Author's Note: Happy Belated Valentine's Day to all of you. As a Valentine's Day gift to my readers, I have written a new original fiction that is posted on FictionPress.net, under The Memoirs of Callahan. Please read it and review! I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks ~ The Bard (P.S. Eric, I can't seem to e mail anything to your account…???)
Chapter Twenty-Six: First Impressions May Be Deceiving
Black ink laced a stiff parchment as precise, slanted writing seeped into the material. Snape eased his way slowly across the page, writing a detailed treaty on the effects of Veritaserum. Suddenly, his hand dropped the emerald quill, a small cry arising from his throat as he slumped to the ground. Razors sliced into every nerve of his body, causing him to spasm in pain. Voldemort, he thought, He calls…His eyes snapped open in fear. Death Eaters – the Forest…Natalia…He strained his head over to where the dragon was perched.
"Amicus," he cried hoarsely, "Go find Natalia. The Dark Lord, he calls tonight."
Without having to receive another command, the white dragon flew silently out of the dungeons, into the ominous night.
A tall, imposing woman peered down at a girl with a terrible smile strewn across her face.
"Well, well, we meet again."
Without waiting for another word, the terrified girl turned and ran.
"Oh no, don't run," the faerie said with mirth, "I want to have some fun first."
Raising a hand, she spread apart her fingers, releasing her power straight into the girl. The black stream of vapor hit the young witch, petrifying her mid-run. The faerie laughed and waved her hand towards the hut, casting a binding charm on it. Turning Natalia's body around with a gesture of her hand, she said,
"That's more like it. Now, if I'm not mistaken," she smiled, coming very close to the girl, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, "You should have a certain weapon against the apocalypse with you." Lifting Natalia's cloak, Mab exposed the glowing wand. "Yes, just as I thought." Turning back to the girl again, she let go of her cloak. "Now, I know what you must be thinking, 'She'll just touch the wand and be dead within seconds, then I can run away.'" Clucking her tongue, Mab shook her head gently. "Sorry dear, I know that trick already. Now, what you are going to do is wrap the wand for me in this," she ripped the sleeve off her shirt, "Just like a Christmas present, and then hand it to me. Easy, right?"
She released one of Natalia's arms and handed her the cloth. The girl gripped the sleeve, her knuckles white and shaking. A panic attack ran through her petrified body as her teeth chattered to the point of breaking. All of the sudden, a cracking noise came from within the arid ground, causing both the faerie and witch to look near the fire pit. Abruptly following the noise, a pair of sharp horns broke through the ground, followed by the skull of a full-grown buck. The carcass stretched its gleaming bones and charged at the faerie, upon which she threw her hand up, stopping it in midair and sent it smashing against a large rock. Turning back to the girl, she said mockingly,
"So, you're a necromancer huh? Not bad."
From behind her, the bones reconstructed themselves, once again rushing towards the tall woman. More skeletons of the like broke through the earth, some so ancient that the bones were already half-rotted away. The faerie grabbed the buck's horn as it tried to pierce her and flung it towards the other skeletons, causing them all to shatter upon the ground, at which they began to rebuild themselves once again. They regenerated once more and charged toward her like a silent army. Furious, she yelled to the girl,
"Stop them!"
"I cannot," Natalia responded helplessly, "I do not have control over this power."
She gripped the girl's head, screaming frenziedly into her ear, "Stop them now!"
Blood pulsed from the veins on Natalia's forehead into Mab's fingers as the faerie cackled in delight. She pressed her head against the girl's and stared into her eyes, sending currents of searing hot pain through her body. A black whip of fire lashed around Natalia's neck, tightening so much she could hardly breath.
"Stop them or you shall die in my hands!"
Unable to do so, she felt the deadly flames eat into her skin, draining the very life out of her. The world slowly darkened, closing in on her. Her breaths slowly fell short as she slipped into the realm of the dead.
Suddenly, a blinding white light pierced her eyes and those of every being that possessed sight. A pillar of pure radiance shot through Mab's torso, cutting into her very core. Blood ran down her sides as the overwhelmingly intense light devoured her slowly. Natalia was immediately released from the death grip, collapsing onto the ground in a heap.
