AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright, so, now we're on the infamous tenth chapter! *dun dun duuuuuuunnnnnnnn!* The hell did that come from? *looks around for speakers or hidden ghosts* That was weird. Anyhoo, now we're going to cover the part of the story where it's going to be interesting! Now, I don't want to give away too much, but a certain glance over my reviews happened to spark an idea that I really want to do now.
Unfortunately, to clear up some confusion, I accidentally spaced on Alyssa's name and accidentally re-named her as Alessia in the last chapter...I am so sorry, lovelies. I really didn't mean to confuse anyone. Yet somehow, I still remembered to spell Johanna properly.
Also, I know some of you are probably disappointed that he's a Naturos demon and not an Umbran or Azulean, but to be fair I wanted to go with something much more delicate but dangerously deadly. Also, his classes are going to be broken down like so:
HEALING, a class that trains students to use restorative and rejuvenative magicks, as well as how to brew medicinal tonics. Rather than becoming a mediwitch or mediwizard, Healers are able to use pure magic to restore the physical body.
ABJURATION, magick that is solely protective in nature, creating barriers of pure magical energies, and even wards or seals to keep things locked or barred from entering or leaving.
ALCHEMY, the art of using magickal science to alter states of matter into different forms, even for lead to become gold...but it is forbidden to do so. No magic user may ever turn lead to gold, for to do so disrupts the balance of magick.
HERBALISM, the study of herbs and their uses, as well as the properties of how to prepare medicines and poisons; tied into the teachings of Healing.
NECROMANCY, the study of how to draw upon the energies of spirits, entering and exiting the Spirit World, communing with spirits, and even raising the dead through rituals.
BLOOD MAGICK, the art of using blood in forms of magic including seals, barriers, rituals and curses. Although technically frowned upon if involving stolen or forcibly taken blood from others. Many nations forbid blood magick as it usually is often believed to be evil.
RUNES & SIGILS, magically inscribed symbols of power often used in healing, blood, necromancy, abjuration and elemental magicks. Alchemy does involve some form of runes & sigils, but more in a form of references for ingredients, and the channeling of magic to transform materials into other forms.
ELEMENTAL MAGICK, the control and manipulation of the natural elements: earth, air, fire, water, and all the sub-elements that exist. However, Elemental Magick is oftentimes considered primal as it requires sheer concentration and willpower to channel magic into the elements. Wizards do not perform Elemental Magick as it is often times much too strenuous upon their cores.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor do I have any part of the Harry Potter franchise; all of the rights associated with Harry Potter belong to Warner Brothers and J. K. Rowling. Any original concepts or characters belong to me. Do not copy or take any ideas from this without my express permission.
Demi Monde, One Week Later
August stood beside Dante near a large lake, alongside hundreds of other families; only Alraune and Remus were there as well, both trying very hard to not cry about August leaving so soon. However, Dante couldn't help but smile softly, saying to his son "Remember, you can write us every day if you want, just please promise me that you won't forget to watch out. Our family has a few enemies, and I don't want to hear you were hurt somehow." August nodded, blinking back tears and trying to distract himself from the idea of being separated from his newfound family; he didn't want to leave, but he'd already agreed to attend the academy.
Trying to keep his mind off of the sadness filling his heart, August looked around and saw that many different people of many different paths and races milled around, some easy to spot and others not so easy. From what few he could easily identify, August could spot the tattooed red skin of Djinn, the wings of Faeries, the pointed ears of Elves, and even a few noticeable demons. However, one sight immediately caught his attention: a rather handsome and physically fit man with wolf-like ears instead of human, and a primal appeal to his looks. Unruly black hair hung down to his broad shoulders, rough stubble along his jaw and cheeks; his shining gold eyes were cunningly staring down everything and everyone as if trying to prove he was the Alpha-male. August couldn't help but take in the man's masculine scent and his mouth watered before shaking himself as he heard Alraune's giggle. "That is Emerick Cailleagh, the eldest son of the Cailleagh Pooka clan; he's been attending Solstice Academy for only one year, and he's Dominant."
