Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who gave good reviews. They are extremely appreciated. So Harry's a werewolf now. Will he be cured? Maybe. And what of Merlin meeting Harry? What sort of confrontation will come of that? Well, read and find out. Don't forget to review! Also, not all of these ideas are entirely mine. I got a few ideas from a story I read the other day. It's called The Elven Princess. It's on fanfiction, so it's easily accessible. . I strongly suggest reading it, though be warned, all of you virgin minded readers; the story is rated M for a good reason in one of the chapters. (I think it's chapter 10) The author is obvious talented, and is still writing it. Also, for those of you who haven't read The Lost Years of Merlin, Fincayra is a magical place, not wholly of heaven or earth. (I think I said that in one of the chapters.) Merlin spent much of his childhood there, according to T.A. Barrone, the author. The series is a very good read, and I recommend reading it sometime. Also, I regret to inform you that my post speed has slowed down somewhat. Finals are upon me, and it's getting tougher to find some free time to write, on top of practicing my cello, guitar, and Boy Scout stuff.
I'm not sure who asked this, but I try to answer my reviewers. They wanted to know why I had put so many animals in the story. They were curious as to why I haven't written much on Harry's human friends. For those of you who didn't pick up on it, the whole point of his running away was to isolate himself. This was to protect his friends. I also read a review asking about the age of Rhia. Let's say she's turning 16 in October. Well, enough yapping; on with the show! Ferretfriend.
"Harry, this is my brother, Merlin" Merlin was about Harry's age, and had hair that was black as well. In his left hand was his staff, looking much less scarred than the one Harry now clutched. Excalibur was in its sheath on his left side, and it too looked less worn, though no more magnificent. Merlin had the beginnings of a beard, and his eyes were blue, just like Elen's.
Merlin looked Harry up and down, taking in the details. HE turned to Rhia, and asked, "Who's this? Where is he from?" Rhia met Harry's eye, and grinned. "Not where brother, when." Merlin did a bit of a double take. He stared Rhia in the eye, and said, "You mean…" Rhia nodded quickly and changed the subject. She obviously didn't want to talk about it in front of Harry.
Merlin regarded him form Rhia's side, and Harry saw his eyes widen when they fell on the staff clutched in Harry's hand and the sword at his waist. "Where did you get that staff? And where did you get that sword?" Harry decided to play it cool.
"Oh, I just found the staff. A little beat up, but probably still useful. And the sword? Well, I found that too." Merlin's hand suddenly glowed with blue fire. "I am being serious. Either you tell me where you found these now, or I will use force!"
Harry put his hands up in gesture of peace, and tried to calm Merlin down. "Whoa, whoa! I get the point! No more jokes, got it. Okay, I found this place. It's like a stone temple. It's called the Gateway. Ever heard of it?" Merlin looked perplexed.
Harry sighed. "I guess that's a no. Rhia told me you're a healer." Turning to Rhia, he said, "Why don't you explain what happened?" Rhia complied, and repeated the grim tale. By the time she had finished, Merlin's face was grim. Turning to Harry, he said, "I don't know how to cure werewolf bites, but I know someone who might. It will be dangerous, though."
Harry waved off the last words, and said, "No more dangerous than my being a werewolf if you two are close by on a full moon. I'll do whatever it takes." Merlin regarded him for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, I think you will do fine. Rhia, let's get ready." Rhia nodded, and they began to trek back through the trees to Arbassa.
When they reached the giant oak, Rhia slipped off her shoes and stepped forward. The roots closed around her feet, embracing them as a mother embraces her child. The door opened, and they climbed up to the suspended cottage/house. Merlin chatted amiably with Elen, and Harry followed Rhia upstairs. She began gathering some items together, and started to load them into a bag.
As she did these things, Harry watched her. She moved in a most peculiar way. She walked to the other side of the room, but it was like she was gliding. She moved with an effortless grace, and her voice seemed to have a calming effect, almost like phoenix song. Her hair was a sort of dirty blond, and went well with her eyes. The thing that surprised him most was the ears. They were somewhat triangular, but slightly more pointed.
Harry sat and wondered what sort of race she could belong to. Up until now, he had thought of her as a human. But these ears were not typical to humans. He was about to ask when he spotted her carrying something. It was a longbow, and was beautifully crafted. Harry's eyes strayed to her closet, and he gasped at what he saw.
There were blades. She had two short swords, a longer sword, several throwing knives, a curved sword, and huge sword hat looked like it would take two hands to wield. She turned to ask him something, but noticed his staring. She followed his gaze, and saw him staring at her collection.
He turned to her, and gasped out, "Are you what I think you are?" Rhia smiled at him. "That depends. What do you think I am?" Harry voiced his theory. "Are you an elf?" Rhia gave her bell-like laughter, and said, "Oh, so close. Well, I guess I am part elf. Well, mostly elf. It's more like 7/8 elf and 1/8 human. The human is from Elen. I think Merlin got more of the human chromosomes. You see, this place, Avalon, and all of its inhabitants except maybe the giants are at least part elf. My father, a person named Stangmar, was a dark elf. I did, however, learn the ways of the good elves from Arbassa."
Harry digested all of this, and smiled. "Cool. I've read some about elves over the summer, and I find your culture fascinating. I've read all about your unfortunate history with the wizards in the Middle Ages. Elven warriors are said to have been greatly feared among their enemies. So, do you know much about combat?"
Rhia thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I know how to use all the things in my closet. I'll tell you their names later. My favorites are the two short swords and the longbow. I know how to fight hand to hand, but I prefer to use my weapons, and usually have at least one of them with me. Maybe I can teach you some time."
