Chapter Six: Fire versus Ice Part Two
Ren was sitting in the living room alone, sorting through a box of string and colorful beads. She looked to be decorating one of her shirts. The shirt already had streams of color twisting across it, and she leaned over it intensely, biting her lower lip slightly. She was biting her lip slightly, and Harry couldn't help but smile to see her.
The sound of sifting sand filled the room and Harry knew without looking that the door to the hallway was open. Gray walked in, looking around shortly before joining Ren at the table.
"That's looking nice." Gray said sincerely.
"Thanks." She barely glanced up before going back to her work. "Where you…?"
Gray sighed. "Yeah."
"And?"
"He's not happy." Gray shrugged. "Would you be?"
"Who are you talking about?" Harry interrupted. "Is it the 'him' you mentioned yesterday when I got here?"
They looked at him. "Well…" Gray shifted uneasily.
"His name is Alexander." Ren interrupted. "Our older brother. Your other cousin."
Harry blinked, surprised, but Gray still looked uneasy. "When do I meet him?"
They looked at him in silence.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked. Ren murmured something to Gray, who nodded reluctantly, and they motioned for him to follow. Upon getting to his feet, Harry felt a little unsteady but masked it as he walked confidently behind them into the hall. They walked past the doors he already found familiar, which remained closed, and further down the corridor they stopped at an area in the wall where Harry could make out a dark splotch on the wall. It took him a moment to realize it was a door marker like the others.
Gray touched it lightly and it opened. It seemed to take longer to open than the others did, since a moment later Harry still stood watching it open, eyebrows raised in concern. What's going on? Why didn't they tell me about this Alexander before, is he sick?
The room inside was huge, much larger than the one Harry had stayed in. On the far side someone was sitting at a desk.
"Alexander?" Ren called hesitantly. Alexander got to his feet and walked toward him. He look at Harry, and their eyes met. Gray and Harry looked similar, but between Alexander and Harry the resemblance was uncanny. Alexander was quite a few years older, and he seemed to be all of the things that bridged the gap of Gray's and Harry's looks, if you could merge their faces together. Harry wanted to smile warmly but he was too confused. I still don't understand. Why didn't I meet him last night with the others?
Harry wanted to ask Gray, but after a moment's trying he came to the conclusion that he simply could not break his gaze, his eyes were locked on Alexanders and turning to look at Gray was simply impossible.
Alexander stopped. Crouching slightly, he snarled, showing his teeth. Shocked, Harry took a step back, and heard himself growl in return. All of a sudden Alexander disappeared from view as the door shut in Harry's face. Ren stood next to the door marker, having just closed it.
"Alexander is like you, a portal guide." Gray said, and Harry tried to clear his head. He sat down where he was, right in the hallway, and Gray and Ren sat on either side of him comfortingly.
"It seems to work like that." Ren said. "The firstborn is usually the one who's Cursed. In my family, Alexander got the full Silent heritage, Gray got a happy middle-ground, and there wasn't quite enough left over for me, I'm too human."
"What do you mean, 'too Human'?" Gray said disapprovingly. "You're 'too Ren' if you ask me."
"This is my home, this is where I was born, and without wings I just don't fit in."
"So..." Harry finally came out of his silent reverie. "Portal guides can't have normal interactions with each other?"
"Pretty much. This is exactly what Alexander was trying to prevent by staying in his room. Cursed just... aggravate each other with their presence. It gets really nasty."
"But he's my cousin, I wouldn't want to hurt him!"
"We know Harry." Ren said soothingly. "We know. But we just tested that, and you saw what happened." Speaking to Gray, she added, "Let's not mention this to Mom and Dad."
"Agreed." Gray grimaced. "They wouldn't be happy we tried that without them here."
Harry wasn't really paying attention. "So before you said Alexander wasn't happy, what did you mean?"
"You know, he wants to meet you and knows he can't, and he's been stuck in his room." Gray told him.
