Harpies - Myths Reimagined 1

A long-planned new addition to my Greek Myths Reimagined saga (www.deviantart.com/khialat/gal…), centred around some personal favourite Greek mythical monsters of mine

Among the offspring of the mighty Drakaina Typhon and his mate Echidna were the Harpies, a trio of winged creatures that physically resemble a grotesque mix of a vulture, a bat and an old crone, with sharp beaks, lethal talons and a fierce attitude. Named Celaeno, Ocypete and Podarge, they quickly became infamous for their voracious appetites, which they tried to slake by attacking and pillaging carts full of food supplies, and sometimes even carrying away livestock. They became such a problem that the gods transported them to a remote island named Trapezi ("table"), so called because it was also the location of a magic table, standing amongst some crumbling ruins, upon which a gratuitous feast appeared every day. Thus the Harpies had a constant source of food without plaguing any human - until, of course, Phineus, king of the region of Salmydessus in Thrace, was banished there. He had abused his gift of foresight by gaining an unfair advantage in gambling, leaving many competitors poor and starving. The gods decided that he should know what it meant to be constantly hunger, and so he was sent to Trapezi, where the Harpies always drove him away from the magic table, forcing him to survive on the scraps they left behind.

Phineus' ill fortunes took a turn when Jason and the Argonauts came to Trapezi during their quest for the Golden Fleece. They had a seer with them, Idmon, but his own abilities were not as great as those of Phineus, and so he advised Jason to seek out the exiled king to learn the Fleece's location. They found Phineus being chased away from the ruins by Podarge, one of the Harpies, and rescued him. Learning of the daily torment he underwent, they quickly agreed to help him in return for his knowledge. That night Hercules led an effort to cut down some trees and build a wooden cage, which the god Pan then magically enforced so that only fire could destroy it. The next morning, Jason, along with Achilles and Atalanta, approached the table and provoked the Harpies into a fight. The creatures proved formidable opponents, of course, and Celaeno, their leader, managed to corner Jason and give him a particularly vicious slash across the face, which would leave a scar for the rest of his life. Jason used a plate from the table as a shield, but it was Orthrus, Hercules' two-headed dog, that saved him by biting Celaeno's tail to distract her. Meanwhile, Hercules and the brothers Castor and Pollux had taken a fishing net from the Argo to a position above the battle. Hercules was forced to blow their cover by crushing another Harpy, Ocypete, with some large bricks to prevent her from killing Atalanta. Nonetheless, they managed to drop the net and ensnare the two surviving Harpies before they could fly away. They were then shut inside the cage, where they would be forced to watch Phineus enjoy a good meal every day and have to make to with his leftovers. A grateful Phineus immediately told them that the Fleece could be found in Colchis, and even advised them on how to get past the Symplegades, the deadly clashing rocks that had destroyed so many other ships that tried to pass them. Overhearing Jason's name and that of the kingdom, Iolcus, that he was out to reclaim, Celaeno and Podarge vowed to find him and seek revenge should they ever escape.

Years later, two of the Stoneseekers - Ixion and Rhoecus the centaur - are transported to Trapezi by Siope's magic, tasked with securing Phineus so that they can use his visions to their advantage. While Rhoecus captures the unwilling seer, Ixion finds the Harpies and, having been transformed into a being of living fire by the Kronos Stone, he is able to destroy the cage and free them. They immediately agree to pledge loyalty to him, on the condition that he grant them an opportunity to strike at Jason in Iolcus...

See here for a continuation: www.deviantart.com/khialat/art…