Headed by a Snake

Chapter 573 Blood & Feathers

?Siren Virgilia landed adjacent to a pool of guts and gore. Librarian Zenon's strange Tyrion magic cracked one of the enemy commanders open like a heated egg, spilling out the tasty insides.

She twisted her head around, looking over the carnage. All the humans in the immediate area had been killed... roasted from the insides, their throats crushed, limbs twisted.

It was a shame.

Virgilia held a small hope that she'd find an injured, but still-living man or two she could take back. Her flight was running low on humanoid breeding stock. Harpies needed them to lay eggs...

Thankfully, with the plans set in motion, she and her sisters would have plenty of male slaves to choose from, soon enough...

Making no effort to mask her presence, Virgilia stretched out her wings as she cooed gently, "Well done, human."

Zenon spun on his heel, walking towards her. He stopped within clawing and biting distance... not that Virgilia was capable of hurting him with her bare claws or teeth.

His size and body language was somewhat worrisome... and Virgilia subconsciously pulled her feathers closer together. The human was one of the Ivory Prince's closest confidants... but his temper was worse than that of the late Manticore.

"[It's you...]" Zenon's eyes glowed inside the metal cage on his face, "[Report.]"

"Good evening, L-librarian," Virgilia tittered... "The Krakhammers have sent teams down the hills. They'll be picking off stragglers."

"[They... what?]" Zenon's voice shook with rage.

Virgilia nodded... and she began to preen her wings out of nervousness, "No survivors. That's what I was told."

"[I. Let. Them. Go...]" The human took a mana-empowered step forward, cracks forming in the ground beneath him, "[I SPARED their pathetic lives.]"

Virgilia hopped backward out of reflex. It was useless, though... The Librarian raised his palm, and his wind magic spun around her, sending her surging towards him.

A metal fist grasped onto one of her wings, causing her to wince in pain... A little bit more force and it would be broken. Just another ponze of force and she'd no longer be fit to be the matriarch of her flight.

"Librarian..." As uneasy as she was, Virgilia forced herself to smile, "You're hurting me."

"[Whose orders?]" Zenon demanded, "[Speak. Now!]"

"Th-the Ivory Prince," Virgilia responded with a brave face. "He-- he gave the order."

"[Tycon has returned?]"

"That's right," Virgilia squawked, "Librarian Zenon... I'd like to be released, please."

He dropped her. She caught herself before she fell, favoring her hurt wing.

"[Very well...]" The human's voice echoed in his helmet, "[I suppose he knows better than me.]"

Virgilia quickly composed herself, stretching her arms. Thankfully, she was still confident in flying. She wanted to be well away from the male before he could change his mind.

She hopped to the edge of the cliff and spun her head around, "I'll be going ahead, Librarian."

Before Zenon had a chance to respond, she leapt off. Catching the wind beneath her wings, she began to fly back to the camp.

Virgilia's Darkfeather Flight acted as Prince Tycon's eyes and thus claimed some strategic importance. Still, she had no wish to inconvenience the Ivory Prince with her needless death... nor risk complaining about being mistreated.

A situation where the Prince had to choose between her and any of his allies would not benefit her. If she were to press the case, it was more than possible that both her and Zenon would be strung up on trees, poisoned daggers sticking out of their throats.

The Librarian's temper was ultimately a mere annoyance.

Prince Tycondrius was unpredictable, his wrath immediate and without mercy.

He had hundreds of soldiers to fight his war-- maybe thousands. Even as the eldest harpy in her flight, she could be replaced. Her sisters would be forced to accept it, smiles on their faces, praise in their songs.

According to the stories of the previous generation... the flights who flew with the Ivory Prince shed much blood and many feathers, but in exchange, were granted riches and glory.

Those who refused him...

Prince Tycon was going to destroy a human city bigger than any nest Virgilia had ever seen. What had they done to deserve it? From what she'd heard, the humans broke one of his satellite nests.

It had less than ten of his associates.

He didn't even know them by name.

It made sense... in a cruel sort of way.

When a medusae nest was attacked... entire warbands were wiped out, its people enslaved, petrified in brittle rock, or outright killed.

But the Ivory Prince... was perhaps the only War Prince in the history of the Free Nation-- maybe in all of the Realm who considered all of his soldiers as part of his flight.

Even before Tycondrius' rise, the medusa faction was powerful. No War Prince or Princess could challenge Rylania, the Queen of Stone, without severe risk of debilitating injury or death.

However, the medusae were never an oppressive force. Even with their wealth and natural resources, their population remained low. True heirs were rare offspring of non-medusae breeding stock. Male medusae were even rarer.

The Ivory Prince changed the balance of power.

His influence was not limited to medusae, mercenaries, and slaves.

He gathered an army, all under the banner of Charm.

He gathered together some of the strongest heroes in the Free Nation and beyond... the men and women who eventually became known as Sol Invictus.

With rare Class Skills to lead hundreds and thousands into battle... the name 'Ivory Prince' became known to warbands across the Free Nation, to the Paladin-Tyrants of the Holy Country, to the Witch-King of the Sleeping Country... and other places, she was sure.

It didn't matter how much pride Virgilia had to swallow or indignation she had to suffer... nor how many sisters she had to sacrifice, nevermind blood and feathers.

Virgilia's fate and that of her flight were intimately entwined with Prince Tycon's will. By his grace, they would soar to glory... or by his command, they would crash in a heap of broken bones and torn flesh.

She would remain loyal to that man... even if he was to war against the seven hells and eleven heavens.

She'd remain loyal... even if the dragons dared to return.