by Noah Layton
The corridor was unbarred by doors, and at the end we headed up a small flight of stairs and into the warm light of the late afternoon, and into the civilised world of my captors.
Stone buildings of elaborate brickwork and immaculate stonemasonry surrounded me, interspersed with spiralling greenery, vines, flowers, all of which climbed the walls of the white and peach-coloured buildings that swarmed up everywhere.
It was evident to me immediately that this place was the size of a small town, comprising hundreds of buildings – over some of the lower rooftops I could see the occasional tower standing several stories high, firm and tall against the perfect blue sky overhead.
But we weren’t alone in this stronghold.
As I was escorted through the streets with my hands still bound, I saw flickers of movement that eventually began to materialise into figures. Within windows, amongst the platforms and atop the roofs were more women. They were all absurdly beautiful, clad in silken robes and gowns of all different colours. Every single one of them was looking in my direction, pointing and staring and whispering amongst each other as I passed by. Giggling was in abundance too.
Even if I was being held captive, I still couldn’t help the big, stupid smile on my face.
This must have been how the NFL quarterback felt after taking the winning touchdown at the Superbowl; walking off the pitch surrounded by beautiful women who were all craving to get a piece of him. My wrists may have been bound, but considering the attention that I was getting I certainly wasn’t complaining.
I had never seen such beautiful women, never mind all in one place, and that extreme led to yet another question: where were all the men? This many unbelievably sexy women in one place, and not a guy in sight? Most men would be climbing over each other to get within a hundred yards of this place, never mind walking through the streets of it surrounded by such insanely attractive girls.
‘You gonna tell me where I am yet?’ I said. I had intended the question for Ariadne, but-
‘You’re on Aries Island,’ the girl in the purple robes replied. ‘And you are in the presence of the Alerian Harpies.’
I looked about in awe at the women still scattered about the streets. I looked overhead to the rooftops of the buildings to our left, where two of the women jumped from a ledge in the warm sunlight to a ruined building nearby. It was a twenty-foot drop, but they both descended lightly, gliding across the path and landing deftly before hurrying along another series of rooftops to follow our procession.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t kidding. True, their appearance could have kept me distracted for plenty of time, but I had to keep a level head. I couldn’t ignore the presence of the wings on their backs, or what they could do with them. They had flown in battle, Ariadne had caught me after the jump from the cliff edge, and they were doing it right now, away from the blurring of the senses that adrenaline loved to cause.
A short time later we emerged onto a huge plaza with a dry, waterless fountain in the centre. It stood majestically, several yards tall, but its elaborate and delicate stonework had been marred by the wear and tear of the years, the patterns worn down by the elements. Past the fountain, standing huge and proud was a large building elevated by fifteen steps that led up to huge stone columns holding up a roof typical of something in ancient Greece. Behind it I could see further sections and towers rising up.
As we headed up the steps, I turned to look back, seeing a large group of the women, gathering at the base of the building, continuing to point. Their expressions ranged from nervous smiles and giggles to looks of fear and shock and worry.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying the attention, but right now I had bigger fish to fry. As we passed the columns and moved into the shadow of the stone veranda, two worn marble figures of harpies stood guarding the entrance. They were reminiscent of something from the Vatican, even if they had definitely seen better days – much like all of the buildings around here.
We moved to the doorway, which was promptly opened by the two harpies that guided the harpy in the purple gown, the huge symmetrical doors clunking from their latches and moving aside for us.
I suddenly found myself being led through an enormous hall coated in marble on all sides; our shoes clapped against it on the ground, echoing off a series of columns on either side of the room, which themselves were placed between further marble statues of different winged figures in different heroic stances. Light poured generously through the stained-glass windows behind the statues, guiding our way to a final series of steps at the other end of the grand hall.
These steps didn’t lead to another room, though – they led to a cushioned throne scattered with cushions and tapestries, behind which were a gigantic pair of outstretched marble wings that held in place enormously.
Upon the throne sat a harpy. She seemed to be much older than all of the others that I had seen in my walk through this strange, small citadel, perhaps in her early forties. Her wings had taken on a grey tinge, a similar colour to the robes that covered her figure. For an older woman she was still holding herself together incredibly well, her sharp, analytical face making me feel on edge thanks to a pair of dark brown eyes that stared back at me as I approached.
Seriously, she didn’t look anywhere else – all she did was drum the fingers of her left hand against the arm of her throne while she stared me down.
The two harpies that had walked with the one in purple robes went to stand at the base of the steps to the throne, turning to face forwards in true military fashion with their spears in hand. Ariadne remained with me while Purple Robes headed up the steps to the harpy on the throne, who I could only assume was in charge in this whole situation.
She whispered into her leader’s ear for a few moments while I checked my surroundings once again. Briefly I considered the possibility of making a run for it, but the only way out that I could see was the one through which I had come, and that meant facing off against a group of pissed off harpies.
And that was assuming that I made it out without being speared in the back by the guards, or Ariadne. Even if she did seem like she had taken something of a liking to me, I didn’t doubt for a second that she would end me if ordered to.
