You'd think, seeing as I'm not in school anymore, that I would get these chapters out a lot quicker. But then there's States for golf…and graduation. All I have to say is…sorry. Hope you like this. It should be read with The Bard of Skheria's story; Walking on a String of Fate…we're trying to be slick by intertwining our stories ;)
Chapter Seven
Two Libraries—Another Summon
She ran her fingers gently over her left wrist; around the scars the skin was fresh and young, but when she reached the mound of jagged flesh that was her injury, her fingers stopped. The ugly crescent seemed to laugh at her from its position on her arm. The haunting cries from that dreaded night filled her elfin ears; she shut her eyes in a desperate attempt to silence the memories, but they seemed to only grow louder. Her pulse pounded against her temples; she lowered her head as her body began to coil. Reign's flesh was burning, she could feel the darkness cut through her skin and seep into her veins. She grasped the sides of the table; her fingers turned stark white from the pressure. Her face stung with the amount of force she was using to keep her eyes shut, to shove the terrifying memory back into its vault. Every muscle in Reign's body contracted to the breaking point. She felt as if she would implode.
And then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
And a distant voice reached her ears.
She couldn't make it out; she only knew that it was a threat. If she broke her concentration now, the memory would stay. She took one hand from the table and grabbed the hand on her shoulder, twisting it as she turned toward its owner. Her eyes were still closed. A bright elfin arrow glowed against the black of her lids. Another howl pierced her ears, but not one of her own.
"Reign!" came the struggled cry. It was a male voice. The elf opened her eyes to see Severus Snape glaring back at her, his face contorting as she twisted his hand. Seeing him had no effect on her. She merely gazed back into his dark eyes as he wriggled beneath her grasp.
Needless to say, Severus was shocked. But even more so, he was embarrassed. What would happen if someone were to walk in on them and see a frail elf bringing the mighty Potions Master to his knees? He would die before he let that happen. Reaching into his robes with his free hand, Snape brought out his wand and pointed it at Reign.
"Let…go…" he said sternly.
That plea reached Reign's ears, begging her to release whatever she was holding onto. She blinked. The memory was fading away; the arrow flew out of sight, her scars ceased their burning. Her muscles relaxed, as did her grip on Snape. She blinked again.
"Severus!" she gasped, finally recognizing him.
"Yes," he replied, rubbing his sore wrist, "the one and only."
Reign's eyes darted from his face to his wrist, then to her hand, which was red from the pressure of holding him. She brought her elbow up to the back of her chair and rested her chin in her hand. With a lazy smile, she spoke to Severus.
"Sorry 'bout that." Snape scowled at her as he pulled up a chair.
"What the hell was that all about?" he asked impatiently. Reign looked away from him, down to the books sprawled out over the table.
"I was trying to get rid of a bad memory…you distracted me." Severus snorted.
"Well in that case…I apologize," he said sarcastically. Reign smiled, picked up his injured hand, and kissed the spot she had held on to so tight. Immediately the pain subsided.
"Humph," Severus growled as he ripped his hand away and began to shuffle through the countless pages laid out before him. Reign folded her arms and watched him silently, a small smirk playing across her lips.
She had been in the library for three hours. She had looked through at least fifty books trying to find something that would explain her powers. She had wasted a sizeable amount of her immortal life. And now Severus was attempting to do what she could not.
"What, pray-tell, are we looking for?" In all his frustration, he had forgotten his task.
"You'll think of it," came the answer. Snape looked up at the elf, she had a playful smile on her face. He rolled his eyes and returned to his work.
"All of these books, and you couldn't find one thing?"
"I wouldn't be here if I had."
"Thank you for that," he responded, leafing through Azrael's Lexicon of Elvin Fortes.
"Already looked through that one," Reign said. He looked at her, closed the book, and threw it aside. Then he picked up The Colossal Volume of Elves, Fifth Edition, and held it in front of Reign. She nodded. "That one too."
Tufta's Encyclopedia of Elfin Supremacy.
"Yep."
