Chapter Text
You had been the village outcast for your entire life. You had been abandoned at a young age by your parents, and given to the orphanage there. While the headmistress who ran the orphanage, Agathe, was particularly cruel, she had been unnecessarily brutal to you. However, you had gotten used to this abuse. Your many years here at this orphanage left you numb.
Agathe had told you she was going to surprise you, for your birthday. She had never done anything for your birthday, and the thought of what torturous task it would be sent a familiar twinge of fear in your fragile heart. Mistress Agathe had approached you while you where doing your chores, sneering at you,” Get up, girl. It is your birthday today, is it not?” You stood at her command but did not lift your eyes from the ground,”Y… Yes… It is my birthday, ma’me…”
“I thought so,” A malicious grin seemed to creep across her face as she spoke,” And, you become a young woman today, that is correct?” You felt her cold stare bore into your skull, and you did not dare to stare back. You weakly breathed,” Yes, Miss Agathe… I will be eighteen years.” Agathe’s grin seemed to grow,”I see… well. I have a surprise for you then, follow me.” Agathe took you away from the familiar orphanage out to her carriage. Opening the door, she demanded,” Get in. Now.” You did as you where told. Your eyes glanced out the window of the carriage door, glancing at the sky at some harpies.
In that moment, you knew, and you accepted your fate right then and there. Surely, you where one of the new sacrifices to the Harpies that had been terrorizing your village. There had been young men and women sacrificed to the harpies to appease them during the past few years. You didn’t seem to mind this fate. Maybe whatever harpy picked you up and devoured you would be kind enough to make it quick and painless, right?
Your thoughts where quickly interrupted by Agathe as she pulled over a blindfold over your eyes. “Now, dear, go to sleep,” She murmured. Next thing you knew-
WHACK!
-you vision went black.
Your eyes fluttered open to an aching pain in the side of your head. You groaned at the pain. Only the Gods knew how long you’d been out. Suddenly, you had realized that you weren’t dead! Propping yourself up on your elbows, you glanced around to find you where in a cave of some sort. This chamber specifically had been fashioned into a nest. You were laying on furs, laying comfortably next to a small fire pit. During your confused silence, a voice interrupted your thoughts.
“Oh, you’re awake,” You heard a low rumbling voice said as its source entered the room. Your eyes darted towards the figure and you saw a beautiful, yet intimidating creature. He was a harpy, but certainly not like one you’ve ever seen before!
He was larger than you, at least by 3 feet, and muscular. His feathers and long hair were a silvery white, and you wanted to touch them but you refrained from doing so. He was missing his right wing, and littered in scars. Two long scars going over his right eye would keep it forever shut, and three long claw marks started at his chest and ended diagonally at his right hip
Your weak voice replied to him,” Y-yes…” He only gave you a warm smile,” I know you must be afraid and confused but… Don’t be. You are safe here.” He walked over to you, sitting down on the fur by your side. Your eyes followed him as he did this. You had so many questions rattling in your brain, and truth be told, you were afraid.
“Are you going to eat me?” Is all you managed to say. A surprised look spread across his face for a moment, his one working eye widened at you. Then, he busted into fit of laughter, throwing his head back. Some tears came to his eye and he wiped them away as his howling died down,”Oh gods, you humans say the funniest things… No, I’m not going to eat you.” He flashed his sharp teeth at you in a crude smile,” No offense, but you humans don’t really… fit my tastes.”
“Oh, then… What do you want with me?” You managed to squeak out. Why were you here, what else would a harpy want with you?
His smirk turned into a more gentle smile now as he explained,”Well… No harpies actually eat humans, but we are still given sacrifices… I thought you where in trouble, so I thought I’d help you.” He let out a sigh,”You humans are so cruel to each other… and that lady.” He made a digusted face,” I couldn’t let someone hurt such a helpless and innocent life.” He leaned in to get a better look at your face,” And you’re intriguing… There is something about you that I like.”
The closeness made your face redden. “I see…” you stared back into his eye. His feathers around his neck seemed to fluff up in irritation. He silently reprimanded himself from getting too close and backed away,”Sorry. Surely something as beautiful as you doesn’t wish to be so close to something as hideous as me. I forgot to introduce myself, I am Nikos. It’s a pleasure to meet you. What is your name, sweet one?”
You told him your name.He repeated it with a smile on his face. He let out a dreamy sigh and muttered,”What a sweet name, its like a song.” You laughed quietly at him, he was the nicest person you’d ever met. You stuttered out shyly,”W-well… Thank you! …And… Y-you aren’t hideous! I think you’re, um…” You glanced down at the floor, your cheeks turning pink,” I think you’re rather beautiful, too… Your feathers look so soft!”
Once you looked back up from the ground you saw the shock in his crimson eye. You had managed to make him flustered as well! He cracked a grin and cleared his throat,” No one has ever told me, thank you… If you’d like you could touch my plumage, I wouldn’t mind.” Your hands reached out to him as he leaned in. Your hand ran through the feathers on his neck, receiving a low hum from him. You giggled at that, it had reminded you of the quiet purring from the friendly stray cats you’d see around the village. Your fingers ran through his feathers and you stopped at the scars starting in the middle of his chest. Feathers no longer grew there it seemed. His breath hitched when you began tracing them gently.
“Nikos?” your curiosity got the better of you and you just had to ask him,” How did you get these?” He let out a jagged breath and frowned at you,” That is a story for another time. Now, little one, I’m sure you’re tired…” He took one of his large talons and gently pushed you back into the nest,” Please, rest. I don’t know what that lady did to you, but you where out cold when I took you away from her.”
You had to admit, you head did ache quite a bit from that nasty whack Agathe gave you, but you wanted to get to know your savoir. “B-But, Nikos-” He shushed you gently and looked sternly at you,” No buts! We can get to know each other later… For now, just rest.”