I turned back to the head harpy, just as Purple Robes took a seat in the chair next to her.
‘I am Queen Athina, head of the Harpies and ruler of Aries Island. This is the heir to the throne, Princess Evelina,’ she indicated with the smallest of gestures to Purple Robes, who nodded at me lightly without a hint of an expression.
Holy shit… She’s the princess?
Good thing I didn’t make an ass out of myself. Not too much, anyway.
‘You,’ she continued, ‘have been brought here today because of your unwarranted presence upon Aries Island, discovered during your attendance of a skirmish between one of our scout groups and a group of snatchers. Now, I have been informed that you found your way onto our island after picking up an object in, as you say, a different world?’
She looked at me expectantly, and Ariadne gave me a slight nudge from behind as a cue to speak, clearing her throat in the process.
‘Uhh…’ I started stupidly, ‘Yeah, that’s right…’
‘Your highness,’ Ariadne whispered from behind me.
‘Your highness,’ I continued quickly, ‘That’s right, your highness.’
‘Indeed… I must say that this is indeed a strange tale by which you claim to have arrived here.’
‘I’ve been having a pretty strange day, your highness. I’m sorry, but I don’t know what any of this is. I mean, I know what harpies are, and it seems like you’ve got a pretty nice place here, but… I’m sorry, but where I come from harpies aren’t real. You’re… Fictional. You’re from old stories. Sorry if that comes across a little offensive.’
The queen and the princess shared a protracted look, before the queen raised an eyebrow.
‘This place that you claim to hail from. What is it called?’
�
��My town? Chesterfield, Delaware.’
‘Is it an island?’
‘No, your highness… Well, I guess it depends what you call an island. Technically yes. But the planet I come from is called Earth…’
Saying it like that sounded stupid, but the expression on Queen Athina’s face definitely wasn’t stupid. She had frozen up, staring at me with a mix of fear and scepticism. She brought a hand to her mouth, pursing her fingers to her lips and looking to the side. She seemed to be considering something. This silence remained for half a minute until she nodded to herself and returned to me.
‘Very well. Having considered the manner in which you arrived on Aries Island, and the information that you have passed on so far, I declare that you will hereby remain in the holding cells until tomorrow…’
Great.
‘At which point you will be equipped with a weapon and assist in defending one of our pastures from an upcoming onslaught of snatchers that we anticipate are aiming to attack.’
Fuck.
‘Wait… What?’ I said loudly, looking around. ‘You want me to fight?’
‘That is correct.’
‘But I’m not a fighter. I don’t know the first thing about wielding a sword or a spear or anything. I’ve seen your people do it, and there’s no way I can do anything like that-’
‘Silence!’ Queen Athina called out. ‘The decision has been made regarding your fate. You are an intruder upon these lands, therefore your fate remains under my control. We are in need of every pair of hands that can hold a weapon, never mind wield it, and you will do your duty in defending this island. Attempt to run and you will be cut down by the very harpies that fight by your side.’ She turned to Ariadne. ‘Take him away.’
I was too in awe of how quickly the decision had been made to start screaming and shouting like a psychiatric patient being dragged off to a cushioned room, and even if I wanted to it wouldn’t have made a difference. Ariadne turned I and herself and we headed back out of the hall, making the long walk back to the doors.
‘What the hell is she talking about?’ I said, turning to Ariadne as we walked through the doors and down the steps. ‘I don’t know how to fight.’
‘Just keep walking,’ she said quietly but reassuringly.
I wanted to keep questioning her but that notion was quickly sidelined by the myriad harpies that made way for myself and my guard. Some stayed back, continuing to whisper, while others waved to me and smiled. One even threw a garland of flowers over my neck, and the majority continued to follow me through the streets and back to the steps that descended underground.
Hot girls chasing me, being the centre of attention… In a weird way I felt like a rock star.
Except for the part where I was expected to fight against evil, ravenous monsters in less than 24 hours and would probably end up getting sliced to pieces in the process.
By the time we returned to my cell and Ariadne had unbound my wrists, I was halfway to the opposite wall and smacking my forehead against it.
‘Something the matter?’ She asked.
‘No, I just like the feeling of smashing my face into concrete…’ I replied.
‘There’s no need to be sarcastic, Kit.’
‘No need?’ I exclaimed with exasperation, turning to face her. ‘Last night I was on a different planet. My planet. It may not have been perfect but it was pretty void of six-foot tall creatures that could slice you in half with their talons, which I really liked. Now I’m here, locked up and being forced to fight said creatures tomorrow with no prior training. So, yes, I think I’ll be sarcastic if I feel like being fucking sarcastic!’
My heart raced and my chest heaved with a hellish mix of anger and frustration. I could only avoid Ariadne’s eyes for so long until I finally met them and found her looking down at the ground with quiet, disappointed sadness.
Even if what was likely to be my death was on its way, and even if she was a trained killer who I had seen first-hand action on the battlefield, I still felt like a complete dick. She had been the only one of these harpies who had shown me any kind of help.
