Harry Potter: Vel'ilstaer: Stormraven

Evelyn saw the portal open and two figures stepped through. Acting on pure instinct "VEL!" She yelled to her lover as she unleashed three firebolts.

Vel spun as he heard his name be screamed; he spun awkwardly, accompanied by a sickening pop as his knee gave out. He brought Condemnor round and unleashed an ice-knife. As he recognised one of the newcomers "HOLD FIRE! EVE! VOX MACHINA! HOLD FIRE!"

Dean grinned as the bolts shot at him, he pulled out his wand and casually deflected them. "If that's how you greet old friends, I'd hate to see how you say goodbye."

"It's a cockshot. It's far more disturbing how we pee." Vel retorted as he strode up to Dean and the little elf girl next to him.

"Dean, not pointing fingers…"

"She's my apprentice. Vazzyr, this is Vel'ilstaer, your teacher...hopefully. Vel, I hope you'll take her on as a student."

"My nephew will gladly take your apprentice on, although darling, what's in it for us? I'm Vex, Vel's nephew and negotiator of Vox Machina." Vex chimed in, she'd caught the portal out of the corner of her eye and had on instinct knocked an arrow.

Dean paused "Introductions I think. I'm Dean, I'm part of Vel's Unkindness of Ravens; and I ended up on the continent of Wildemount; where I am currently part of Den Thelyss. I'm here on behalf of the Kryn Dynasty."

That caused everyone to pause, Vel paused "That was one of the places we split up to…" Dean nodded. "I take it Neville found you first. What about the rest?"

"Not yet. Honestly once we'd come here VM were planning to head to Draconia to pick up Seamus and fight a White Dragon making its home there whilst Neville, Eve and I...and now you and your apprentice went to find Hermione."

Dean chuckled "But you want to go fight the White Dragon…have you thought about Luna."

"Luna is Luna. As much as I'm concerned about her, she's the one that I'm least worried about in a convoluted way."

Dean paused, "That makes sense. A scary lot of sense. Anyway where are we? Where are the rest of you?"

"We're in the Feywild, we were looking for them when you arrived." Keyleth retorted, striding over to her son, placing her hand on his leg and casting a cure wound.

Dean had his wand out, Vazzyr pulling out a large purple leather book with pages sticking out and with what looked like a pencil in hand. Taking his time to enunciate the words clearly, Dean began scanning Vel'ilstaer over. As he did so Vazzyr began scribbling down what she saw "I hope you're not taking my size for an assassination attempt?"

"Er no…Professor Thomas has said I was one of his best students; so much so that my Den approached his sponsored Den and asked them, for him, to train me. I'm Vazzyr of den Mirrim."

Vel chuckled "Welcome, Vazzyr of den Mirrim. I'm Vel'ilstaer Vassar, please, call me Vel. Now please explain to me why your Den?, asked Dean to teach you and you've come looking for me?"

Vazzyr stilled, panicking slightly "Professor said he was coming to find you anyway, and said something about you training him…"

Vel nodded "I am also guessing that there's some sort of trade negotiations and various other bits."

Dean nodded "You're good to go. I wouldn't recommend fighting as you are now. Erelyffn Thelyss wrote an interesting treatise on combat influencing medical magic although that's in relation to Clerical healing and not…"

"Druidic. I'm a Druid, Mr. Thomas. Anyway, what do you bring to the table?"

Dean paused "Same school as Vel, bit of a Warlock theme and some Kryn secrets or bargaining chips. I've been informed I can offer most things within reason but really I'm…"

"Trying to get us, Vox Machina, to the bargaining table…Now can we discuss later?" Pike instructed.

There was something about Pike's tone that made everyone stiffen up and obey. Then within moments with Dean and Eve supporting Vel they began to trudge across the Feywilds. Eventually, Trinkets picked up a scent and surprising the younger members of Vox Machina. "Vel…"

"Vazzyr, yes, the bear is amazing like that. Vex trained it from a cub and it knows my dad best out of anyone. Very little is able to disguise itself from my Cousin."

"Not what I was asking. When were you going to train me?"

Vel turned to the young drow with a raised an eyebrow and a smirk crossed his face "You want me to train you? What have you done to warrant me training you? Do you…"

Dean's eyes narrowed "Enough. Vazzyr has…"

Vel turned to Dean "...has done exactly nothing, old friend, to even consider me training her. All I have from you and her is your word saying that I would train her. Did you even consider the factor of me saying no?"

Vazzyr paused, her mind a whirl, Vel'ilstaer was evidently a hard one to please. She summoned her courage and turned on the half-elf "Then try this." With that there was one spell that might get him to train her, it was one she had found in a combat spell book, one by the name of 'folding hex'. Vel heard the spell, recognised the somatic components and his eyes momentarily widened as the ocean blue spell hurled towards him. "Very good, here's something nice and simple." With that he swung Condemnor and Vazzyr hurled herself to one side as her spell was reflected back at her!

Snarling she retorted with a flurry of stunning spells. Her ability to cast her own spells hadn't diminished at all. She let out a sigh of exasperation as her opponent either effortlessly dodged or created a shield that made her spells splash or sizzle off ineffectively. "You know what...I've changed my mind."

Dean snickered "You knew!" Vazzyr howled in indignation.

"I suspected. He didn't want to train us…but we got him to."

