Harpago pinned the bandit captain against a tree, the scalefolk woman smiling mockingly at her. "You have no idea what you're getting into, elf. Had you any sense, you'd turn tail and run immediately." Harpago smirked. "And why should we run? Sounds like you have some very interesting information for me~" The captain laughed harshly. "You think I'd tell you?! You're not getting a word from me!" Harpago giggled. "Oh, my friend can be very persuasive though~" The captain rolled her eyes. "They all say that. Yet- BWAH?! GERROF ME!" She was interrupted by a pair of soft golden wings covering her eyes. As she struggled, Celaena began whispering into her ear. "Sleep, little birdie~... Let your eyes flutter, let your mind stall, let your body slumber, into my dark you'll fall~... Feel my lullaby, begin to sleep..." The gentle yet unrelenting stream of sound quickly began its work, and the bandit captain's face started to soften. She swayed slightly, leaning against Harpago as her whole body relaxed. All her worries and objections faded as she was gradually immersed in the blissful dark waters of Celaena's enchanted sleep. "...Plunging down deep, magic fills your mind, falling fast asleep, now your thoughts are Mine~" The wings were removed from her eyes, revealing them tightly shut, and she melted into Harpago's embrace, a gentle, dreamy smile on her face. "Hard to believe she was just trying to eviscerate me. She looks so docile now~" Celaena bowed jokingly. "I always aim to please~ The happier they are, the more they'll tell us~" Harpago felt her heart skip a beat. This would be a great time to ask the question... No, no, she needed to focus on the adventure. She had some far more important questions for the captain... 

-

As they stared up at what used to be the Duke's outpost, Harpago felt her heart skip a beat again. But it wasn't because of Celaena this time. Part of her wished they had never asked the captain what awaited them... The suspense was almost paralyzing. The siren shared her nervous expression as she looked at the towering spires of earth. She gripped Harpago's hand, tripling the warrior's nervousness, and tried to smile bravely. "We can do this." Harpago could only nod, and they entered the outpost. Harpago steeled herself, trying not to let her fear show as she looked upon what used to be the bandit leader Phineus. He grinned devilishly at the entrance, his eyes covered in cracking stone. He stood before an earthen throne, his titanic body almost completely transformed into a patchwork of earth and stone. He laughed cruelly as they stepped forward, a sound like crumbling earth and shattering rocks. Approaching them, he crushed the petrified body of a bandit with his massive bludgeon of an arm as a show of intimidation. Celaena instinctively took a step back, and he snapped his misshapen fingers. The entrance filled with stone, snapping shut like an angry maw. As the elemental brute loomed over them, Harpago swallowed and looked at Celaena, meeting her golden gaze. A wave of courage filled them, and they nodded. Harpago threw a knife, which shattered against his stony body and stopped his laughter. A sound like a landfall erupted as he roared, and a massive slab of earth resembling a sword rose from the ground. He grabbed it with one hand and lunged towards the two adventurers. They dodged, but all of them knew: One good hit, and they were done for.

Harpago hadn't struggled so much in years. Phineus was slow and predictable, but every crater left by his attacks only made her even more terrified. She could dodge, sure, but her grace was meaningless against his impenetrable hide. And Celaena wasn't faring any better. Her song was worthless against a foe that lacked ears, her necklace worthless against a face with no eyes, her wings worthless against a body that couldn't feel. But... If their enemy couldn't see, nor hear, nor feel, how could he sense them? And as Celaena landed across the room, his attention snapping to where she landed, Harpago realized. "Celaena! Stay in the air as much as you can! He's sensing where we step!" Golden eyes wide, Celaena nodded, quickly leaping back into the air as he charged. Harpago stomped heavily where she stood, then daintily bounded away as he lunged at her feint. She giggled. NOW it was fun!

Despite this, however, they were no closer to defeating him. Worse still, he was catching on, and began lunging far more erratically. As Harpago's arm was almost crushed, Celaena called over from across the room. "I have a plan! Come over here!" Harpago feinted left, then right, and then zigzagged towards where Celaena was perched atop the throne. "Jump as high as you can!" Harpago wasn't sure what her plan was, but she trusted her. She leapt into the air... And felt Celaena tackle her, grabbing her as tight as possible. "What?! Why- Ohhhh!" She was gliding with Celaena through the air. She smirked through her nervousness.  "You know, now's not the best time for hugs~" Celaena laughed. "Got a better idea~? Now brace yourself, I'm dropping you on him!" Harpago's eyes widened. "What?!" As she landed on top of him, Celaena called out, "Break his mask!" and Harpago grasped the plan. "Alright! I'll try!" Taking a knife, she tried to keep steady on the massive thrashing brute. She jammed it as hard as she could through a crack, and pulled as hard as she could. A small chunk flew off, revealing a dull brown eye underneath. He roared in anger, and was about to swipe Harpago off when his attention was drawn to a soft, shimmering light... And the swinging necklace emitting it. "Watch the lights, little birdie~"

