by Katie Davidson (Virtue)
"What?" Mrs. Danen shouted after Mr. Danen and Harry told her that the black Dragon took Elora out of the valley. She started screaming again, almost crying, "Why would it take Elora? Why Elora? What's so special about ELORA?"
"Sherri, calm yourself." Mr. Danen said, trying to calm his wife. He was trying to be the tough one, knowing that Elora could take care of herself, and that no harm would come to her.
Harry, on the other hand, knew a couple reasons why the dragon would take Elora. One, because she was the Moon Guardian and two, because she had with her the Dreamscape crystal. He sighed and spoke up, "I know two reasons why the Dragon might have taken her..."
After Harry told them, Mr. Danen laughed, "Harry, we already know that Elora's the Moon Guardian and has the Dreamscape crystal. She doesn't keep anything from us."
"Oh... right." Harry said, a little confused because he thought they wouldn't have known. Oh well, he thought, all the better.
Mrs. Danen wiped away a few tears that trickled down her face and under a whimpering tone asked, "Who does the black dragon belong to? Who took my BABY?"
Then suddenly, a fuzzy figure (like a TV news hologram on sci-fi shows) appeared on the center of the table. The man wore a gray cloak, his face was pale, and his hair was blonde, he spoke to them, "Good afternoon Sherri, Dennis. How are you two today?"
"Ahren!" Mr. Danen growled, "Was it you who took our daughter?"
Ahren, a miniature fuzzy version of himself, snickered lightly, "Yes, Dennis. Elora is with me, and here she will stay. You owe me that much, Dennis. Do you remember?"
Mr. Danen growled, "I remember, but it wasn't iron-clad!"
Mrs. Danen whimpered, "What does he mean, Dennis?"
"Sherri," Ahren said to Mrs. Danen in an excited tone, "How long has it been... 20 years? You're as beautiful as you've always been, my dear."
"I want my daughter back!" Mrs. Danen shouted to the miniature figure of Ahren.
"Calm yourself, Sherri." Mr. Danen said as he ran over to his wife and held her close as she cried into his shoulder. He looked over to the miniature Ahren, "Ahren. What do you want in exchange for Elora?"
Ahren replied, "Nothing of yours Dennis, except your daughter. Long ago you promised me your first born when I saved your life that cold day at Hogwarts, when you slipped into the lake. I held that promise, Dennis, but when you put up the enchantment I could not take her. So now she's mine," and he disappeared from the table.
Mrs. Danen pushed away from her husband; "You promised him Elora?"
"That was long ago, Sherri, it wasn't supposed to be real. I was in shock then and," Mr. Danen tried to explain.
"HOW COULD YOU DENNIS?" Mrs. Danen screamed, crying, then ran off to the master bedroom.
"Sherri!" Mr. Danen shouted calmly, trying to explain his actions... but it was too late, she had disappeared into the bedroom and locked the door; "I'm sorry."
"Dennis," Harry said, "Who was that guy? And what just happened?"
Mr. Danen took a seat at the table and waved his hand to another chair, signaling Harry to sit and he began his story:
"Long ago, Harry, when I went to Hogwarts I was best friends with Ahren, the man you say just then. One winter I was walking near the lake and slipped in. Ahren saved me, and in shock and thankfulness that he saved me from a cold death, I told him (flashback: a frail boy pulls a tough looking kid out of broken patch of an ice-covered lake) "Thank you, I owe you my first born" (end flashback) I didn't think he'd hold me to that promise. Now, I don't know what to do."
"Get her back from him," Harry suggested.
Mr. Danen shook his head, "I don't know where he is, Harry. I don't have the strength to go against him. When he was in Hogwarts, he was suspended during his second last year at Hogwarts for practicing the Dark Arts. He must be a powerful Dark Wizard by now, the way he was going back then."
"If Elora and I can go up against Voldemort and Razerlorn," Harry said, "Then we can get Elora back from Ahren. Don't give up so easily."
Mr. Danen sighed, "I know you're right, Harry." A grin started to form across his face, "And I've got some friends who might be able to help."
Elora sat in a wooden chair, wrapped in a thick mass of blanket, at the end of long stone table. It was as cold as Snape's dungeon-like classroom, well, maybe a bit warmer, but still she didn't like the vibes she got from the place.