‘I’m sorry…’ I said, sitting down on the concrete slab that I called a bed. ‘It’s just… I don’t know how to fight. Those things are gonna kill me out there tomorrow.’
‘You seriously don’t know how to? In our world it’s a given that men fight.’
‘Well, it’s pretty much the same back in my world. Men have always been seen as the fighters, the protectors… But not many do fight, unless they’re fighting for their people and their country, like you… Wait, men?’
‘What about men?’
‘You said that it’s a given that men fight in your world.’
‘Right.’
‘Then where are they all?’
Ariadne opened her mouth to talk before quickly pausing. She headed out into the corridor and talked to the guard outside for a few moments, before the guard took off down the hallway and up the stairs.
‘What was that?’ I asked.
‘I’ve dismissed my fellow guard for the night.’
‘So it’s just us?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’re okay with that? What if I try to make a break for it?’
‘I think you’d have a pretty tough time getting past me.’
‘Fair point.’
She closed the door behind her and set down her spear and helmet, shaking her smooth hair free once again and leaning against the wall.
‘There were once men here,’ she began, ‘the harpies ruled not only Aries Island but half of the archipelago. Our people flourished and led for hundreds of years. It was… Perfect, really. We encompassed other islands and other peoples into our way of life.
‘Our leader at the time, King Corcoran – that’s Queen Athina’s husband, or at least was – became too complacent in his ways, though. The archipelago is large, and he had expanded our kingdom from just a few islands to more than a hundred, but things began to stall. The islands and the peoples who had not yet fallen under our empire grouped together, and they sought to overthrow us.
‘The battle lasted years. At first it was only the men who were sought to fight, but as our forces dwindled and our fighters were killed off one by one, the mantle eventually fell to the women to fight. The war ended after we retreated to Aries, the land that we stand upon now. The island is considered near-impenetrable, and attacks are rare, but we still defend it from day to day and from week to week, and while nobody wants to admit it… We cannot hold out like this forever. Our numbers are beginning to dwindle. There are less than two-hundred of us remaining, and not a single man to speak of… Apart from you, of course.’
I digested the information quickly.
‘So that’s why all of the women outside were staring at me.’
‘Precisely. Many have forgotten what a man looks like. You are one of a kind in our lands.’
It was impossible not to give a little smile at the thought of that, regardless of how dire my situation was.
‘Of course, our kind can live for centuries. Why, Queen Athina is celebrating her 98th birthday this year.’
‘98th?!’ I exclaimed. ‘She doesn’t look a day over 50! People really don’t age like that in my world. I mean, I’m only 22. A lot of people would be over the freaking moon if they made it to 98.’
’22?’ Ariadne exclaimed.
‘Yep. Why, is that not normal?’
‘Not exactly. In our world, a harpy almost stops aging when they reach their early twenties. You are the youngest upon this island by far, though – know that. A new harpy has not been born for decades. The youngest of our kind in the citadel are in their mid-twenties.’
It was true – every single one of the women I had seen was a fully-grown adult.
‘That’s insane.’
‘I know. And considering you’re only 22, no wonder you have had no time to learn how to fight.’
‘Well, there isn’t much help that you can give me now. If the m
en of your kind were brought to extinction after a lifetime of training then I’m screwed.’
Ariadne paused for a moment, biting the inside of her mouth and looking me up and down.
‘Wait here,’ she ordered, heading out of my cell – and leaving the door open in the process, and her spear resting against the wall next to it.
I could go right now. I could grab the spear, dash out the door and make a break for it. I don’t have anywhere to go, but anywhere is better than facing that battlefield tomorrow.
But I didn’t. All I did was stare across at the open doorway, drawing in one breath after another, until Ariadne returned.
I don’t know why I didn’t go. It wasn’t hesitation, it was… Something I couldn’t even pin down.
The spear appeared before she did, the sharpened tip angling through the doorway followed by the handle clasped in her hand.
‘Catch.’
I barely had time to register the word, never mind scrambling for the pole which I just managed to wrap my fingers around after fumbling awkwardly for a moment.
‘What’s this for?’
‘What do you think?’ She asked sarcastically.
‘You’re not serious, are you? You want me to use this?’
‘That’s exactly what I want you to do.’
‘There’s no way I’m gonna be able to learn how to use this in one night.’
‘Look, Kit,’ Ariadne said resolutely, turning to me, ‘You can train now and have a decent chance of surviving in battle tomorrow, or you can not train and definitely get your guts sliced up. Earlier today I saw a man weigh up the choice between dying at the hands of his attackers or jumping off a cliff without wings to his likely death. The other girls may have been baffled by that, but I wasn’t. I saw the bravery and the intelligence it took to make a decision like that. I saw something in you. So you can sit here feeling sorry for yourself or you can be the guy who I saw jump off a cliff earlier, put your brave face on and we can get you battle-ready.’
I weighed the spear in my hand, examining it.