Across the vast, endless ocean, waves rolled and shimmered beneath the bright sunlight. Its warm glow bathed a solitary island, carrying with it a languid, golden heat.
Four small, pale feet—each toe clear and smooth as carved jade—pressed into the warm, fine sand, enjoying the grainy texture beneath them as they followed the tides, stepping lightly through the surf.
A salty breeze brushed past, gently lifting strands of pink and teal hair.
"Splash!"
Suddenly, two graceful figures watching the waves bent down at once, their movements swift and fluid. Each reached into the water and scooped up a wriggling fish, tossing their lively catch behind them with cheerful satisfaction.
"Thud! Thud!"
The two unlucky fish landed squarely on a banana leaf laid out in the shade.
Beneath the leaf, a tuft of blue feather-like hair perked up at the noise. It straightened abruptly, then, with a swift motion, brushed the leaf aside as a figure sprang up from the grass beneath the trees.
"Fish again? Just the smell of it makes me want to gag lately."
The harpy crouched down, snapping off a twig to poke at the two dying fish. Her sky-blue feather tuft drooped weakly as she propped her cheek on a wing, sighing in dejection.
"What else are we supposed to eat if not fish?"
The pink-haired girl beside her—sharp-eared, with a white feather ornament atop her head and dark-gray wings folded behind her back—pointed at both of their avian features with a perfectly reasonable expression.
Then, as if struck by a thought, she frowned slightly and muttered under her breath.
"Those disgusting bugs? You can eat them if you like."
The harpy gestured dramatically, eyes glinting as drool glimmered at the corner of her mouth. Her throat moved in anticipation as she started listing foods with increasing enthusiasm.
"Beef stew! Lamb chops! Roasted spider legs would do! Or even grilled bird skewers! Slather them with sauce, sprinkle cumin, add a bit of lemon—perfection!"
The pink-haired girl glanced at her seafaring companion staring at her with desperate longing, blinking her multicolored eyes uncertainly.
"Well... what if I fed them a few potions? Maybe after a few tries, I could turn these fish into what you want—beef, lamb, spiders, whatever?"
Harpy quickly shook her head, her face scrunching up as she groaned.
"You wish! No matter how you change how they look, they still taste like fish! It doesn't satisfy me at all. And if I eat any more, I'll start turning into a piglet myself!"
The pink-haired girl winced awkwardly, gazing helplessly toward the glittering sea.
"Then... how about I catch some lobsters, shells, or crabs instead? Just to change up the flavor?"
The harpy's mouth twitched, her expression dimming slightly.
"Is there anything else? I miss home... I want to visit the other islands."
At the words "home" and "other islands," Harpy instinctively swallowed, still trying to keep her usual dignity.
The pink-haired girl's expression faltered. Panic flickered in her eyes as she waved her hands hurriedly.
"No, no, wait! How about some Harpy Oatmeal Porridge? My specialty!"
"I think I'm sick of that too..."
"I found fresh honey and a whole patch of wild mint growing nearby!"
"...Fine. I guess that's okay."
After the pink-haired girl's persistent coaxing, Harpy's resolve weakened. At last, she nodded, agreeing to stay for a few more days.
"It's settled, then! I'll start preparing tonight's feast. Everyone, get ready to eat till you burst!"
Beaming with renewed energy, the pink-haired girl swung her slender arms with enthusiasm. Her fair little feet splashed through the waves, squishing softly against the sand as she ran forward. Reaching the rocks, she picked up the tin staff marked with a crescent moon, humming a merry tune as she made her way toward the small cottage hidden in the woods.
"Tina, stop playing already. Let's head back too."
As the sun dipped lower and wisps of smoke began to rise in the distance, Harpy—who had been lying on the sand roasting herself to a warm, pleasant heat—stood up, shaking the grains of sand from her feathers.
Far off, a teal-haired figure, gliding gracefully across the water like a fish at home in the sea, dove beneath the waves. Moments later, she surfaced near the shore, cutting through the surf with practiced ease.
In her arms, she carried a swordfish nearly as tall as herself.
"You... don't like it? Then never mind..."
Seeing Harpy shake her head over and over, face pale with fear, Tina tilted her head, glancing at the harpy. After a moment's hesitation, she seemed to understand and stammered a soft reply.