"Hey cheer up, Harry!" Ren elbowed him, seeing his expression. "It's not your fault."
"I just felt like I belonged here." Harry said wistfully. "But I can't belong here because I'm keeping Alexander locked up in his room, that's not fair, this is his home."
The three sat quietly in the hall for another minute, Ren and Gray giving Harry his space. "So how does he get to stay here and not in the Keep, exactly?"
"Well Mages do things a little differently," Gray explained, "We're kind of like the wizards in your world, only the muddles know of us and we live side by side.'
"Muggles," Harry corrected.
"Right. I should reread my Earth book. So Cursed among the regular people get sent to the Keep, but among the mages they live in their own homes. Unlike the doors most people have, we have our shifting walls, and so if a Cursed were to... have an episode, they couldn't escape and hurt anyone. Mages who are cursed can't use their casting stones when they go mad. Other Mages can protect themselves with magic so we're not in any danger. Alexander just never leaves home without an escort."
"Except now he can't even leave his room, because of me," Harry pointed out.
"Don't worry about it!" Ren insisted. "He wanted you to be here, just like the rest of us, and he's got a huge room with all his things in it already. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Harry, and we can set up a big room for you like his and you can take turns coming out for meals so you never get stuck in a room together, it could work!"
She means stay here. Harry hadn't considered that.
Through the hall the sound of shifting stone came from the front room.
"Harry, Gray, Ren?" Aunt Amanda called from the front room, Harry could hear several objects being placed on a table. "I went and got food, we can eat in a few minutes, alright?"
"Okay!" They responded together.
"Silents eat one large meal a day, generally." Gray told Harry. "But there's always food available, you'll find yourself being more hungry than the rest of us, because of your high body heat."
The three cousins walked into the living room together and took seats at the table.
"They're searching for you," Lexian told Harry. "We were questioned. You probably shouldn't go out without hiding your face, Harry. They don't have the right to come in here and actually look, but the Queen is very possessive about the portal guides and won't give up easily."
"There has to be a way for me to escape," Harry said.
"There's only one way in and out of the Pit," Lexian said solemnly. "And that's the top. They'll be watching for you there. But you're right, there has to be a way for us to smuggle you out. I understand that you probably want to get back to your life."
There was an awkward silence at the table. Yes, that's true, Harry thought. I need to get back. But wasn't this exactly what I was looking for, if not better? Real family. What if I leave and never see them again?
Harry put his head in his hands. "The Queen treats me like a prisoner. I can't go back to the Keep, I just can't. And there are people worrying about me. I want more than anything to get to know you all better, but I have to find a way to get word to Dumbledore. And I'll never be able to stay here in the Pit like this." He gripped the gates on his arms.
Lexian nodded. "Of course not."
"We wanted to go get him his casting stone," Ren said pleadingly. "He can't even open doors without it."
Lexian nodded. "Just disguise yourselves somehow. And keep a close eye on Harry." He then went to go help Amanda, who was bringing food to the table. The food was similar to what he had eaten in the Pit, which put him off slightly. Harry just looked at it curiously.
"Harry, you need to eat." Amanda admonished.
Harry shrugged. "I'm just not very hungry."
They sat in silence for a minute, as Harry picked at his food he got the feeling they were all watching him.
"We're not going to poison you Harry!" Lexian said vehemently.
Harry looked at him in astonishment. "I didn't think you were."
Lexian sighed. "Sorry Harry." He got to his feet and left the room. Amanda sighed loudly.
Harry frowned, wondering what had upset his uncle. I'm here one day and I've already messed up my cousin's life and made my uncle mad.
"It's okay, Harry." Amanda told him. "Lexian is having a hard time with this. See, Lexian and James had a very close relationship." She pointed at Harry. "You, Harry, look alot like your father."
"I've heard," Harry said.