Gezibel's Anthology of Rare Magical Creatures and the Powers They Bestow.
"Mm hmm."
"Is there anything here that you haven't looked at?" Reign searched the table.
"Dr. Whatsits Book of Fascinating Creatures that You'll Never See." She flipped the book over in her hands and held it in front of Snape's face so he could read the script on the bottom.
"Because they don't exist…Good Lord, I can't believe people actually get paid for writing this rubbish."
"I can't believe someone would actually put this in a library, much less read it." Reign threw the book on top of the ever-growing pile of hopeless attempts at finding out about herself. "There's nothing in this entire castle that's going to help me. I've been here all morning, Severus." The Potions Master leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. Reign began to rub her wrist again. From the opposite end of the library, a breeze seeped into the castle and brushed across the elf's skin. It flowed up her arm, kissed her neck, and poured into her lungs through her nostrils.
The breeze was cool; summer was nearly here. Reign had discarded her gloves, as they were heavy and cumbersome. Now she resorted to small leather bands that she wrapped around the scars to hide them from prying eyes. She picked up the one belonging to her left wrist and replaced it on her arm.
"It's hopeless," she sighed melodramatically.
A few tables down from where they were, Hermione Granger sat facing them, her head bent low as she read about Hogwarts for the umpteenth time. A flash of green light caught her eye as she scanned the pages. Looking up, she saw Reign and Professor Snape both staring absent-mindedly at the books laid out in front of them. The glint she had seen came from the emerald that Reign was wearing around her upper arm. Hermione stared at it curiously, as if it was a sign, a reminder of something from long ago.
"I don't know what to tell you, Reign. Maybe this is the first time this power has even shown itself." Severus blinked; several books were now on the floor, some face down, their pages sticking out at odd angles. He looked at Reign; her face was in her hands.
"It happened again…" he stated.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Hermione was still watching from her table. She rubbed her eyes, not really believing what she had just seen. One minute the two adults were sitting quietly next to each other, and the next books were mysteriously thrown on the floor and the elf had her head in her hands.
"I'm so tired of it, Severus. Who knew that having the power to stop Time would be so damned exasperating?"
At that, Hermione pulled herself out of her chair. Hearing the familiar scrape of wood against the floor, Reign looked up and locked eyes with the girl. Both gave a friendly smile as Hermione edged closer to their table.
"Hermione, fancy seeing you here." Reign winked when the girl halted in her tracks. She smiled as the elf's sarcasm registered.
"I don't want to seem as if I'm eavesdropping," she started. Her Potions Master gave her a nasty glare and raised his eyebrow. Hermione avoided his gaze and spoke to Reign. "But I couldn't help but overhear you talking about…stopping Time?" She waited patiently for a response. Reign leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand.
"Yes?" she said, urging her to continue.
"Well, you see…if I remember correctly…" she paused, "it was a long time ago—"
"Do get on with it, Miss Granger," growled Severus.
"There's a book…that an old friend of mine came across…I believe it was in your library, Professor." Snape's scowl vanished. He looked away from the two inquiring faces, as if he was trying to remember something…
"You have a library?" Reign asked. Severus coughed.
"Yes, as a matter of fact…" He stopped when he felt a hand smack him in the shoulder.
"Well, why didn't you say so?" Snape's mouth hung open at her. Hermione shifted her position on the other side of the table, rather uncomfortable at seeing the elf confront her surly Potions Master.
"Miss Granger, since you were so eager to interrupt our conversation, why don't you enlighten us with the title of this book so you can get back to more important matters?" he said, avoiding Reign's question. Hermione's eyes widened; she opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again.
"Well…I can't really remember what the title was called…" Severus gave an annoyed 'humph'. Hermione paused, determined not to present herself as a fool in front of the man. "Bezazelis' Anthology of Anomalous Powers. Yes, that was the title."
Snape looked at her curiously.
"You remember it, don't you, Professor?" Reign turned to look at Severus; his grimace had returned.
