[40 / 5 / 1]
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Lucia threw back her head, snubbing at Miranna’s words.
“I ought to thank you, Harpy, for scaring the villagers into hiding,” she said, one hand steadying the magical tendril at your ankles, while raising the other towards the Nettle Harpy’s head. “It’s less of a trouble for me now.”
“You promised me five minutes,” you called out, nearly stepping out of her snare. You trusted your friend not to punish you for a mistake.
She clenched her fist, leaving it hanging. Glancing your way, she nodded, quickly returning her eyes to Miranna’s.
You lifted both palms to your neck and cleared your throat.
“Miranna. The prophecy says that it’s the Demon Generals I am destined to slay. If those demons cease to be Generals, the prophesied death will need not to befall them.” You turned to Lucia. “Wouldn’t it be best for all? No need for bloodshed.”
Lucia’s lengthy eyebrows brushed together.
“I never said I’ll join your side, young Niklos.”
Miranna let out a heated snort, searing embers flickering at the sharp ends of her claws. “That’s the response you’ll get, Niklos—from all of them. They, unlike myself, hold little care for their lives, or are too naive not to take the prophecy seriously.” She pointed a talon between you and Lucia. “But how do you know her?”
Lucia murmured, her voice gentle and fleeting. “Four … ”
“I don’t want you to join my side, Lucia,” you said, bringing up the hand clutching the knife, your fingers tangling in your hair. You yanked at the locks, not letting go until you felt pain. “Why can’t you women just play along?” Releasing it, you looked back at both of them. With a sigh, you added, “You just have to relinquish your role as Demon General."
“I fail to see how this pertains to what you promised to talk with her about, young Niklos,” Lucia admonished. “Will you?”
“Yes, that was the follow-up part of it,” you said. “Miranna, in return, Lucia wants that you refrain from damaging the trees. Not to claw them with your talons, nor to scorch them with your flames.”
You rubbed at your temples, casting a glance back at Lucia. "Is there any other harm she ought to avoid?"
“The buildings, and everything else made out of cut wood.”
Miranna waved her hand through the air, fiery trails following her nails. “She just said that she won’t join you!”
“She will, she will, trust me.”
“And why is the welfare of trees of such importance anyway?”
Lucia’s expression hardened, her eyes narrowing like owl’s.
“Because life courses through every tree, Harpy. Every. Tree.”
“That doesn’t stop me from harming everything else though?”
“Miranna,” you pleaded, “you only need to avoid landing in forests or villages, and in case we need to, hold back on using your fire magic. Surely that won’t be that much of a problem for you?”
“I ought to thank you, Harpy, for scaring the villagers into hiding,” she said, one hand steadying the magical tendril at your ankles, while raising the other towards the Nettle Harpy’s head. “It’s less of a trouble for me now.”
“You promised me five minutes,” you called out, nearly stepping out of her snare. You trusted your friend not to punish you for a mistake.
She clenched her fist, leaving it hanging. Glancing your way, she nodded, quickly returning her eyes to Miranna’s.
You lifted both palms to your neck and cleared your throat.
“Miranna. The prophecy says that it’s the Demon Generals I am destined to slay. If those demons cease to be Generals, the prophesied death will need not to befall them.” You turned to Lucia. “Wouldn’t it be best for all? No need for bloodshed.”
Lucia’s lengthy eyebrows brushed together.
“I never said I’ll join your side, young Niklos.”
Miranna let out a heated snort, searing embers flickering at the sharp ends of her claws. “That’s the response you’ll get, Niklos—from all of them. They, unlike myself, hold little care for their lives, or are too naive not to take the prophecy seriously.” She pointed a talon between you and Lucia. “But how do you know her?”
Lucia murmured, her voice gentle and fleeting. “Four … ”
“I don’t want you to join my side, Lucia,” you said, bringing up the hand clutching the knife, your fingers tangling in your hair. You yanked at the locks, not letting go until you felt pain. “Why can’t you women just play along?” Releasing it, you looked back at both of them. With a sigh, you added, “You just have to relinquish your role as Demon General."
“I fail to see how this pertains to what you promised to talk with her about, young Niklos,” Lucia admonished. “Will you?”
“Yes, that was the follow-up part of it,” you said. “Miranna, in return, Lucia wants that you refrain from damaging the trees. Not to claw them with your talons, nor to scorch them with your flames.”
You rubbed at your temples, casting a glance back at Lucia. "Is there any other harm she ought to avoid?"
“The buildings, and everything else made out of cut wood.”
Miranna waved her hand through the air, fiery trails following her nails. “She just said that she won’t join you!”
“She will, she will, trust me.”
“And why is the welfare of trees of such importance anyway?”
Lucia’s expression hardened, her eyes narrowing like owl’s.
“Because life courses through every tree, Harpy. Every. Tree.”
“That doesn’t stop me from harming everything else though?”
“Miranna,” you pleaded, “you only need to avoid landing in forests or villages, and in case we need to, hold back on using your fire magic. Surely that won’t be that much of a problem for you?”