"It just brings back painful memories. He wants you to be happy here, though, trust me. It was hard for both of us when your parents left. Lily was my best friend and only human companion, it hasn't been the same all these years since she left for good." She smiled kindly. "It's a gift to have you among us, Harry."
Harry felt a stir of emotion. "Thank you, that means alot to me."
"Lets go!" Ren said excitedly. "I want to get your casting stone now. How exciting!"
"How are we going to disguise ourselves?" Harry asked. He waved one of his huge black wings slightly to one side, careful not to wave it near anyone, remembering how razor sharp they were. That's why when I first flapped my wings and tried to fly, they jumped back and looked at me angrily. They thought I wasn't being careful enough. I'll have to watch out.
"They will be watching the main shaft." Gray said. "But this is a big mountain. There are endless tunnels winding through it, there's too many other ways around the main way. They can't watch all of them so I doubt they're trying. I know some we can get around. We can wear some big cloaks, and me and Ren can walk on either side of you like we're guarding you. Nobody is going to provoke you intentionally or anything so we should be safe."
Ren ran to dig through a pile of clothes, throwing a few waded up pieces of material out of it. She shook one out. "A little wrinkled, but good!"
Harry left his food and went to try one on, it was rather like a long black cloak from back home, only with a huge slit from the upper back down, and strings to tie it back together below. He shrugged one on, and Ren tied the back for him.
"How do I look?" Harry asked, pulling on the hood, and wished he still had his invisibility cloak. He'd fly right out of the Pit.
"Particularly suspicious," Ren said, "But the Cursed are always up to something, so no one will think anything of it."
Amanda put a large plate in the middle of the table, leaving all the food on it. "This will be here Harry when you do get hungry."
Harry went and gave Amanda a hug of appreciation while Ren and Gray put their own cloaks on. She hugged him tight.
"One more thing." Ren said, taking one of Harry's hands and rolling back the sleeves of his cloak and tucking them behind the metal gates on arms.
"What are you doing that for?" Harry asked with a frown. He hated looking at them.
"They're your ticket, Harry, it means people won't report you. No Cursed is ever of the Keep without gates on, otherwise it wouldn't be safe."
Harry still hated them.
Amanda waved them goodbye, and they went out to their doorstep.
"Normally I carry Ren," Gray said. "But it would be much easier for you to do it."
"Oh," Harry said apprehensively.
"Don't worry," Ren said. "I trust you." She smiled at him encouragingly. "I could climb on your back, if you think you can be careful enough with your wingtips, or you could hold me in front."
"I'd be afraid of dropping you, I think," Harry said, and kneeled. Ren laid her upper arms over where Harry's wings grew from his back, and over his shoulders, grabbing her left wrist with her right hand. It feels odd when somebody touches my wings, Harry thought. I'm still not used to them being there at all.
Ren gripped his waist with her knees, and Harry got to his feet, extending his wings experimentally. He could barely feel her there at all, and she didn't get in the way.
"Ready!" Ren said.
Gray flew off, and Harry followed, relishing the stretch of his wings. They flew to a ledge not to far away and stepped in another cave. Ren let go and jumped down to her feet. The three then went through hallways of what looked like storage. The ceilings were low and it smelled moist.
In a back room, they found a hole low to the ground, Ren kneeled and crawled through easily. Harry followed, having a harder time with it as he tucked his wings as close as he could to his body. Gray brought up the rear, tucking in his own wings and squeezing through the hole with less difficulty.
"There's a whole web of tunnels in this mountain." Gray said. "Most of the time you can get by ducking your head down, but sometimes you have to crawl. There's places where the tunnels dwindle away entirely, just keep getting smaller and smaller and then you have to backtrack. It's easy to get lost. Luckily-"
"You are in the presence of the tunnel Queen!" Ren exclaimed. "Not being able to fly, I spent a lot of my childhood wandering through here, I know them inside out. That's the only reason we can get to where we're going undetected, most people just get lost."