"Of course I do," he said, standing up. Hermione took an unconscious step backward as he stretched to his full height—a good foot and a half taller than her. Reign followed his lead as he turned and headed out of the library.
"Thank you," Reign mouthed to Hermione as they exited. The girl nodded in response as they disappeared around a shelf of books.
Severus walked with his head bent, kneading his temples with his graceful hands as Reign's voice flowed in one ear and out the other.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me you had your own library! You'd think, with me stuck at that cursed table all morning, that you'd have the decency to mention...just perhaps...that the answer to all my troubles lied elsewhere!" She stopped when the man beside her did. Severus dropped his hands abruptly and snapped his head up, staring down the hall. Reign could literally see him biting his tongue. She shrugged her shoulders and laughed nervously.
"I'm kidding...I'm just giving you a hard time...Severus!" she cried as she ran to catch up to his rapid pace. The journey down into the bowels of the castle seemed longer than usual. The only noise was that of the professor's and elf's boots. Both refused to look at each other; Reign, because she was afraid of fueling an already out of control fire, and Severus because he wasn't up to hexing Reign for igniting his frustration.
When they reached his bedroom door, Severus pulled out his wand to release the wards to his private chambers. Reign stayed behind as the door opened and he entered the room.
"Severus," she whispered. He turned to look at her, one eyebrow slightly raised. "I'm sorry." After sighing deeply and shaking his head slightly, he brought his eyes back up to the elf's twinkling green orbs.
"Stop saying that," he muttered as he turned around. "And get in here already." With an impatient wave of his hand, Reign scooted forward into his rooms as the door slammed behind her.
It was an awkward moment; the last time they had been in this room together they had kissed. Even though Severus wasn't exactly all there when it happened, it happened nonetheless. Reign watched nervously as Severus stalked toward a door she had never really noticed before…perhaps because of his own wishes…and turned to look back at her. She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze elsewhere. When she looked back, Severus had disappeared through the door. Reign hugged her robes tighter around her body as a cool draft escaped the pitch-black opening that beckoned her from the back of his rooms. She proceeded tentatively toward the abyss; she had never entirely trusted the dark, no matter how well she could see in it. Just as she raised her left foot to step into the opening, her eyes adjusted and she saw Severus reach into one of his many pockets and pull out his wand.
"Lumos," he whispered as he held it next to a small lamp. Instantly, magic flames shot out from the original lamp and lit up the room from other various lanterns around the dark space. Reign jumped as white-hot flames flew past her and gasped at the sight of the spacious room.
"Oh…Severus…" she whispered, gazing at the expansive library. Nearly everywhere she looked there were books: shelves upon shelves of them. All of them were old; some looked older than those in Hogwarts official library. Reign walked slowly toward a smirking Severus, running her hand over the ancient spines of the dusty volumes. Despite the fact the room looked as if it hadn't been dusted in a hundred years, it was still more organized than Madam Pince's abode. Reign's upper lip curled into a smirk; of course it was immaculate—it belonged to Severus.
When she reached him, she took her dust-covered finger and wiped it across his cheek. The gray trail it left made her smile; the sparkle in her eyes made half of Snape's mouth curl up into what she assumed was his attempt at a grin. As she watched him struggle with a joyful emotion, Reign thought of something.
"Who was it that you brought in here?" she asked. Whatever Severus had been attempting was quickly abandoned. He cleared his throat and looked down at his dust-laden boots.
"Just a student of mine…from a long time ago…" His voice faded as if it hurt to speak of it. Reign heard his pain and refrained from questioning him further on the matter.
Instead she swept passed him to a glass case that caught her eye. In the dim light of the library she could see the ancient chronicles of her people. As she moved closer she read the titles in her native language, savored each syllable as it spilled over her tongue. She pressed her hand against the mirror-like glass and bent forward so that her forehead touched the cool case. Closing her eyes, she could almost here the cries of the archaic texts; it was a sound she was quite familiar with—one that she often heard in her bed at night when her heart longed to break free of Hogwarts…when she was trapped.
