Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.
"Normal speech"
"Thoughts"
"Other Language"
"Other speech"
Chapter 14 – The Lord of the North
Sith Sanctum, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)
Harry had many goals, but to achieve some of them he required certain… things. To this end, he first needed information about a certain location. And who better than the ruler of the Sith community in the northern area of Scotland to have that which he sought. To discover the hidden Sith Sanctum, the heart of the community in that area, was rather easy. The presence of the dark side and the concentration of dark siders basically created a beacon for him to follow.
The Sith Sanctum was deep beneath the ground, undisturbed by the non-Sith population above. Most Sith which resided on Scotland were humans, the percentage of Pureblood being rather low, so it was no surprise for Harry to discover that the Sith Lord which ruled over this area was a human.
And as he entered the Sanctum fully cloaked, he sought the temple, which would be the best place to find the whereabouts of this Sith Lord. The priests inside meditated on the dark side, while others instructed other Sith in their ways. He approached one of them, making sure to have his presence known.
"Priest, I come for information," he said to the human man.
"And who exactly are you?" asked the man unimpressed.
"Lord Dramath Hord," he answered, surprising the man. "Now, will you answer my questions, or do I have to seek someone else?"
"Of course not my Lord," replied the man, sensing the potency of the dark side within Harry. "What do you wish to know?"
"The name and location of who rules this area," he demanded.
"The one you seek is the Sith Lord Cordelia Rothes," answered the Sith priest. "She has an estate near the city above, somewhere to the east. You can't miss it."
Harry simply nodded.
"We shall see."
Cordelia Rothes's Estate, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)
Harry soon came to know that the priest's words were real, as right outside the city stood the residence of Cordelia Rothes. He was unsure of what to expect, considering that he had never been in territory belonging to a Sith Lord other than Gepta. Her house was not very large, but the whole architecture of the place meant that Rothes was, at least, rather wealthy. How much, was yet to be discovered by Harry. The entrance to the estate was rather unprotected, something which the Sith Lord found very curious. It either meant that the owner neglected her own safety, or she was very well capable of fending off any trespassers.
He approached the main building's door, and pressed the doorbell. He waited for a while, before the door was opened, and an old man came out, his face expressing suspicion.
"Who are you?" asked the man. "And what do you want?"
"I come seeking Cordelia Rothes," answered Harry.
The man certainly did not seem to be convinced.
"And who seeks the master?"
"Dramath Hord," said Harry, exposing his hidden lightsaber. "I am searching for information your master may have."
The man certainly recognized the lightsaber, as his face assumed an expression of surprise.
"Wait here," he said before entering the house and shutting the door behind him.
Harry did so, and remained outside for a while, waiting for the old man to return. Eventually, the door was opened again, attracting the attention of Harry who had been gazing at the landscape.
"Follow me," said the old man.
Harry entered the house, following the old man.
They went towards the back of the house, and Harry had to admit he was impressed by the gardens which decorated the exterior of the manor. He continued to follow the man until he reached a large greenhouse.
"The master is inside," he said. "Do watch out for the plants. They dislike visitors."
Harry nodded before entering the greenhouse. The temperature inside was rather warm and the general atmosphere was very moist. Yet there was an odd smell in the air… a ominous mixture of pleasant and putrid, and Harry was not sure of what to make of that.
He walked further into the greenhouse, observing the flora within. In general, they seemed to be rather harmless, but from the old man's warning and Harry's own experience with Sith Lords and their experiments, he was certain that they were anything but harmless. At least the majority.
"You have stumbled into dangerous territory little lord."
Harry turned towards the source of the voice, and saw that in the corridor next to the one where he was, stood an old woman taking care of what resembled a pitcher plant.
"Lord Cordelia Rothes, I presume," said Harry approaching her.
"You presume correctly," replied Rothes. "Thomas informed me that you came here seeking information."
Harry assumed that Thomas had been the old man from before.
"Yes," he replied.
"And what exactly do you seek to know?"
"The whereabouts of an old and abandoned Sith temple," he answered. "Records in Ragnos mention it was located somewhere in the area of Scotland, but gave no direct location."
Cordelia chuckled.
"I believe I know which temple you seek. But information is not something freely given," she declared. "Even to you, Lord Dramath."
Harry had been expecting that. It was no surprise she would want something in return.
"Then what do you want?" he asked.
Rothes looked at him, almost as if analysing him before taking a decision. "Follow me."
Harry did so, following the female Sith Lord until the two reached an area of the greenhouse with a rather unpleasant feature. Struck to what seemed to be a tree trunk, was a decomposed human body, many vegetal features sprouting from its exposed extremities. It was a disgusting image, and Harry wondered why exactly Cordelia was showing this to him.
"What you see is one of many spies and assassins which have tried to reach me, this one having been somewhat successful," stated Rothes. "Not fully though, as you can see. The plants keep him alive, in a state of full consciousness and perpetual pain."
Harry was both impressed and disgusted. This was a rather strange but indeed impressive display of Sith alchemy and magic.
"Your invention?" he asked.
"Yes. The plants use him as a source of nutrients. Of course, they need him alive to produce more," she replied. "Nevertheless, this former assassin worked for my greatest adversary, specifically the ruler of the southern half of Scotland."
"So you're at… war or something?" he asked.
"Officially no. You might say this is the lowest point in our marriage."
That had been something Harry was not expecting.
"Wait, so we are talking about your husband?" he asked in surprise.
She nodded. "Malcolm and I worked together one, but divergences quickly destroyed our alliance. I have no illusions of immortality, and I know perfectly that our children and grandchildren will inherit both of our empires. However, since Malcolm's mental health is severely damaged, many of his close followers have taken advantage of this situation to assume regency over my husband's dominions."
"So you want him eliminated to take over directly," said Harry.
"Yes," she replied. "Once my husband is gone, I can quickly take over his holdings and positions, both amongst the Sith and outside. That way, none of his subordinates will be able to divide the south of Scotland amongst themselves."
Harry began to wonder a few things about this plan of Rothes.
"I haven't been the only one you have charged with this mission, have I?" he asked.
"Not at all. I have sent many assassins after my husband, but all have failed in accomplishing anything," she confirmed. "However, I can assume that the protégé of the Sith'ari can succeed where they have failed. After all, were not you the one who succeeded in surviving the trials of the Great Temple? Killing a Sith Lord should be simple enough for you."
Perhaps. But Harry still required more information about his target.
"And where exactly is your husband?" he asked. "Is there anything I should know about his powers?"
"Malcolm is a paranoid old man. He took refuge inside a stronghold built beneath his house, protected by several warrior and other agents of his," she said. "He is powerful in the arts of illusion, so do try to be cautious when you enter his hideout. My butler will provide you with the location of his fortress."
"I shall go then," he said.
"Bring me proof of his defeat," Cornelia spoke. "A trophy of his death. And then, I will give to you the location of the Sith temple."
Harry nodded, before leaving the greenhouse. According to Rothes, that old man from before would have the information he required.
It was time to kill a Sith Lord.
The Holocron:
Cordelia Rothes – Known by both her followers and enemies as the Lord of the North, she is a human female Sith Lord who rules over the northern area of Scotland. Very skilled in the art of Sith alchemy, Rothes is known for creating deadly Sithspawn by using common plants as her sole subjects.
Malcolm Rothes – A Sith Lord known amongst the British Sith as the Lord of the South, he is the husband of Cordelia Rothes and one of the least known members of the Sith Council. He vanished from public years ago due to his debilitating health, and works only through his agents.