"It takes a hell of a lot longer to get where you're going, so no one bothers." Gray said, and Ren glared at him. "But it's very useful," he added.
Ren patted him on the head. "Good Gray."
"Hey!" he complained.
Harry laughed. "Are we going, or are we going to stand around poking fun at each other?"
Ren strode off into the tunnel. Being shorter than both of them, she walked straight off, but Harry had to duck his head, which wasn't much of a problem. The problem was that the tips of his wings extended up over his head, and he and to really bend his knees and lean forward.
It did take a hell of a long time, Harry's neck and back were so cramped after a while that he simply followed Ren as fast as he could, hoping to be out of there soon. Ren slithered before him effortlessly, at home in her element.
"Ow." Gray complained from behind him painfully.
"Ow!" Harry agreed.
"We're almost there boys, stop whining." Ren told them, and eventually the tunnel started widening, and she stopped abruptly. "Stop. We have a problem."
"What," Gray asked, exasperated with the situation.
"This is the best tunnel for where we're going, but it doesn't have a ledge. It ends a a small hole that comes out the wall of the main shaft of the Pit." She pointed out the obvious, "I will fall. I need to try to get behind Harry somehow."
Harry squeezed to one side of the tunnel, leaning against the wall. Ren pushed her way around him, which moved him backward somewhat into Gray who had to take a few steps back.
"I'm glad we've become so close," Ren said to Harry, right in his ear.
"Me too." He said, laughing. Once she was behind him, he kneeled for her to resume her previous perch, and then continued in a crawling position with her on his back. Harry wasn't used to being touched so much, it was bizarrely intimate, but born of a necessity that he could understand. Maybe it was just a family thing. He couldn't remember being carried when he was small, but he knew that was something that families did.
"Are you tickling the back of my neck?" Harry demanded, feeling fingers brushing him teasingly.
"No of course not." Ren said, doing it again.
"Whoa." Harry said. He'd reach the opening of the tunnel, it was what she said, a small hole on the side of the sheer cliff of the Pit. There weren't any ledges nearby.
"You have to push yourself out and quickly open your wings so they catch air." Gray explained. "I supposed that's kind of an advanced move, isn't it?"
"I'm taking the crash course." Harry commented.
"Please, don't take that phrase literally," Ren said, and they laughed again. Ren tightened her hold on him as he kneeled on the edge and shoved off. They plummetted for a few feet, then Harry got his wings open and caught the air, flapping a few times up and away from the tunnel opening.
"Wooooo!" Ren whooped. "That was fun!"
Gray pulled off the same maneuver and he caught up to Harry, both flapping lazily in the still air, holding their position as if they were standing face to face. Harry tried to work out the tightness of his wings from the tunnel.
"Up there, now," Gray pointed. "We're going to the clan's storerooms, your casting stone will be there somewhere."
"I have one already?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, it was made for you when you were born, you would have gotten it when you started training with it, but you weren't here, so it will still be in storage." Gray told him, "I think I can find it."
They found a ledge up above them that was big, not quite as big as the ledge in front of the Queen's hall but nearly.
"The store rooms aren't guarded or anything?" Harry asked.
"No," Ren said, "Casting stones don't work for anybody but who they're made for, there would be no sense for anyone to steal it."
They walked into the cave, and Harry was impressed. It was a large round room with many openings all around it, and in the center was a round pool with a ledge for sitting and dipping your feet into. "This is nice."
"Cool off with me, Harry, while Gray rummages around." Ren jumped down from his back and ran over to the pool, splashing into it. Harry waited until she had taken a seat before joining her, putting his feet into the cool, clear water.
"That feels refreshing." He said with a sigh. Gray around the doors, reading words inscribed above them before picking one and disappearing into it. "That tunnel killed by back."
"Sorry, you want me to massage your back?" Ren asked, bobbing her feet on the surface of the water, gleefully creating little splashes and ripples.