The elf jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Severus gently pried her away from the case and opened it with a flick of his wand.
Reaching for the nearest book, Reign suddenly felt as if she was back home in her village's own library, flipping through the anthologies of her people. She lowered herself to the floor. It had seemed like forever since she had seen, spoken, or heard anything in her native language. How she missed the fluidness of it all. She soon lost track of what she was really searching for.
"I believe this is what Miss Granger was talking about," came a voice from above her. Reign looked to the book that had been shoved into her view; it was definitely one of the oldest volumes present in the room. She wondered if, at one time, the dark blood-red cover was a brilliant rose-like red. Tattered pages stuck out a various angles from the sides, while the binding shifted under the pressure of Snape's hand. Reign slowly took the book from him and set it in her lap, using the end of her robes to wipe off the age-old dust to read the title. Unlike the rest of the books in the case, this one appeared to her in English.
Bezazelis' Anthology of Anomalous PowersShe carefully opened the cover and flipped to the table of contents. As she scanned the topics, Severus took a seat on the floor next to her (after laying out his robes beneath him). Her finger, as if it had a mind of its own, stopped at the S section.
"Page 721…" she whispered as she turned the pages. And then, as if it was magic—as if it could have been anything but magic—the S section was laid out before her. Before reading what the text was hiding, she picked up a curious metal-like string from the spine of the book; it looked to be some sort of bookmark. She raised it to Snape's face; upon seeing it, that sad, far-off frown returned.
"What is it?" she asked.
"A cello string," he answered, plucking it from her fingers. Reign watched him for a moment, then went back to the marked page.
SSeven Sacred Emeralds
Forged by Rukai of the Wood (a tree-dwelling mage known for his carpentry and blacksmith skills) in the year four hundred and seventy-two, the Seven Sacred Emeralds are believed to be the most valuable stones on earth. The true reason as to why the mage created the stones in the first place is unknown, though some experts believe that Rukai was famous for crafting objects because of his ambitious drive for power, while others protest that he merely produced them for show and envy.
It is said that Rukai held the stones in his possession for one hundred years before a group of elves, most likely of the Drow species, invaded his home and stole the precious gems. After much deliberation and fierce arguments, the bandits chose to hide the stones in secret locations over the seven continents of the earth, hoping that anyone looking for them would not be able to track them down without a great amount of effort.
The full extent of the stones' powers is still unknown, but the most unique of which is that of manipulating Time. Inside the emerald Time does not exist. Once the stone has been active with a host for one thousand years, its power starts to leak through the owner, creating an illusion of which the holder believes he/she is suspended in a space void of Time. This pause in the ribbon of Time allows the host to do nearly whatever they wish, making it either a tremendously helpful tool, or a terribly deadly one.
It is believed that the emeralds hold a life force all their own—which is difficult to control, but not impossible. Most likely it is achievable several years after the host has experienced its power, and he/she will be able to manipulate Time easily with the mind. Once the stone and the host become one, it is impossible to break their bond.
Little is known about the location of the Seven Sacred Emeralds of Rukai, but there is rumor to believe that one of these powerful stones fell into the hands of the Lunai-sä tribe if elves (location unknown), who bestow upon their children an armband known as a saphie, worn around the upper arm as a symbol of love, peace, and prosperity. The Lunai-sä tribe is acknowledged as one of the highest and most respected of all elvin species.
"Oh…my…Severus, this is it!" she spat, jabbing the page with her index finger. "This is what I've been looking for!" She paused; Severus was still staring at the cello string. She took her hand and placed it on top of his. "Come off it now, Severus. Who was this former student of yours and why are they dragging you into such sadness?" The Potions Master shook his head.
"She was just…special. That's all."
"She, eh?" Severus shot a glare in her direction. "Sorry," she whispered, returning to the anthology.
"Here," came a silky voice next to her, "you should keep this." He placed the string in her open palm and closed her fingers over it.
"Why?"
"I don't really know…I think you just should."
