Sorry guys, I had yearly exams all week so I'm kinda tired. Thanks to all who reviewed, I'm sorry that I can't thank you individually, but I would rather skip that and go straight to the story so I don't have to postpone this for even longer.

As for my problem with the plot, I think I'll go for number 1, but I will speed his training along a bit so we can actually do something properly and the second would have a completely different plotline and only uses some aspects of this fic…don't worry if you don't get that, you'll find out sooner or later.

IMPORTANT: I'm going to skip most of his training and probably retell important bits in flashbacks.

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The Awakening

By Skysong1

Chapter 14: Travel and storm clouds

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*Mind Speech*

'Thoughts'

[Animal Speech]

||High Nargoniel||

"Elvish" (Translation) ~Please don't kill me if my elvish is wrong

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~One month later~

"And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY!"

Harry did a push-up, sweat trickled down his forehead and donated it to the parched grass.

"And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONE"

Harry did another push-up.

"And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO…And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE!"

A low grumble resonated from Harry's throat as he did another two push ups.

"And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FOUR…and a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIVE!…COME ON YOU CAN DO IT HARRY!! …And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-SIX!"

Cel fished out a piece of waxed paper from one of his voluminous pockets and wrapped it around his half-finished lollypop. He is sitting cross-legged on Harry's back, rather enjoying himself. He paused, then took his water pouch which was on Harry's head and took a long (loud) swig.

"And a ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN…ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT…ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE…come on…TWO HUNDRED!!"

Harry stood up quickly and caused Cel to fall on his butt.

"Yee! Tanya awra! Nadorhuan!!!" (Eeek! That hurt! Cowardly dog!)

"Antolle ulua sulrim" Harry retorted calmly, muttering a few wandless spells to clean himself up. (Much wind pours from your mouth)

"Not bad, you have learned well."

"Learned what?"

"Elvish insults."

"Why thank you, " Harry said sarcastically, "So when is our next training session?"

"Nah, we're going!"

Harry blinked in surprise, then a slow grin etched on his face.

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It was very early the next day, the sky was still a deep purple although it blushed pink at the horizon. Stars freckled the face of the sky.

Xyeran stood grumpily, still in a half-asleep vegetative state, while his master got him ready for the journey. Frostbite, who seemed to have gotten a fancy at Xyeran peered over at the "not-a-morning-horse" warhorse shyly.

[Quit staring at me like that lady!] Xyeran snapped, then returned to his grumpy/sleepy state.

Frostbite jumped then turned her head, but Harry could see the mare watching his horse out of the corner of her eye. 'Poor Xyers…girl problems already and we haven't even started on our trip!'

"All ready?" Cel said as he swung onto his horse.

"Yes, I suppose."

Harry glanced at the mages guild house as they left. Its wide lantern-lit sweeping archways seemed like jaundiced eyes under the brow of the incoming morn, watching as he left. Somehow, he had a strange, incomprehensible feeling that something was going to happen, and that after this…the mages guild house wouldn't be the same again. And even though he had some fairly unpleasant experiences there, he does not want whatever is going to happen to the guild house-to happen.

(A/N: Great place to end…but I'll make it longer)

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Harry was silent during the beginning of his trip.

"What's the matter?" Cel asked concernedly.

"Nothing, its just that I have this feeling."

Cel paused, and his icy blue eyes seemed to turn to a stony sapphire for a moment. He shook his head.

"A feel it too, war mage sixth sense…a storm is coming."

Both pushed unwelcome thoughts to the backs of their minds.

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They traveled south-westwards, following the River Stellata. They stopped at a way house along the way and set off again the next morning the Village Stellatan.

Stellatan was quite large for a village, there aren't any other nearby villages for miles around, except a tiny insignificant Port settlements to the north by the Infinite Sea. It is nestled with the Eternal forests to the north and south. It is a crossroads for any travel between the eastern and western sides of this realm. This is the central, meeting places for all races and guilds.

A large marketplace produced brisk trade, specialists blacksmiths and tailors work hard for their supper. Rangers and Druids living within the Eternal forests, come and sell their herbs and concoctions. Mages sell magical scroll while thieves supposedly trade and sell in secluded alleyways. And for those who are desperate, you can purchase selected dark magic…that is, if you know where to find them.

Cel and Harry trotted into Stellatan two days after they set out from the guild house. The market stalls were closing up for the night, and some of the stall holders yelled greetings to Cel as he passed.

"Do you know all these people?"

"Umm…not really…"

"How do they know you then?"

"Saved them from a huge raid from a group of organized bandits from the Parched Desert when they decided to blow up the village. They had gotten themselves a leader several years back and actually bought together most of the desert tribes. " Harry noticed that his Mage master looked down to hide a blush, obviously, Cel doesn't like to seem to be kind and heroic. Harry hid a smile.

As the sun was setting, they finally stopped outside a local tavern, The Crazed Drunkard, which was apparently owned by a distant cousin of Cel's.

"Elenion! Erm…Elly!!"

"Celahir!! Erm…Celly!!"

The two men grinned at each other. Elenion is human, and his mother and Cel's mother are sisters. (A/N: Cel's mother is human, father is the elf btw) Elenion ("No, please, call me Elen…otherwise it sounds like I'm in trouble with my mother!" joked Elenion.) has slightly darker brown hair than Cel. His eyes are a rather ordinary hazel, but he has the same distinctive nose as Cel. Although he is actually younger, Elen seems to be more serious, but shares the same love of jokes as Cel. (Harry cringed as he realized that Cel must have received most of his insane nature from his father…)

"What do you call a fly with no wings?"

Cel stared back blankly, "No idea…"

"A walk!!!" The two men rolled around the floor for 3 whole minutes. Harry mumbled and rolled his eyes. He shook his head, sipping at a mug. 'Desperately sad…'

"Ooo…I got one, 3 old elves are at the local healer for a memory test. The healer says to the first old elf, "What's three times three"? "274" was his reply. The healer says to the second elf "It's your turn. What is three times three"? "Tuesday" replies the second elf. The healer says to the third elf, "OK, Your turn. What's three times three"? "Nine" says the third elf. "That's great!" says the healer, "How did you get that"? "Simple" says the third elf. "I subtracted 274 from Tuesday".

This resulted into another round of laughter. "Wonderful, and I always wondered who invented lame jokes…" Harry said to no-one in particular. Elen grinned, "Runs in the family…speaking of running…two men run into a bar, you would have thought the second one would have ducked wouldn't you?"

Harry snorted as he understood the joke. Cel looked blank.

"What?? I dun get that one…"

Harry and Elen snorted with laughter at the purely blank expression on Cel's face!

"What!! Tell me!! Pleeease? I dun get it…Harry! What is it? …It's my nose isn't it…you're laughing at my nose right? I mean, there's nothing wrong with my nose…"

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The next morning, they set off early, leaving behind Xyeran and Frostbite to the Eternal forests for Aubrey Weasley and Mistress Tiana. When Cel came out with extra baggy clothing, Harry simply raised an eyebrow.

"What's this? Fancy dress?" Harry chortled

"Apprentice! You should show more respect to your master…as for my attire…its so I can eat more, and comfortably."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Nah, just joking."

Cel clapped his hands and his formal robes shrunk to normal size.

"I'll enlarge them laters…now what?"

This comment was replied by a mumbled "talk about chronic memory loss…"

"Ahh…Weddings! I love weddings! Drinks and food all around!!" Cel bounced up and down cheerfully.

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A/N: There you go, although I admit that I had a bit of a writers block. I know the beginning and the ending of this fic…so I need to fill in the blanks…*sigh*. Shame…read and review please!!