Ahren, who had taken her to this place, had left the room for a while but he soon came back in with a platter holding a cup of a steaming liquid. He placed it down in front of her, smiled, and said, "Cocoa, Elora. I know it's cold in my castle, but you'll get used to it soon."
"I won't have to. I'm leaving soon." Elora sneered at Ahren.
Ahren laughed, "No, Elora. Your father promised you to me long ago. Now I take you as my own daughter. You will be here for the rest of your life."
"What do you mean?" Elora growled.
Ahren sat in a chair beside Elora; "Long ago at Hogwarts I saved your father from a cold, icy death. He promised me his first born, and that would be you, Elora."
Elora's eyes widened, she couldn't believe her dad would promise something like that, her eyes narrowed and she shouted at Ahren, "My father would not do something like that! YOU LIE!"
"Do I, Elora?" Ahren replied calmly, "See for yourself."
The room started turning black and chairs and tables disappeared, Elora found herself floating near the lake at Hogwarts. Ahren was beside her. Two figures came into focus near the lake; a frail boy helped a tough-looking kid out of the water. "The frail one is me, Elora. The other one is your father."
"This can't be," Elora whispered, when she heard the boy who was her father say "Thank you, I owe you my first born." She lowered her head and started to cry as the Hogwarts flashback disappeared and the stone room she was once in came back into focus.
Ahren walked up to her and lifted her head, his cold blue eyes looked into hers and he said, "Stay with me Elora. I don't have a family, and I'm so lonely."
"What about your black dragon?" Elora growled.
Ahren smiled, "I'm the black dragon, Elora."
Elora was shocked, "You?"
Ahren nodded, "I'm a master in the Dark Arts, Elora, and you will too. You will learn everything I know, and until you do, any magic that you know will not be aloud."
Elora's eyes narrowed and with her hands under the thick mass of blankets a small aura of sparkling light formed around her Guard, "You can't order me around," she said, then shouted, "You're not my FATHER!"
When she pulled her hand out of the blankets in order to throw the beam at Ahren, thinking she would knock him out so she could escape, everything went wrong.
Ahren took her by the arms, slammed her against the stone wall of the room, pinning her right arms to the wall, and whispered, "Discharamis."
The chant was a Dark spell used to discharge any magic and magical items the wizard or witch who had it upon them held. With the spell upon Elora, the light on her guard faded and was encased in a black moving mass.
Ahren smirked saying, "Any magic that I do not teach you is strictly banned from this castle. This spell will be sure that that rule is followed. Now then," he let go of Elora, "Follow me to your room. We will start your training at sunrise."
Elora was in shock, she touched the black mass around her Guard and it felt cold. She thought to herself, "Oh yeah, this is just great! How can this guy discharge the Moon Guard?" She thought she'd ask Ahren when the time was right and maybe somehow trick him into teaching her a counter-spell. She pulled the blankets tighter around her and followed Ahren up a tall stone staircase to a room at the left at the top of the staircase.
When Ahren opened the door, warmth overcame Elora. The room that Ahren had prepared for her looked just like her own. Every picture on the wall was the same, her bed, dresser, dressing table, mirror, and even her stuffed unicorns.. every thing was there! Even the rug was the same colour, with the ink stain by her bed where she had spilled ink while doing a potions vacation project just a couple nights ago, and the window with her drapes and sun-catcher's. How did he do it? She looked at him.
"I thought you'd be more comfortable in your own room... so here it is." Ahren said.
Elora grinned, "I'd be more comfortable if you'd let me go home!"
Ahren laughed, "You're mine now, Elora. Your father can't save you. He won't save you, he knows my power, and I'm much stronger than he is. Now, go... rest. Tomorrow is another day." He pushed her into her room and closed the door, a clicking sound was heard and Elora knew she was locked in. She ran over to the window, thinking she could get out that way, but when she tried to open it she stepped back... it wasn't real, she should have known that, and even if she did open it, it was a 20 foot drop to the ground.
Elora walked over to her bed and fell onto it. She knew Ahren was wrong about her father not trying to save her. She knew Harry would pressure him into doing it. So with nothing else that she could do, she climbed under the covers, rolled over, and fell asleep, knowing that tomorrow would be a hard day.