Harpago could feel the brute beneath her relaxing as the necklace swung back and forth. She could really understand why, it was so nice to look at. So nice to watch swing as she listened to Celaena's sweet- Her trance was broken as he began to stir, and Celaena yelled again. "He's breaking free! Quick, get more of the mask off!" Blinking, she quickly jabbed in another knife, soon freeing his other eye. His body relaxed again, falling back into that wonderful sway. Watching the light swinging back, and forth... Back, and- Harpago shut her eyes. She shouldn’t stare, she needed to focus! "He's still resisting! ...Try and free his ears!" Harpago opened her eyes again, trying to avoid looking at the lights as she searched for an opening. But it was so hard to avoid seeing the lights..  She needed to focus on freeing his ears right now, not averting her gaze. Almost on autopilot, she freed his ears, and Celaena began to sing a wordless song. Harpago could feel the fear, the desperation, and the adrenaline swirling within the song, and it mixed with her own. She swayed along with the brute, almost falling into a trance with him. But she resisted... And so was he. She could feel his muscles beginning to tense again, just slightly. Just one more thing might plunge him fully under, but Celaena was already doing all she could! Just a touch from her wings, and Harpago knew it'd all be over... Wait! She pushed her hand through the sluggish haze, willing it forward with all her might, until she touched his undefended cheek. And with her warrior's grace and poise, honed through a thousand battles... She caressed him. Softly, gently, sweetly caressed his cheek. His muscles relaxed, and Harpago felt herself relax as well. She found herself murmuring sweetly, her lovely voice complimenting the siren's song. "Follow the light~... Listen Closely~... Feel my touch~... Getting Sleepy~... Sleeepy~... So Sleeeeeeee..." She trailed off as she felt herself falling down, down, down... Onto the cold hard ground. 

The pain jolted her awake, and she saw the brute fast asleep behind her. "Now! Before he wakes!" Celaena's voice filled her with energy, and without another thought she plunged her rapier into his head.  A sound like an earthquake echoed throughout the entire mountain, the magic of the Sympheglades transforming it into the fanfare of sweet victory. His body cracked and crumbled and shattered, and was soon nothing more than a pile of rubble on the floor, the only evidence of humanity left the severed head atop Harpago's blade. She collapsed to her knees, panting happily. "We... We did it!" Celaena musically sighed in relief, and Harpago suddenly felt a soft, warm blanket surrounding her. "You were wonderful, Harpago~" The sensation of Celaena's wings around her brought a deep blush to her cheeks, and she leaned into their warmth as her heart fluttered. "You too... Your hypnosis was wonderful... Even made me feel woozy~..." Celaena giggled, making Harpago smile. "Really? Good... That'll make this much easier then~" Before Harpago could react, a shimmering crystal flashed before her eyes. "Time to sleep, little birdie~"

A sharp chill ran up Harpago's spine as the crystal began swinging. "Huh?! What are you-" Celaena's soft wing covered her mouth. "Shhhh, no need to speak, little birdie~... Just watch it swing~..." Harpago could hardly believe what was happening... She wanted to scream, she wanted to run, she wanted to watch... Wanted to watch it swing... Her murmurs were muffled behind the soft wing. "Please... Don't..." Celaena began quietly singing in her ear. "Worry not~... All is fine~... Just let me~... Control your mind~..." Harpago could almost feel her heart breaking. She... She'd thought they worked so well together... Everything was crashing down... She futilely attempted to protest again, but Celaena's wings embraced her tighter. "You truly were so helpful, little birdie~... Helping with my hypnosis like that~... Why don't you sing that again for me~?" Harpago's body had stopped obeying her, and all she could do was listen. "Follow the Light~" Harpago's eyes were moving on their own, flooding her mind with that blissful, rhythmic glow. And the glow was only made more beautiful through the tears. "Follow the light..." Celaena leaned right up to her ear. "Listen Closely~..." The song washed out all her pain, worry, and thoughts... And almost all her heartbreak. "Listen closely..." The wings grew tighter, encasing her in a wonderful cocoon. "Feel my touch~..." Harpago instinctively snuggled into the warmth. She'd wanted this so much, but... "Feel your touch..." Celaena leaned closer, seemingly hesitating for a moment. "...Getting Sleepy~..." Harpago's eyes, though unable to close, dimmed, and her whole body relaxed. "Sleeeeeeepy..." Celaena gently kissed her on the cheek and whispered "Sleep." Everything grew dimmer, dimmer, and then... Completely dark... And Harpago floated in a soft void surrounded by Celaena's voice... The memories of heartbreak slowly being sang away...