Blushing softly, August pushed a heavy curl away from his face subconsciously and said "Oh? That's...nice, I suppose. He certainly does seem to be rather handsome..." His blush deepened as he glanced over and caught sight of the Pooka, who in turn sniffed the air before giving a rather wolfish smirk, winking gently at August. Dante saw all this and merely gave a deadpan stare to Emerick, which clearly said 'Do not even try it, or I will have a new rug.' Said male merely gave a look that clearly said 'Wanna bet?' All the while, August was completely oblivious to the interaction, and simply tried not to give any reaction the blatant flirting...only to fail and give a small smile. Meanwhile, while all of this occurred, three large extravagant boats painted in a startling shade of ivory with blue roses and golden thorny vines serving as the bow of the ship. Upon reaching the shore, beautiful ramps made of darkened wood adorned with the same vines of gold; Fawles chose that precise moment to appear in a rush of fire beside August, trilling musically. 'Oh, good; I just managed to make it in time. I feared I wouldn't have made my way here before you left.' Ever since coming into his Inheritance, August has been able to communicate telepathically with Fawkes and Hedwig, even Moony when Remus had turned on the full moon two nights ago.
It still took time getting used to, though; especially since the sudden appearance of the phoenix startled him rather abruptly. 'I really wish you wouldn't do that...you scared the piss out of me.' Fawkes gave a small musical sound that seemed suspiciously similar to laughter before saying 'Oh, like I'd really let you go all the way to a new school without me beside you. Trust me, that old bastard isn't done with you yet; I know how his mind works after being chained to a magical crystal serving as an anchor to the false bond he created.' August couldn't help but agree there; Dumbledore was manipulative and cunning. It made a very dangerous combination, so he was somewhat glad to have the dark phoenix so close to him now. It was actually comforting to have the warm bird within arm's reach. Meanwhile, Fawkes was busy grooming lengths of August's hair and kept an eye out for Emerick, making sure that the Pooka male didn't try anything. The man may be handsome, but he certainly wasn't going to be trusted by the phoenix right off the bat, seeing as said male was a stranger.
As August boarded the plank to the boat, he turned with his trunks beside him and waved to his family, saying "I'll write every week to let you know how it's going." Everyone waved in return, all of them happily crying or smiling as they watched him board the boat closest to their grouping. After a few minutes of people boarding and milling about in groups that clearly were made up of friends as August stood by the railing, the dark feathered phoenix clutching the wood of the railing carefully as the teen leaned on his staff lightly. Reaching into his satchel for one of his course books on necromancy, August began reading the pages to keep him occupied; lately, he's found that being around large groups of people hasn't bothered him, but socializing was difficult as most people already knew who he was thanks to the rumors in the Demi Monde running rampant.
Necromancy is the art of using magic to commune with the dead, raise the dead, or even to enter the spirit world; however, it is by no means a simple art. The art of necromancy is perhaps the most misunderstood and often times maligned form of magic known to most practitioners, as it is often regarded as dark magic. However, this is not entirely true. To truly understand necromancy, one has to look at the beginning of time when magic wasn't so much done through the waving of a focus, but through the use of one's own soul and blood. The days of sacrifice and ancient monsters, when all the people of the world who truly were blessed by magic were celebrated.
Of course, to become a Necromancer, one must understand that it takes dedication and time to perfect the art. One cannot rush a ritual or else wind up with either backlash of epic proportions, or even worst...the results of the ritual could be malformed and completely unstable. Magic cannot be hastened as it is a living, spiritual energy that follows its own will.
August was soon brought out of his book by the sound of Fawkes trilling softly, his dark plumage blending nice with August's hair as the Pooka from earlier and a rather gorgeous woman with Faery wings shaped like three layers of iridescent pink matching her pale-pink skin and dark colored hair. Amber eyes flashed from her face, a small smile set upon her lips. "Pardon us, Lord Allionde-Rosen, but we wanted to be the first to welcome you to our prestigious institution. My name is Vivian Pearldew, and my dear friend here is Emerick Cailleagh; please, do join us. We've been dying to meet you since word was out that you returned to your people." August blushed softly at meeting Emerick's eyes, the large and Dominant male giving a wolfish grin at this. "Viv, come on, don't embarrass the lad; he probably can only turn so red." Fawkes chortled, to which August looked the phoenix dead in the eye and thought 'Traitor.' "Madam Pearldew, I would be honored. Please, lead the way." Vivian, her long hair kept in a simple pixie-cut, smiled and took the lead with August and Emerick following, the larger male looking at August and saying in a teasing tone "Tell me, does ya phoenix like flame shard crystals?" Said bird chose that moment to trill happily before staring at the Pooka in way that could very easily resemble a begging puppy.
