget our agreement," Marcus said, his voice low and gravelly, a reminder of the pact they had forged.Captain Willem nodded, his jaw set in a firm line. "No, I won't. I will honor our agreement. You can have it after the winter."A sly grin spread across Marcus's face, and he stepped back, turning to face his fellow smugglers. His fist thrust into the air, a gesture of triumph that seemed to electrify the air around them."Whoo hoo!" he crowed, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "We rich!"Ethan and Victor were engulfed in Marcus's embrace, their grins mirroring his own as they reveled in the promise of riches to come. Oliver, the youngest of the group, stood slightly apart, his eyes wide and uncertain."We rich, kid," Marcus chuckled, ruffling Oliver's hair with a roughness that bordered on affection.Captain Willem inspected the harpy. He never knew that harpy came in many kinds. this one has dark-brown skin with gold-colored wings. She was an adult harpy. she might be one of the scout harpies that Father Edgar told.She was confined within the claustrophobic walls of her 6x6 feet iron-barred prison cell, cramped into a cubic shape for easy transportation of prisoners. The harsh metal bars that surrounded her felt like a vice, squeezing the breath out of her lungs. She felt completely and utterly trapped, barely unable to move even an inch in any direction.The captain's gaze was fixed upon the harpy, his fingers curling around the iron bars of the cage. He gave them a firm squeeze, testing their sturdiness, ensuring they would hold against the creature's inhuman claws. This cage was not meant for her protection but for the safety of the villagers."Can you speak?" he asked, his voice echoing in the confines of the cellar.The harpy responded with a guttural hiss, her eyes blazing with defiance."Can you understand me?" Captain Willem pressed, undeterred by her hostility.She answered in a series of harsh, grating sounds – a language foreign to their ears, yet her tone left little doubt as to her contempt."She seems like she can't speak our tongue," Corporal Knightly observed, his brow furrowed."So what are we gonna do with her?" Ser Cedric's question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their predicament.Captain Willem fell silent, his mind working through the possibilities. At last, an idea took shape, and he straightened, his gaze hardening with resolve."We will display her on the rooftop for all the harpies to see," he declared, his voice ringing with authority."Put a sword to her neck," he continued, his words sending a ripple of unease through the gathered knights. "We will threaten the harpies. If they come too close, we hurt her."Ser Percival shifted uncomfortably. "Violence?" he questioned, his distaste evident."No," Captain Willem clarified. "Gesture. They may not speak our tongue, but they understand the universal language of force."As the knights digested his words, a heavy silence descended upon the cellar. The harpy's eyes narrowed, her gaze flickering between them as if sensing the gravity of the captain's decree.⁕⁕⁕Behind the conversing imperial knights, Aden observed the golden-winged harpy closely. She made an unmistakable clicking noise - a sound of distress ringing through the air. He thought of how the bell in the town would often toll when danger was near, and he realized that this vulgar creature was trying to communicate a similar warning.but who is she trying to communicate with? Aden was being curious.her fellow harpies already abandoned her. She was in the iron cage—inside a sturdy stoned cellar structure. They had to bring down this sturdy massive building if they wanted to release her.Aden snapped from his deep thought by a huge stomp coming down from the stairs.Gilbert showed up with his mini sling bag filled with scribing utensils. He always went around with his scribing bag. The nerd put his bag on the table and took out drawing utensils. The scholere-to-be stood close to the cage. He started to draw the harpy—his drawing wasn't half bad."This is a lifetime experience, to get to know the harpy without them trying to kill us." Gilbert made a remark while focusing on his drawing.Aden simply smiled at Gilbert. The fat nerd drowned inside his own world, drawing the harpy and scenery in front of him with great detail. He couldn't seem to stop talking to himself, rambling on about all sorts of beautiful and enthralling things he saw. Words of awe and wonder flowed freely from his lips as he described what was before him.Aden recognized the significance of scripture, even in his own culture.At the time, the prophet Ruhim gave an order for his people that was as unexpected as it was radical— not to wage war or invade other people—but to write. The Median people, a culture rich with memorization skills who often looked down on those who wrote instead of memorizing, were now commanded to write down everything that the prophet Ruhim did and said. This revolutionary action would not only prove to be influential in their own culture but would go on to have a lasting impact on the entire realm.The holy wars brought Median culture to the Wessen, gifting them with a plethora of civilizational advancements. They were granted access to such luxuries as cotton milk, plumbing, sanitary systems, astronomy, and medicine. Most notable, however, was their introduction to science in a more general sense - knowledge that had been lost for generations.Yet, they see Median as uncultured savage sand people who love to enslave others.⁕⁕⁕