"Honestly?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. I mean, you have to carry me back, you might as well not be all cramped up and uncomfortable." Ren pushed his shoulder so that he turned a little. "Consider it as me watching out for my own safety. Now spread your wings a little and keep them out of my way." She held up her thumb to remind him of the cut.
Harry grabbed her hand and looked at it. "It's nearly healed already," he said.
"Of course," she said, "I may not have wings, but I'm still a Silent in every other way. Mother takes much longer to heal than I do."
Harry followed her instructions and closed his eyes in bliss as she kneaded the tense muscles of his back.
"So you like to decorate your clothes, right?" Harry asked.
"Yep." She said. "I make them and decorate them, it's fun. I've traded shirts for all kinds of things."
"Harry?" Gray's voice echoed to them, slightly distant.
"What?" Harry groaned, not wanting his massage to be disrupted.
"I think I found it, it's not labelled very well. Can you come so I can check?"
Harry groaned again, and Ren stopped, jumping into the pool, which was as deep as mid-thigh. She didn't seem to mind getting wet. She splashed at him, "Now get! I'll stay here and play."
"Alright," He said, brushing water off of his face. "I'm going." He went through the door Gray had gone through.
"Over here!" Gray called, and Harry followed his voice down further, passing by open doorways filled with shelves and boxes. He found the one that Gray was standing in, next to a small pile of boxes. Gray opened one, and held it up for Harry to see.
"Oh!" Was all Harry could say. "Wow." It was a small perfectly round sphere of a stone, a brilliant clear green like his eyes. It's beautiful!
Gray held it up it's long, thin silver chain, and Harry ducked his head so Gray could put it on him. Beautiful, but more than that...
"It's like I know it already," Harry tried to explain.
"Good, that's why I had you come back here. I knew by the look on your face that this was it."
Several indistinguishable voices floated to them down the hallway, and both listened carefully. Ren's voice could be heard also. Quick as they could Harry and Gray gathered up the boxes, including Harry's empty one and shoved them back on the shelf. With long steps they strode through the hallway back to where Ren waited.
"Wait here,"Gray whispered as they got to the doorway, firmly stopping Harry with a hand on his shoulder, and stepped into the room.
"Ah, there he is, I was wondering how you got here." Three boys stood around Ren, wings slightly flared in a circle. She was glaring at them. They had different shades of mottled wings, but all three had the same haughty expression, and two of the three were larger than Gray.
"Get away from my sister," Gray said immediately.
"Are you sure she's your sister?" The one who had spoken before said. "Oh right, you're part Half-person yourself!"
"That never matters to anyone," Gray said, "Why do you care?"
"I don't, I was just wondering how the crippled one got here."
"I flew in better style than you did." Ren said, making a gesture with her hand unfamiliar to Harry. Harry decided it was a rude gesture by how their faces contorted with anger.
"How exactly can anything be considered that?" He asked. Harry didn't wait any longer, stepping into the room. He felt his face was slightly flushed.
"I flew with him," Ren said pointing at Harry. The three boys took one look in his direction, and after one shocked second they stumbled away from the pool, running outside where they scrambled off the ledge.
"That was effective," Gray noted dryly.
"Are you okay, Harry?" Ren asked, looking at him with concern. Getting to her feet she walked over and took his hand. "It's okay, I don't mind. They're just ignorant."
Harry didn't answer. He was feeling slightly dizzy.
"Come sit in the pool for a minute, okay?" She pulled him over to the pool, and he sat right in it this time, and Ren joined him. He closed his eyes, after a minute he felt immensely better, the cool water draining the tension from him like the massage had. He opened his eyes, finding Ren looking right at him.
"Are you okay?" She asked again, voice slightly shaky.
Harry nodded. "I feel fine now."
"Okay good, time to go home." Gray said, and they got to their feet. "Ren, you stand here in the middle, Harry you go way over there, and I'll go on the other side, and we'll flap our wings as hard as we can- well I will, you just flap a little, okay? You and Ren need be dry so that no one slips while flying."