"All right then." Reign shrugged. "I can't believe this; it's talking about me. This is my tribe, my people…my emerald…" Shrugging off her robes, Reign felt for her saphie and took it from her arm. Immediately she felt naked, incomplete. She held it in her hand. The light from the torches reflected off the smooth emerald, making it seem as if it was winking at her. "All this time…the answer was right here…right on my arm…" Reign laughed as she replaced the band and turned the page of Bezazelis'. She continued reading while Severus looked over her shoulder.
Shangri-LaThe Shangri-La has proven to be the deadliest and most powerful weapon in existence since the beginning of time. It is believed that the Shangri-La was created during the first hundred years of the world's physical existence, made after one of the first nine gods, SaDaga, the God of Prescience, foresaw the apocalypse. In an attempt to prevent the destruction of life during the apocalypse, the gods sent the first celestial priests to Mount Meru on an exploit to obtain a feather from the holiest of creatures, the Occamy. The reason for this feather is still unknown, though it has been said that this article is the basis of the Shangri-La's greatest power. Having successfully acquired the feather of the Occamy, the gods forged together the two greatest elements: immortal fire and eternal ice, creating the Shangri-La. Although the physical form of the Shangri-La is unknown, many believe that it takes the appearance of a wand and can only be manipulated into other forms by the Bearer of the Shangri-La. However, while it is in a dormant state, the Shangri-La is known to have an appearance much different than its original illuminant form.
The Shangri-La was bestowed to the Nairmalyans in the first century of its existence, and every year for several hundred years, a sacrifice would be made to the Shangri-La in which a powerful Nairmalyan would allow her life to be taken into the weapon. This absorption is known as one of the Shangri-La's greatest abilities, where anyone other than the Bearer who comes in contact with it will have their life and magical attributes absorbed into the weapon, allowing it to contain all of the abilities of the people it has taken.
In the year five hundred and sixty, a powerful Baliman king, Ravi of Andha Kull, stole the weapon and became the first Bearer of the Shangri-La. However, even he was not able to contain all of its powers, and in the end, was overwhelmed to the point of death. It is said that the true Bearer is the embodiment of life and will rise in the years of the apocalypse, where a test will be placed on them, and if they succeed such an ordeal, all the powers of the Shangri-La shall be bequeathed to them.
"Sheesh," Reign breathed as she finished. "Hope those powers are worth the trouble." She closed the book, hoping that if the apocalypse came in her time that the Bearer of the Shangri-La would be on her side. As she pulled herself up to replace the book, she heard a loud crash as something heavy slammed into the bookcase behind her.
She turned around just in time to see a crumpled Potions Master before every light in his library went out. Squinting into the darkness, Reign could just make out the black outline of Severus as he sat slumped against the bookcase, clutching his left forearm in intense pain. Just as she staggered over to him, he let out a muffled scream.
"Severus! What the—" She fell to his side, ripping his arm from his own grasp.
"He calls for me…" he whispered between raspy breaths. Reign looked from him to his sleeve, pushed it up and gasped at the sight of the Dark Mark. An unearthly glow surrounded it, the mark burning blacker than she had ever seen it. Even in the darkness of the library, the sight of the mark did not go unnoticed. Reign could feel Snape's hurried pulse beneath her grasp. Her furrowed eyebrows communicated a sadness and anger that she refrained from speaking of. They sat huddled on the cold stone floor; Reign stroked the mark gently and constantly, despite the burning sensation it spread through her body. Severus groaned beneath her as he attempted to lift himself up.
"Why do you continue doing this to yourself?" she whispered as she helped him up.
"I don't have a choice, Rei—" Another wave of pain shot up his arm. Severus fell into the elf, who was caught by surprise. They both collided into another bookcase, sending several volumes crashing to the floor as Reign attempted to steady them both. She took Snape's right arm and draped it over her shoulder, trying her best to keep him upright so that they could make it out of the dark cavern. Three steps from the entrance, Severus let out another strained cry and fell backward onto the floor, clutching his arm. As his face contorted with pain, Reign stood above him, watching nervously, waiting for the wave to pass. As it did, the man lifted himself very slowly off the hard floor, his exhaustion evident from his breathing.