Emerick laughed, pulling out shards of red crystal that glowed brightly and seemed to be almost dancing with inner fire. Fawkes gently retried the crystals and swallowed them, singing joyously. Vivian looked back and smiled, saying "Emerick has a tendency to form quick bonds with animals, easily getting them to befriend him. It's earned him the title 'the Whisperer."' August smiled, watching as Fawkes basked in the attention from Emerick, and said "I can see why he earned that title. After all, to be able to connect with nature is a beautiful and powerful aspect." Vivian's smile widened, saying "How like a Naturos to find beauty in everything. I honestly can say I love how you think." Meanwhile, Fawkes chose that moment to momentarily create a telepathic bond with the Pooka, saying 'I know what you want, Emerick Cailleagh, and I know you are honorable. However, you will have to prove to him that you are worthy. And remember: if you harm my master, I will personally end. Your. Life.' Fawkes' mental voice had turned subzero cold in how he addressed the Dominant male, and Emerick could feel his blood run cold from the message. Really, it was frightening as to how protective the dark phoenix was of the Naturos demon...and it made the Pooka realize that this was not just your average Submissive. No, this was someone of great power who was able to easily command the loyalty and devotion of a phoenix.
Nodding to show his understanding, the dark haired Dominant responded in kind with 'Do not worry; I wish no ill towards you or your master. If anything, I admire him much further than I had previously.' Fawkes gave a calculating and piercing look before nodding slowly and moving to begin grooming Emerick's hair as if to show his approval of the man's character. All the while, Vivian observed the interaction between the two and simply smiled to herself before unlocking the door to the cabin she and Emerick had chosen earlier on the boat. Inside was a lavish room with plush and elaborate furnishings, as well as a large table with tea and sweets set out, the sweet smell of jasmine and honeysuckle filling the air due to the tea's steam. August seated himself on the closest chair to the table, his staff leaning beside him and Fawkes flying from Emerick's arm to August's shoulder, trilling happily. For the next few hours, time was spent swapping stories and beliefs, dreams and desires; after a short while, day turned to night with a full moon casting a beautiful glow along the sea.
Meanwhile,
Dumbledore's Office
Dumbledore was absolutely furious; everywhere he went, people would shun him or flat out tell him they found his actions deplorable. It was getting to the point where he no longer was welcome to the Ministry! Letters from the Grand Warlock Council and the Wizengamot both told him that his seats had been revoked, as well as his Orders of Merlin, title of Grand Mugwump and a good number of his vaults at Gringotts due to having to pay reparations to the bank itself and that little bastard, August. Growling in anger, the aged wizard simply threw his dish of lemon drops across the room and yelled "Fuck! When I get my hands on that little shit, I will wring his scrawny fucking neck!" A deep and menacing chuckle filled the room as crimson smoke poured from the very ground and seeped into the shape of a towering, bronze-skinned man with crimson tattoos along his skin; ram horns curled from his skull along a thick mane of golden hair. Pitch black eyes peered out along a darkly handsome face, saying "Tell me, Albus, still troubled by that young demon? Whatever will the others say..." Glaring up, the wizard snarled "Piss off, Zael; I am in no mood for your taunts."
The large Djinn chuckled further, saying "That's not very nice, is it?" Two more figures appeared, one seeming to melt from the shadows, and the other in a dimensional doorway pulsing with magic. From the shadows stepped a woman with ash colored skin, her hair kept in a multitude of braids, was styled loosely to resemble tentacles colored as if made from pure darkness. With a face to make angels weep, Eridna was a Shadow Elf that had studied the darkest of magicks and was banished from her family, forced to remain in shadows; eyes like pure amber stared out piercingly, her skin seeming to redden easily in the light. Finally, the figure stepping from the portal was a short man with blue skin, navy hair kept neatly trimmed, and a long, prehensile tail with a furred tip. Black fingernails and lips along with deep maroon eyes accentuated the Azulean Demon's appearance, and his clothing styled after English nobility showed aristocratic breeding. Yuan was the most dangerous of the these three, having had over seven thousand years of existence and experience to call upon powerful magick that was considered long-forgotten and ancient.