"Dean, Hermione persuaded me…" Vel retorted.

Dean chuckled "But everyone passed their exams; plus when Tommy attacked the school most of us were still alive. Hell, I think the only one confirmed dead was Zacariah Smith."

That got Vel's attention "He ran…"

"He did. Fay took his ankle out and he cracked his head on that stone bust on the fourth floor beneath the picture of Burke...She was the one in a perpetual screaming match with Walter Aragon."

"The one you misread as Aragorn. Also for confirmation was it you who told them to 'ditch the clothes and fight?'"

Dean blushed "No, Vel, I was present when it was said and I blamed Sloper. Seamus put you up to this…"

"Oh no…I was curious as to how you knew that specific location."

Dean shook his head "Let's carry on...Also, please, don't break my apprentice. The Bright Queen would not be happy if the relative of one of her advisors was permanently harmed."

Vel sighed.

Vazzyr at the time was spending time with Eve "Is Professor Vassar normally reluctant to teach anyone?"

Eve paused momentarily "Yes and no. It's not how you'd normally think; I think it's less the fact of teaching you, more the fact he's been expected to."

Vazzyr paused but let the subject drop. She'd impressed him, now it was time to learn. She had a feeling that they'd be here for a while.

"VAX!" Vazzyr jumped as the bear burst into a run, trailed by the ranger and everyone else following in a staggered order. Vel, now supported by Keyleth, managed to run the final few yards as Keyleth created some vines to wrap around his knee effectively bracing it.

Vax had embraced his twin, before smoothly pulling Vel and Keyleth into the bundle. "What happened?" He asked, pointing at Vel's bandaged knee.

"Slipped, knee went and Cure Wounds is taking its sweet time working. Oh and these are Dean and Vazzyr; Dean's taken up with the Kryn Dynasty. They want talks and meetings, hopefully meaning with Kryn assistance to deal with our Chromatic Problem. Although I think the Kryn only want to make sure that this problem only remains a Tal'Dorei problem."

Percy nodded "Are you on a time schedule?"

Dean looked at Vazzyr "I do not presume so. For negotiations and talks to have meaningful negotiations, we have a lengthy timespan but not indefinite. Although, I would like to lend mine and my apprentice's skills to your entourage. It would look most favourable upon both of our Dens in the Court if we had assisted you on your tasks before talks can take place."

Percy snorted and smiled softly "Thus giving us a positive stance of the mysterious Dynasty; and making us potentially more favourable to their requests."

Vazzyr nodded "My grandmother, Abrianna Mirimm, had the same thoughts."

Percy nodded "You mentioned that Vazzyr Mirimm, was your apprentice…"

Dean nodded "She has potential to use Wizardry that, in this world, is much closer to that of the Weave; almost akin to Sorcerers. I have been teaching her much of what I know; but most of my skills are not that useful in combat; although she has had training of Drow Combat and that of Traditional, again this worlds, Wizardry…I had informed her that Vel'ilstaer, who taught me, would be a far better combative arts teacher than I."

Vel let out a long breath "Fine, Dean, I'll train your apprentice. Furthermore, depending on the outcomes of your negotiations I…might be willing to come to…"

"Roshana, Lord Vel'ilstaer." Vazzyr chimed in.

"Roshana. Although I intend to investigate Wildemount for myself. Oh and Vel, please, call me Vel. Now that we have assembled, shall we head for Syngorn?"

"No. Vel, you're injured. Yes I know Keyleth did her druidic thing to patch you up but it's not working. I'd be happy to carry you but it would be more…" Grog trailed off his words failing.

"Grog is right, my blessed Half-Elven friends. We are in lands barely known to lesser mortals, we have expended some of our strongest spells to make it here. With what has been unspoken with our new acquaintances and friends some of us are more depleted than others. We should rest, keep a watchful eye and head out once we are rested." Scanlan chimed in. "Plus it would be a good time for me to start teaching Vel whichever instrument he desires." Scanlan fixed his surrogate nephew a look "Vel, a boy goes looking for fights and adventure. A man knows there are times between fighting and adventuring to find hobbies."

Vel nodded as he settled himself at the base of a tree "I think I understand."

The group spent the rest of their day resting. Vel deviated his time between learning the violin and instructing Vazzyr, verbally and helping her brush up on the spells she had down. "I will teach you spells, Vazzyr, but more importantly you're going to polish and refine the spells that you already know to the point that if you grab your focus you're already half-way through the incantation and releasing it at the poor bastard who disturbed you."

Eve had been busy making herself comfortable, setting up her sleep roll right next to Vel. Her eyes had slipped to draconian slits "He's the most important part of my hoard. I know Vel, doesn't like to be described as a possession, but being a dragon-blooded sorceress you do get a few of the dragon attributes. I'm loud, proud, brash, quick to anger and tend to be overly-protective of what I consider mine but that's part of me."

Vel chuckled as he snaked his arms around her. His hand resting on her draconian one "I know. It is something I'm working on accepting. Hopefully we'll make it to Syngorn soon."

"Vel, do you remember Lupin's lectures…" Neville asked.

"Ignore the Hinkypunk, punt the Red Cap and break the fingers of the Grindylows…Aye."

"Vel get some rest. Scanlan will wake you in eight hours." Vax instructed as he, Vel and Keyleth remained awake for the first shift.