A towering man, nearly seven feet tall, walked into the clearing. His long, fluid white hair whipped around him, making the moon seem dim next to it luminance. He was clothed completely in white, his robes made from the first frost of winter.
"You will not hurt her." he said calmly, his voice ringing clearly throughout the forest. The faerie screamed in utter terror when she saw the towering man.
"S-s-s-saD-d-d-daga! Forgive m-me, I did not know that y-y-you were here, else I would h-have not come b-back." she stuttered, completely in shock.
"Now you know." He waved his hand passively. "Be gone before I am forced to kill you."
"Y-y-yes, my Lord." She immediately hobbled out of the clearing, apparating away as soon as she was amongst the trees.
Natalia looked up at the man before her, too weak to be afraid. He picked her up, and at his touch, warmth and life instantly poured into her again. As he lay her down carefully by a tree, she looked up into his gentle lavender eyes, immediately comforted.
"Thank you." she whispered as her head leaned wearily against his broad shoulder. He took off his outer cloak and wrapped her in it.
"Natalia," he said, his voice soft and filled with warmth, "Do you know who I am?"
She shook her head against his shoulder.
"Well…do you know who of a man named Ravi?"
The girl thought for a moment and answered, "He was the first wizard to bear the Shangri-La."
"Yes, and do you remember how he gained knowledge of the Shangri-La?"
"The God," she replied in a whisper, "Revealed it to him in a vision. His name was…SaDa–" Natalia sat up suddenly, her eyes widening in awe. "Mab called you SaDaga!"
The God nodded, smiling kindly at her.
"Yes, Natalia. I have been looking after you for a long time."
He touched the bruise on her forehead, making it disappear.
"Do you know of your Mother's origins?"
The girl shook her head again, just realizing there that she barely knew anything about her Mother.
"Your Mother," he began, "Is a descendant of Ravi. He, as you know, was the son of a Nairmalyan queen and Baliman ruler. After leaving the East, he married a veela."
Leaning against the tree, he continued with his story.
"Their family had only male offspring for many generations, and did not have any female offspring until your grandmother. Your grandmother," he looked at Natalia, "Married a veela's son, and produced your Mother. Aurelia was the first in your family to return to the Nairmalyas, and having Nairmalyan blood, she easily found the city of Shambhala."
The girl looked at the God, perplexed.
"But why weren't any of my other ancestors the bearer of the Shangri-La, since they were also descendants of Ravi? Why me?"
SaDaga smiled at her inquisitiveness.
"Very true, you would not have been the One at all if it had not been for your Father's bloodline. Natalia," he leaned toward the girl, "Have you ever wondered why your grandfather lived for such an incredibly long time?"
She frowned in confusion.
"Yes, I have. Why is that?"
Smiling secretively, he unveiled the mysteries of her heritage.
"When I was thrown out of the gods' realm," he narrowed his eyes, "I met a brilliant witch, whom I married. Together, we had a son, and down the line of generations, Salazar was born. You see," he turned back to the girl, "Because I am a God, the few who are my descendants are all immortal."
The girl's frown deepened.
"But, that's not possible," she said, tears stinging her eyes, "My Father is dead."
Sadness crossed his lilac eyes.
"Yes, that is true. You see, none of my descendants were full gods, therefore rendering them immortal, but not invincible. They were immune to death by natural causes, but still susceptible to being killed."
"But," she protested, "You are a God! Why didn't you save him? Why didn't you save my grandfather?"
Brushing the tears off her cheeks, he replied,
"You would not have the strength to be the One if I had. I cannot meddle with Fate, Natalia."
"But…you're a God…" she sobbed helplessly.
He drew her gently into his arms.
"We may be able to change Fate, but perhaps, in the end, it is Fate that changes us."
Her tears flowed onto his robes as she looked up at him. Peering closely at his face, something struck her as odd.
"You look strangely familiar, like I have seen you every day of my life."
He smiled, saying softly to her, "I have been watching over you for your entire life, Natalia."
Gazing deeply into his light lavender eyes, she suddenly came to the realization of who he was.
"You're…you're Amicus!"