Dumbledore stood, his countenance one of pure rage, saying "You choose now of all times to come? I made a deal with you three for immortality and power so long as I did what I was told. I kidnapped that little brat, sealed his powers, and even made sure he would be a pawn! Why is it that everything is failing around me?!" Eridna calmly said "Do not anger us, Wizard; only by our grace do you have immortality within your magic. Never forget that we can take it away just as easily." Zael smirked, saying "Oh, do calm down, Eridna; he has a point. Someone must have tipped off the Goblins to send that letter especially at that moment. Had he not known that his heritage was hidden, or even what his heritage was, we wouldn't be having this very discussion." Yuan chose that moment to speak, his voice dripping with nobility and sheer arrogance, saying "It was the Seer. She spoke the original prophecy, the one that started this entire debacle, and she warned August of what was happening." Dumbledore swore, slamming his fist onto the desk; immediately, the glamour surrounding him faded and his youthful features returned. Auburn colored hair reaching the middle of his neck in a tight cord around the length and his skin was now smooth and firm, once again regaining his handsome figure. "Fuck...without Fawkes around to draw upon his magic to keep the illusion up, it seems I'm returned to my appearance when you gave me the Elixir."
Zael and Yuan glanced at one another, with Eridna saying "Then you have no choice but to fake your death. You can't maintain your presence here, not if we are to continue with our plan." Dumbledore waved off her statement, saying "I already have such a plan in place. I created a golem of my older self so that in the event my illusion would fall, it would activate and take on my life for approximately six days before dying of cardiac arrest." The creation of the golem had been an arduous task, but luckily the immortal had studied upon alchemy for a solid two decades in order to be able to earn the right for the Elixir of Life. The rumors of Nicholas Flamel were actually started by Zael and Eridna, posing the legend about the Sorcerer's Stone to humans in order to find those deserving of the Elixir...and to serve their goal. Dumbledore sighed, his colorful robes turning to elegant but brightly colored aristocratic clothing with a lengthened coat reaching his knees; twirling his wand, the immortal wizard said "I've received word that since August is no longer in the human world, he has returned to the Demi Monde...and the Seer is on her way to meet him. Should they bond as allies, your plan to rule both realms will be cut short."
Cutting a dark look to the wizard, Yuan said "Do not presume to suggest what we do, Wizard. You are our vassal, not our equal; however, you are right. We need to find where he is, or he'll fulfill the destiny provided by the Seer. Remember, he is the key to uniting the Demi Monde and the Wizarding World; if he succeeds, we four will become powerless. Our god, Kaos, demands that the two remain separate." Dumbledore nodded, a twisted smirk on his face. "Do not worry, Lord Yuan; I can guarantee that we will find him. However, as all but yourself are barred from exiting this world, we can only hope that your agents around the Demi Monde can find him and end him...or at least the Seer. Without her guidance, he is powerless." The quartet nodded in unison, bowing their heads and chanting "Praise be our God, Kaos, as we who serve the Cult of Chaos enforce his will."
Alright, that knocks down another chapter! Now, for those of you curious as to who exactly are the three strangers, here's a breakdown:
ZAEL: An outcast Djinn who attempted to overthrow the ruling class of theocratic government, and now is in leagues with others who wish to rule the worlds as they see fit. It is unclear how exactly Zael became involved in such machinations, but there is a rumor that he belongs to a cult that worship the God of Discord and Chaos, known simply as "Kaos". Standing at a height of seven feet tall with a broad, muscular build; golden hair forms a thick mane reaching his shoulders while a pair of curled ram's horns grows from his forehead "as a sign of serving Kaos." With bronze skin covered in intricate crimson tattoos, Zael is darkly handsome and cruel; while he isn't as powerful in magic as most Djinn spellcasters, his cunning mind and sadistic nature make him even more dangerous. He is often referred to as "the Blasphemer" by his fellow conspirators in the Cult.
ERIDNA: A Shadow Elf of the realm Darhazzan, Eridna is a woman of beauty that is not marred by her ash-colored skin and aura that drips in darkness and hate, she was once a high priestess to the Elven goddess Suilwymn, or "She Who Walks Amid the Fog". However, after serving as caretaker to the Dark Records, she became consumed with an obsession with the blackest of magic. Called "the Profaner," she serves as the one who provides the more powerful magicks needed for rituals towards her new god, Kaos; a brand shaped similar to a skeletal ram's head on her arm gives mark to her service to Kaos.
YUAN: An Azulean demon who has lived for over seven thousand years, devoting his life to amassing wealth and political power, as well as magical power. With knowledge of magic so old even few of the sages of every race are unable to recall the spells at Lord Yuan's disposal. A marquis in the Imperial Court of the Demi Monde, Yuan serves as the one who funds and gains resources for the Cult of Chaos. As an Azulean, Yuan has power over the threads of space and time, able to create dimensional rifts for quick travel through the realms.
And also, to end the question BEFORE it gets asked, no, the Seer is not Luna.
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