Okay, I suppose I had to put one of these in somewhere…disclaimer! I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, the fifth, sixth, and seventh books would be out. I only claim copyright to Draika, Cirrus Lambaskian and Lambaskian's Academy, Linwe, Domar, Sraelyth (only his dragon side, his human side is © JK Rowing!), and any other originals that might come up in this story. Please ask my permission before using my ideas/characters in any artistic work. Whew! Oh…and a thank you to Tessa Gesek! Wild magic….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
~Draika~
Chapter Six: Truth
The walk to the paddock seemed to take ages. The wind blew in unpredictable gusts, so Draika had to stop and brace herself every so often against the vicious storm. When she finally got near to the paddock, she saw a light was on in Hagrid's hut. Bending down to avoid being seen, Draika tried to be as quiet as possible while she walked past. Even though the storm was quite loud, she was near enough to the hut that Hagrid might hear her if she stepped too loudly or see her if her shadow should be cast against the far wall of the hut. When her hands finally closed around the weathered wood of the paddock fence, Draika nearly collapsed. She was frozen, soaked, and nervous. She shook her head, wondering what on earth could be worth coming out for in this weather.
Draika nearly jumped a mile as a loud barking noise came from inside Hagrid's hut.
"Quiet, Fang!" She could hear Hagrid walking around, doing something. She didn't really care what he was doing until the door flew open and he came out with a crossbow, Fang snarling at his side.
She froze like a statue, hoping she blended in well enough with the shadows to avoid being seen. With a splendidly swift movement for someone so large, Hagrid whirled around so his back was to Draika. She backed up a bit, but tripped over the edge of his garden in the process, landing with a muffled thump. Fang barked again, drawing Hagrid near to the garden. The giant man swiveled his crossbow in a circle, until it finally rested on Draika. At that moment she did believe she was going to die…but Hagrid just shrugged and walked back inside with Fang, standing against the strong winds seemingly without effort.
Draika let out a sigh of relief, but perhaps one moment too soon. Before she could react, a liquid shadow had leapt out of the trees and into her path. It growled quietly. Draika realized it was a nundu….she'd heard of these giant leopards. Their breath was so noxious they could cause widespread disease if they felt like it. Standing shakily, she looked it in the eye. Some sort of connection seemed to run through them for a brief moment.
"You are the guide." Draika said. It was more of a statement than a question. The nundu nodded, lowering himself to the ground. Draika hesitated for only a moment before climbing onto his broad back. As soon as she was settled, he took off at an unbelievable speed. Draika smiled in exhilaration, holding tight to his back. If only everyone could see her now! Draika, that weird freak, riding a nundu! Becoming more accustomed to the nundu's movements as they flew through the forest, Draika sat proud and tall.
The storm seemed to gradually subside as they neared the very center of the forest, where a clearing dappled by moonbeams could be seen. Her guide stopped on a dime, letting her jump to the ground before taking off into the shadows.
"Wait!" Draika called out. "Don't leave!" Even though nundus could not form words, they understood many languages and were extremely intelligent. He turned and looked at her for a moment. Draika knew he would be back.
She was still soaked. Wrapping her sodden cloak around her, Draika glared around at the surrounding forest, daring any creature to come close. She jumped at a rustle in the trees, shaking loose her feet--no, they should have been more correctly referred to as talons. Bronze talons. --in case she had to attack. They were extremely sharp and could gut a human in the blink of an eye.
"At ease, V'tana." A booming, regal voice reached her ears. A large figure stepped out of the trees and into the clearing…Draika could only gape. Fifteen feet tall. Bronze scales. Golden eyes. Tail. Black ridges along his back….wings!
"….whoa." She was really more amazed than that, but she was too stunned to string two words together. A Peruvian Vipertooth dragon! "I….I didn't know dragons could speak, sir."
"Ah…I am not a dragon." He seemed to be amused by her lack of fear. "I am an Animagus….I chose to appear to you in a form I knew you would be comfortable with. My name is Sraelyth. Again, that is not my true name. I have many enemies here. Even now I am being hunted by the Ministry."
"You….you said you needed to speak to me…" Draika stammered. Why was she being so….stupid? Just because she was getting a chance to meet the creature she would one day be…
"Tell me his name. The nundu. Look at him and tell me." Sraelyth gestured to the nundu.
Draika paused. What was he playing at? But she obeyed, gazing into the eyes of the deadliest, most dangerous creature known to the wizarding world. And then she knew.