Harry followed instructions and the round room soon felt like the inside of a small tornado. This is probably what sitting in Aunt Petunia's clothes dryer would feel like, Harry thought.
It didn't take long until they were ready to go. They did their same trip in reverse, getting back into the hole in the side of the cliff was harder than getting out, Harry had to duck in quickly without bashing Ren on the top edge of the tunnel entrance or cutting her with his wings, but he managed it. The tunnel trip seemed shorter than before, and Harry felt relief as he landed on his aunt and uncle's ledge to go into their family cave.
"Let's do another crash course." Ren said brightly. "In magic. First we need to teach you how to open doors."
The rest of the day went by quickly as Gray and Ren tried to stuff Harry's skull with all the knowledge that would fit about casting stone magic. It was very different, it relied on thought to cue the magic instead of words, so you had to be very careful what you were thinking. He wore his stone on its chain under his shirt. It was pretty, but needed to be in contact with his skin so he wouldn't be wearing it out where anyone could see it.
As he feel asleep in the guest bedroom, door properly closed, Harry ran his fingers over the green stone's smooth surface and smiled.
When a noise in his room woke him abruptly a couple hours later, he wasn't smiling. A cold breeze blew through his room, and his skin was tingling, alive. As he peered into the darkness, he was almost positive he saw was someone standing, looking down on him by the end of his bed. It wasn't Lexian, it wasn't Amanda, it wasn't Ren, and it wasn't Gray. There was a strange pressure in his head, like the beginning of a headache.
Harry's throat tickled, and he coughed, spitting a fireball onto his bed. Harry's pillow burst into flames, right next to his hand. Harry jerked his hand away but he'd felt only the heat and there were no signs of burns. Well the fire is inside me, I sure hope it wouldn't burn me.
Before he could properly take a look at who was standing next to his bed, something leaped on him. Its claws scratched at him through his clothes, digging into his skin without breaking the surface. They felt like icy cold daggers. Freezing cold breath blew over his face, and he looked up into the alien eyes of the creature attacking him. It looked like a white lizard the size of an alligator.
Yelling, Harry wrestled it, flipping over and off the bed. They landed with a thump, Harry on top. Someone else tried to grab him from behind, but Harry abruptly remembered his extra weapons and flapped his wings urgently, feeling his wingtips slice into flesh as someone swore. His attacker from behind persisted, trying to grab his wrist and pull him backwards. Harry fought them. The grip on his wrist reversed directions, going with the force Harry was using to resist. Harry's face slammed against the ground and he was stunned temporarily. He was given only split second to recover before the white lizard came at him, claws out. Harry sluggishly managed to hit it, though he felt like he was going in slow motion, and they rolled across the floor a couple feet before running into the wall of the cave. The sudden stop of momentum jarred both of them but Harry was a step ahead, closing his hands around the Lizards throat. Under his fingers, its neck felt strangely delicate, and he choked it until he heard bone crack. The lizard stilled.
Harry rested on the hard stone for a moment before remembering his other attacker, the one who'd been watching him as he woke. Sitting up and looking around, he found the other one was gone. He probably left while I was distracted by the white lizard. He gave the lizard a second glance. It's dead... I killed it.
There wasn't any time to think about that just then. Harry ran to his door, to find it open. Oh Merlin. Out in the hall, he yelled a warning, dropping to his knees. That same strange feeling hit his senses once again, the cool tingling. It was vaguely familiar. I think... maybe it's a portal opening. But you can't open portals in the Pit.
Harry found his family around him suddenly, touching him with concerned hands.
"What's wrong Harry?" Amanda asked urgently.
Ren ran up to them then, eyes wide in panic. "Alexander's door is open. And he's gone."
Lexian got to his feet, face pale. Glancing down at Harry regretfully, he said, "Gray, get Natan."
