Harpies

Brenton moved like a storm towards the Harpies lair. He still could not feel Treasca anywhere inside but she had definitely come this way. The sky was beginning to dim to dusk as they approached the entrance. It was so silent Brenton's ears rang. Delyn limped beside him mostly healed if not a bit sore from his through thrashing. They looked at the mouth of the cave for a second then entered.

It was like they had passed through to another dimension. Flowering trees fluttered in the bright sunlight, birds twittered sweet songs, and little forest creatures milled about peacefully.

"Hiw very picturesque." Brenton said sarcastically before raising a hand, and shredding the illusion. The dark cave was full of bones, and decaying bodies of everything from rabbits to humans. He felt disgust rise like a wave, the scent was revolting. Delyn covered his mouth and nose with a sleeve looking pale. Brenton called fire to his hand, and left it flickering in the air to light their way as he moved in deeper. He cod hear scurrying, and razor sharp claws on stone. The Harpies giggled in the shadows singing very faintly.

"Dragon King comes for his wife, but she is gone will he cry?"

"You had better hope she isn't gone or I will rip the skin from your bones and feed it to you." He roared back at them. They shrieked in response, and quieted. Brenton rounded a corner, and there Treasca was propped up against a wall eyes shut, and breathing deeply. He reached a hand out to her, and froze. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him an expression of relief on her face. She ran for him arms out stretched. Brenton frowned and lashed out with claws. The disguise fell away leaving a harpy writhing in pain on the ground.

" My wife would never be that happy to see me." Brenton said glumly before crushing the things head under his heel, putting it out of its misery. Delyn shuddered, and followed closer.

They rounded another corner, and there the form of Treasca lay again her face slack with sleep bruises going up, and down the left side of her face. Brenton stopped again raising a hand out in her direction. He nodded to himself, and swept her up into his arms. His eyes flashed with fury again, and hundreds of flames sprouted in the air. They flew in every direction there where flashes as each one found a harpy, and engulfed them in flames. Screams followed them all the way back out into the dying sunlight. Even Delyn felt no pity for them.