"It's Domar. You found him as a cub in Africa and brought him to the forest." She was amazed, not able to fully comprehend what she had just said, let alone how she had known.
"Wild magic never fails, child. And it will not fail you." He smiled, showing glittering white fangs. Draika ran her tongue along her own teeth, noting they were going pointy as well. "Give me your necklace."
"Why?" Draika was suspicious.
"You no longer need it. It cannot help you any further." Sraelyth sighed.
Slowly she obeyed. With a start, she realized the stone had already gone black, when just hours ago it had been a burning star. Shaking, she let it drop at her feet.
"What does this mean?" Her voice was a whisper. "Am I going to die?"
"No." The dragon replied. "You are going to change. In approximately half a year's time, perhaps less, you will be too far changed to be human. You must try to keep your head. You have so much that others could learn from. You'd be the first living being to completely transform!"
"Yes…but…" Draika's legs could no longer support her weight. Just as she would have hit the ground, Domar leapt forwards to break her fall. The girl leaned on him, looking back up at Sraelyth. "If I'm gone…will I be…"
"You will still have your personality. As for my other concern….if you feel out of sorts, do not be afraid to seek Domar. It is merely the instincts taking hold…you are not going to go mad unless you believe you are."
"Is there…anything else?" Draika swallowed back a lump in her throat.
"Yes." Sraelyth nodded, lying down on the ground so as to be at her eye level. "You must listen, very carefully. The gryphons are not just here because I drove them from their home."
"What?" Draika was shocked. "You..-"
"Yes. Because I knew you would be here. You needed to gain their trust. And of course that would be easy, for one such as yourself. You should have realized by now you have extremely advanced wild magic."
"Sir?"
"Call me Sraelyth." As Sraelyth spoke, the nundu slunk to Draika's side, seemingly from out of nowhere.
"S…Sraelyth?"
"They are here to guard something very valuable to me." He smiled sneakily.
"May I ask…?" Draika began to feel more comfortable with standing in the middle of an off-limits area, consorting with two wild beasts. Well, one wild beast and one hunted wizard.
"It is you, child. You." He smiled.
"You're not my father, are you?" Draika said sarcastically. This was getting awfully cliché.
"Of course not! But you….you are the very last one…."
"What?" Draika could swear time was slowing down. Domar snarled, glaring into the darkness.
"Run!" Sraelyth leapt up. An arrow shot through the air to pierce one of his wings. Draika fell to the ground, knocked out of harm's way by Domar. There were horrible shrieks…the clearing around her was fading…fading…gone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
~Draika~
Chapter Six: Truth
The walk to the paddock seemed to take ages. The wind blew in unpredictable gusts, so Draika had to stop and brace herself every so often against the vicious storm. When she finally got near to the paddock, she saw a light was on in Hagrid's hut. Bending down to avoid being seen, Draika tried to be as quiet as possible while she walked past. Even though the storm was quite loud, she was near enough to the hut that Hagrid might hear her if she stepped too loudly or see her if her shadow should be cast against the far wall of the hut. When her hands finally closed around the weathered wood of the paddock fence, Draika nearly collapsed. She was frozen, soaked, and nervous. She shook her head, wondering what on earth could be worth coming out for in this weather.
Draika nearly jumped a mile as a loud barking noise came from inside Hagrid's hut.
"Quiet, Fang!" She could hear Hagrid walking around, doing something. She didn't really care what he was doing until the door flew open and he came out with a crossbow, Fang snarling at his side.
She froze like a statue, hoping she blended in well enough with the shadows to avoid being seen. With a splendidly swift movement for someone so large, Hagrid whirled around so his back was to Draika. She backed up a bit, but tripped over the edge of his garden in the process, landing with a muffled thump. Fang barked again, drawing Hagrid near to the garden. The giant man swiveled his crossbow in a circle, until it finally rested on Draika. At that moment she did believe she was going to die…but Hagrid just shrugged and walked back inside with Fang, standing against the strong winds seemingly without effort.
Draika let out a sigh of relief, but perhaps one moment too soon. Before she could react, a liquid shadow had leapt out of the trees and into her path. It growled quietly. Draika realized it was a nundu….she'd heard of these giant leopards. Their breath was so noxious they could cause widespread disease if they felt like it. Standing shakily, she looked it in the eye. Some sort of connection seemed to run through them for a brief moment.
