Chapter Nine
Even though she had been left behind, the she-demon of seducing mankind, Lilithian, refused to give up. But she trembled when someone with more authority over her had appeared.
Pure black, almost tinting blue and purple, horses suddenly drove from the cloudy greyish black sky into the three travelling companions' view. Lilithian quickly shrank back, quietly moving backwards to keep from being seen, but it did not help. "Lilithian! You have been forbidden to leave your inner sanctum. Return to Mara's side or your being shall be removed from this world and converted to the Heaven's above."
Squealing with outrage the lovely demon fleetly ran from their sight. As she fled, Harry could only stare at the group of seven females, seated on the pawing black steeds. One female slipped from the back of one horse to face them on ground. Emerald eyes glanced over the chain mail breast plated silver tops, loose thigh length skirts, and boots reaching their mid calves. Even their mounts were wearing protective chain mail head and chest gear while the saddles were made of dark brown leather and fur. But he could swear their eyes, tails, and manes flickered with black blue flames with each movement made.
"Hello, young lord." Startled, Harry stepped back as the one standing female gave a low curt bow. "We," with a pale hand she pointed to the other six females, "are the Valkyries. We are Norse female warriors based of the Amazonian women of the forests long ago." Lightly petting the snout of her horse, "These are what we call Night Mares. They are undead horses brought from death by our very own Necromancers. Unlike regular horses, these Night Mares have no problems with any terrain or obstacles among the terrain. They can run over and through anything."
Feeling overwhelmed, Harry began to wonder his involvement and why this woman was calling him a young lord. "Why am I here?"
Bastet was the one who answered with a feral grin, "We shall explain shortly." In a comfortable silence Harry watched the Valkyries urge their steeds back into the skies as he followed the two female Goddesses before him.
With no words to distract his thoughts, Harry's mind went back to the last hours of his death. He had known something was going to happen but didn't think it would truly involve his death. But under those long few moments of 'Crucio' Harry had felt the worried gazes of two men. Both men cared about him, both wishing they could have saved him despite the risk to their lives. But he wasn't going to give Voldemort any reason to doubt his two loyal followers, especially one who played his right hand. With carefully blank looks, they had followed the orders to destroy him.
Those long weeks spent with Severus Snape gave him a healthy affection to the snappy teacher as well as a small love for potions. He even got the one-on-one tutoring to help bring up his grades. With someone to comfort him during his nights of visions and fears, he had grown very close to his professor. But Severus refused to do more than comfort and maybe the occasional kiss asked for, at least until graduation. And Harry knew his professor was only saying that because he believed his own student would find someone better, especially after a long dinner with the Malfoy's, where Severus had thought maybe Draco would have been better. Even Lucius Malfoy couldn't prevent his old schoolmate from thinking his son would take Harry away, at least until the Malfoy family had threatened to turn the Potion Master's own rooms and clothes either Gryffindor colours or very bright colours resembling the headmaster's robes.
With distracted thoughts remembering the nights, and occasional days, spent breaking through a cold demeanour to find a warm yet still snappy soon-to-be lover, Harry never realized he had reach the end of his tour. "We finally meet, my child, here in my Great Hall of Hell."
Blinking rapidly to clear the glazed look, Harry glanced about to find himself standing in a large open doorway to a single semi-circle room. Only a small strip of actual stone of landing can be seen before a grand large scale staircase. All made from shimmering onyx stone. The stairs flowed upward to a another small strip of landing, housing a large decorative throne of wicker, feathers, and earth. The walls were covered in silky flaming colour curtains, rippling softly in an invisible wind.
A soft husky chuckle drew his attention back to the throne to see a figure just sitting down. Emerald eyes widened at the sight of bronze skin rippling against waist length jet black hair, twined with feathers and beads. The man's chest portrayed two hand painted bear paw prints while his lower half was covered with tanned hide leggings and loincloth. Dark brown eyes glittered as they peered down at the thin short boy before him. "I am, or was, called Tezcatlipoca, or Black Tez. I am the Aztec God of Hell. And this is my world, Mitnal."
"Everyone's a god here?"
"Technically, my child. There are very few of us Gods here in Mitnal. Many have remained with their religion to be worshipped or have converted to the Heaven's above."
Another voice called out to him, Black Tez is the ruler of Mitnal but for centuries he has been sleeping. He is a powerful God, mainly one of the very first Gods to be on this Earth. His sleep has kept the balance of good and evil but a prophesy long told has brought him from that slumber. During that time I have been the ruler, I am the Phoenix Queen.
Harry was shocked to see such a strange female, her name portraying the creatures of the Light, here in Mitnal. But there she stood. Wings of bright gold, wild strands of fiery red hair, and eyes of hellfire she smiled from her spot near the God of Hell. Slightly shifting, he could see the various golden armbands and leg bands on pale skin as well as the shimmering golden slip of a sleeveless dress, split from thighs to ankles.
She smiled at his shock, From me the Phoenixes have breathed life. From me Hell's Fire never cease their torment. From me the dragons never lose their fiery defence. I am the one who guides the ashes to flames and the flames to ashes.