"I'm getting…too old for this," he stated as he pulled himself up. Reign laughed uneasily at his attempt at humor as she took his arm once more and half dragged him out of the library. They staggered over to the bed, where the elf flung him onto the mattress. The grown man that lay before her coiled into the fetal position and rocked back and forth, not caring if his behavior made the elf think any less of him, just trying to rid his body of the intense pain that shot through his very heart.
"Severus…" she cooed, sitting down next to him and stroking his hair. Two dark and defeated eyes looked up at her, shimmering with what she assumed were tears. "Oh Kor," she breathed as she bent over to kiss his cheek. Before she had the chance, however, Severus sprang from the bed, emitting a scream so loud that Reign had to cover her elfin ears so they wouldn't burst at the sound. Snape had let go of his arm, which now shot out from his side, the glow from it lighting up the dim room. The veins in his arm, neck, and forehead looked as if they were about to burst. His scream echoed in the room, reverberating off the walls and into Reign's very soul. She took a step toward him, just as a fresh cry escaped his lips. The elf watched in horror, knowing there was nothing she could do for his pain. Her hand flew to her mouth; she shook her head in disbelief, remembering that at one point this is exactly what Severus wanted. He put himself through this for reasons unknown when he first became a Death Eater.
Reign watched the sorry sight as tears flowed freely from her eyes. How anyone could survive this constant torture was beyond her comprehension. Wanting desperately for it to end, she flung herself at Severus, knocking him back on the bed.
"Enough! Oh Kor…enough," she sobbed into his chest.
"I have to go," he said with a distant voice, staring up at the ceiling. "If I don't go now, he'll find me later…he'll kill me…" Reign pushed herself away, shaking her head as she gazed at the Potions Master.
"What can I do to help?"
"My cloak…in the wardrobe," he said slowly, pointing to the other side of the room. Reign reluctantly left his side and walked over to the chest. As she pulled open the door, she heard another groan from the bed and watched as Severus rolled over onto his side, curling up into himself. She turned swiftly back to her mission, shutting her eyes before she grabbed the cloak.
"And the mask…" came a husky voice as she laid the dark clothing beside him. "In the lower…right drawer." Reign retrieved the covering from his desk, scowling at the simple but hauntingly grotesque item. When she returned to the bed, Severus was slowly wrapping his cloak around his frail body. The waves of excruciating pain were now gone, but Severus knew they would be back if he did not leave. Reign stuck out her hand that held the mask, refusing to look Severus in the eye. He took it from her and held it in his lap.
"I'm still bound to him, Reign."
"I know," she whispered. With his right hand, he pulled her to him and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. What he saw struck his heart with an unfathomable pain.
Reign closed her eyes as he ran his left index finger down her cheek. She took the hand in hers and kissed the Dark Mark. The fire it emitted burned her lips, sending her head backwards as a thousand knives slashed every inch of her skin. A heavy weight fell upon her chest, making breathing difficult for her. Severus steadied her as she regained her composure.
"Just, come back to me…in one piece," she said as he held her face in his hands. In one swift moment, Reign swooped down and captured his lips with her own. She could feel his eyelashes brushing her skin as his eyes sprang open in surprise. The usual feeling he got whenever she kissed him intensified as her very soul crept into his body. The emotion with which she kissed him left her lips and renewed his strength. Warmth invaded his bloodstream, flowing freely to every bit of his torn body. The sting from his Dark Mark became just a dull throbbing as she pulled away and looked into his eyes.
"What did you just do?" he asked sternly. Reign shrugged as she helped him up from the mattress and took his spot on the bed. He looked at her with sad eyes before lifting the mask up to his head.
"Please…don't put that on in front of me," she said, looking away. Severus sighed and sauntered over to the edge of his rug. Pulling it back, he used his wand to unlock a hidden door. Reign watched him disappear through the hole, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, her heart sinking with every slow breath she took.
***
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