"You are the guide." Draika said. It was more of a statement than a question. The nundu nodded, lowering himself to the ground. Draika hesitated for only a moment before climbing onto his broad back. As soon as she was settled, he took off at an unbelievable speed. Draika smiled in exhilaration, holding tight to his back. If only everyone could see her now! Draika, that weird freak, riding a nundu! Becoming more accustomed to the nundu's movements as they flew through the forest, Draika sat proud and tall.
The storm seemed to gradually subside as they neared the very center of the forest, where a clearing dappled by moonbeams could be seen. Her guide stopped on a dime, letting her jump to the ground before taking off into the shadows.
"Wait!" Draika called out. "Don't leave!" Even though nundus could not form words, they understood many languages and were extremely intelligent. He turned and looked at her for a moment. Draika knew he would be back.
She was still soaked. Wrapping her sodden cloak around her, Draika glared around at the surrounding forest, daring any creature to come close. She jumped at a rustle in the trees, shaking loose her feet--no, they should have been more correctly referred to as talons. Bronze talons. --in case she had to attack. They were extremely sharp and could gut a human in the blink of an eye.
"At ease, V'tana." A booming, regal voice reached her ears. A large figure stepped out of the trees and into the clearing…Draika could only gape. Fifteen feet tall. Bronze scales. Golden eyes. Tail. Black ridges along his back….wings!
"….whoa." She was really more amazed than that, but she was too stunned to string two words together. A Peruvian Vipertooth dragon! "I….I didn't know dragons could speak, sir."
"Ah…I am not a dragon." He seemed to be amused by her lack of fear. "I am an Animagus….I chose to appear to you in a form I knew you would be comfortable with. My name is Sraelyth. Again, that is not my true name. I have many enemies here. Even now I am being hunted by the Ministry."
"You….you said you needed to speak to me…" Draika stammered. Why was she being so….stupid? Just because she was getting a chance to meet the creature she would one day be…
"Tell me his name. The nundu. Look at him and tell me." Sraelyth gestured to the nundu.
Draika paused. What was he playing at? But she obeyed, gazing into the eyes of the deadliest, most dangerous creature known to the wizarding world. And then she knew.
"It's Domar. You found him as a cub in Africa and brought him to the forest." She was amazed, not able to fully comprehend what she had just said, let alone how she had known.
"Wild magic never fails, child. And it will not fail you." He smiled, showing glittering white fangs. Draika ran her tongue along her own teeth, noting they were going pointy as well. "Give me your necklace."
"Why?" Draika was suspicious.
"You no longer need it. It cannot help you any further." Sraelyth sighed.
Slowly she obeyed. With a start, she realized the stone had already gone black, when just hours ago it had been a burning star. Shaking, she let it drop at her feet.
"What does this mean?" Her voice was a whisper. "Am I going to die?"
"No." The dragon replied. "You are going to change. In approximately half a year's time, perhaps less, you will be too far changed to be human. You must try to keep your head. You have so much that others could learn from. You'd be the first living being to completely transform!"
"Yes…but…" Draika's legs could no longer support her weight. Just as she would have hit the ground, Domar leapt forwards to break her fall. The girl leaned on him, looking back up at Sraelyth. "If I'm gone…will I be…"
"You will still have your personality. As for my other concern….if you feel out of sorts, do not be afraid to seek Domar. It is merely the instincts taking hold…you are not going to go mad unless you believe you are."
"Is there…anything else?" Draika swallowed back a lump in her throat.
"Yes." Sraelyth nodded, lying down on the ground so as to be at her eye level. "You must listen, very carefully. The gryphons are not just here because I drove them from their home."
"What?" Draika was shocked. "You..-"
"Yes. Because I knew you would be here. You needed to gain their trust. And of course that would be easy, for one such as yourself. You should have realized by now you have extremely advanced wild magic."
"Sir?"
"Call me Sraelyth." As Sraelyth spoke, the nundu slunk to Draika's side, seemingly from out of nowhere.
"S…Sraelyth?"
"They are here to guard something very valuable to me." He smiled sneakily.
"May I ask…?" Draika began to feel more comfortable with standing in the middle of an off-limits area, consorting with two wild beasts. Well, one wild beast and one hunted wizard.
"It is you, child. You." He smiled.
"You're not my father, are you?" Draika said sarcastically. This was getting awfully cliché.
"Of course not! But you….you are the very last one…."
"What?" Draika could swear time was slowing down. Domar snarled, glaring into the darkness.
"Run!" Sraelyth leapt up. An arrow shot through the air to pierce one of his wings. Draika fell to the ground, knocked out of harm's way by Domar. There were horrible shrieks…the clearing around her was fading…fading…gone.