Then, with a trace of regret, the young goddess turned back toward the sea and gently pushed the swordfish in her arms into the water.
The little creature, freed at last, flicked its tail sharply and darted away. Its dorsal fin sliced through the waves at breathtaking speed, leaving a white trail across the shimmering surface.
Was it an illusion? Tina now seemed far more expressive than she had been on land. Her words flowed more smoothly, her emotions clearer, even her thoughts seemed sharper.
Harpy watched the goddess quietly, muttering under her breath. But as her gaze drifted downward—landing on the curves faintly outlined beneath the goddess's damp, translucent veil—her expression turned oddly conflicted.
It seemed… that part had grown again.
But we've been eating the same food all these years.
The harpy glanced down at her own chest—flat and open like a calm plain—and frowned in confusion.
They're just two lumps of flesh. You can't even eat them. So why do Athena and Medusa argue about them all the time?
Is it really that important? Maybe I should try growing mine too?
Who should I ask? Her, maybe? She's good at brewing potions.
Harpy thought of her pink-haired friend from earlier, but the moment her mind conjured the image of that girl's equally flat chest, the sharp-witted harpy shook her head vigorously, cutting off her stray thoughts.
Before long, her carefree nature resurfaced. She grabbed Tina—who was still staring blankly at the sea—sniffed lightly through her small nose, and bounced cheerfully toward the wooden hut they had built together.
Though the barley porridge on the table was rich and fragrant, with the coolness of mint and the sweetness of honey adding a pleasant touch, even the finest meal turns bland after being eaten hundreds of times.
So after finishing only five large bowls, Harpy finally stopped eating, slumping across the table with a stuffed belly.
After the meal, the diligent pink-haired girl summoned a group of piglets of various colors to clean up the dishes. Sitting on a rattan chair, she kicked her pale legs playfully and waved her tin staff, directing the piglets like a conductor, entirely absorbed in her own amusement.
Tina, as was her habit, quietly left the house and entered a vast cavern carved out by Magecraft. There, she climbed onto the center of a massive black circular stone nearly a hundred meters wide. Curling up on it, she quickly drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
...
At midnight, a stealthy figure crept into the cave, sneaking step by step toward the edge of the stone bed.
Ever since Tina had dragged this thing onto the island, she had treated it like a treasure—keeping it hidden inside the cave, refusing to let anyone sleep near it or even take a look.
Could there be something interesting hidden inside?
Under the moonlight, curiosity gleamed in the pink-haired girl's multicolored eyes. She tapped, knocked, listened, and ran her hands across the stone, trying to uncover its secret.
Crack!
Suddenly, a sharp snapping sound echoed beneath her. As a network of fine fractures spread, she froze, hand halfway in the air. Her eyes widened as she stared at the fragments flaking off the surface.
It… broke?
It wasn't my fault! I didn't do it on purpose!
Shaking her head like a rattle drum, the pink-haired girl clutched her tin staff and tiptoed toward the cave entrance, glancing nervously at Tina—still fast asleep.
But just as she reached the edge, a glint caught her eye. The moonlight streaming into the cave reflected faintly off the stone's surface.
Curiosity flared anew. She turned back, crouched down, and examined it closely.
This shape… looks like scales?
And this thin layer… is it shed skin?
Perplexed, the girl frowned, poking at the fragments scattered on the ground. How could a stone be shedding scales and skin?
Scratching her ear in confusion, she looked up—only for all her questions to vanish in an instant.
Because at some point, a pair of lantern-sized, blood-red eyes had opened above her, slitted pupils fixed squarely on the uninvited guest.
Hiss...
A faint, eerie sound filled the air as a black serpent's head lowered from the shadows, exuding a suffocating, predatory chill. A wave of cold crept up the girl's back, crawling from her tailbone to the crown of her head.
"Ah! What a huge snake! Don't eat me! My meat's sour—it tastes awful!"
This voice… this reaction… why did it feel so familiar?
The serpent's head tilted slightly, its expression strangely human as it looked down at the trembling, birdlike girl. Its lips curled upward in amusement.
"Help! I'm dead meat!"
A piercing scream echoed through the dark, cavernous depths of the cave.
...
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