Harry's face lit up. "Yeah, that would be great! I'd love to learn how to fight. But I suppose your brother is waiting for us. We'd better go." Rhia nodded in agreement, and finished packing her bag. Harry stuck his hands in his pocket, more to prevent them from fidgeting then anything. It came as a welcome shock when he felt his trunk in his pocket. He must have shrunken it, and put a featherweight charm on it.
Harry followed Rhia back downstairs, and saw Merlin talking to Elen. He looked grim, and was speaking in a low tone. He suddenly stopped speaking when he saw Harry enter. Harry saw that Merlin too had a pack, and he had a bow slung around his shoulders. Merlin smiled briefly at Harry, and hoisted his pack.
Rhia walked forward, and Harry followed. The three of them left Arbassa, and began to journey northeast. After about an hour, they took a water break. While Rhia and Merlin were talking, Harry suddenly remembered. He had left the animals behind! He thought about going back, but instead pulled out his Ocarina. He saw Rhia tug on Merlin's sleeve, pointing at the instrument.
He raised the blue flute-like tool to his lips, and began to play. The melody was that of the Beast Keeper's Song. The effect was instantaneous. He heard the wind whistling, whipping up his robes. Scanning the horizon, he saw the familiar silhouettes of his friends. He turned to look at Merlin and Rhia.
Rhia had her eyes closed, and was apparently letting the magic of the music course through her. According to his book, those elves that were magically talented were extremely aware of the magic around them. Perhaps there was more to Rhia than even she knew.
Merlin, on the other hand, was staring at the fast approaching figures. He was trying to identify them, and his hand was fingering the handle of his sword. Harry shook his head at him, and said, "Don't bother; they're friends." Merlin's hand moved away from the handle a bit, but he still looked apprehensive.
As they zoomed even closer, Harry could distinguish the different animals. To the right was Godric, looked amazed at what was happening. To Godric's left, Harry could see Mira. She looked like she was enjoying the ride. Moving further down the line, he saw Silver. Silver looked like a cub on Christmas. (Get it? Cub/Kid? Oh, just forget it.) He was forming various ramps of ice, and using the momentum to jump off. He would do various tricks in the air, and always landed on another ice ramp.
Continuing even further, he saw Hohn. Hohn seemed to be enjoying the ride, and appeared to be deep in conversation with Sacri the snake. As they landed, Silver growled enthusiastically. Let's do that again! Harry couldn't help but smile. Merlin just looked at him. "So, uh, these animals are your friends, Harry?"
Harry nodded while stroking Silver's smooth fur, and spoke over the steady purring. "Yup. This overgrown cat is called Silver." Silver raised an eyebrow, and Harry quickly stroked his fur again. Silver had apparently decided to forgive him, and went back to purring.
With his other hand, Harry waved at Godric. "This is Godric. He's a" But Harry was cut off. Merlin spoke under his breath. "Wow, a griffin! How on earth did you earn its trust? I tried to become friends with a griffin once, and had to give it my lunch before it would let me walk away." Harry smirked. "Well, Godric here was locked in a cage for a good three hundred years. When I got to house where he was being imprisoned, I let him out. He's been following me, despite my attempts to get rid of him." At this, Godric half scowled and half laughed. The result looked so funny that everyone burst out laughing, even Mira.
Godric walked over to Merlin, letting him pet his head. While this was going on, Harry continued with his introductions. He pointed at the large, scaly dragon, and said, "This is Mira. She's a dragon, as you can see. She's a-…" He turned to Merlin. "Wait a moment; could you tell me if Sweden exists yet?" Merlin thought about it, and said, "Well, no country's official name is Sweden, but I know that a country to the north of Britannica is often called that for a nickname." Okay then! Mira is a Swedish Short Snout Dragon."
Turning to Mira, he growled, "Go on, Mira! Give us a little demonstration!" Mira obliged, and shot a jet of blue fire into the air. It re-evaporated a condensing cloud, turning it back into what vapor. Merlin looked impressed, and Rhia let out a soft wow. Mira landed again, and folded her great wings.
Harry turned to Sacri, who appeared in a trance. The snake came out of it, and hissed at Harry. You need something of me? Harry nodded, and hissed back. "Yes, I do. I would like you to show my friends your powers when I ask you to." Sacri nodded, and resumed his trance, though Harry could tell he was listening for a command.
Harry turned to Merlin and Rhia, and said, "This is Sacri. Sacri is a basilisk." Upon seeing Merlin's distrustful look, he said, "Don't worry, he can control his eyes. He can do all sorts of stuff too." Turning to Sacri, he hissed, "Now." Sacri nodded and began his talent show.
First, he swelled to over fifty feet ion length. When he did, Rhia let out a small scream, but quickly composed herself, looking embarrassed. Sacri shrunk down to his normal size, and then shrunk to the size of an inchworm. He returned to his original state, and began to tunnel. He was an extremely fast digger, and had, in a few seconds, tunneled behind Merlin and Rhia. They both spun around, and laughed when they saw Sacri trying to move a huge boulder with his nose. He finally got fed up, and melted it with his venom.
Harry gave a hiss, and Sacri slithered over to him, curling around his arm. Harry began to introduce the last member of his little party. "Well, last but not least is Hohn." Hohn fluttered down onto his shoulder, and trilled serenely. About time, Harry. I thought you had forgotten me. Harry quickly trilled back. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to exclude you. Tell you what, here's your reward for waiting." With that, Harry summoned a plate of some of Hohn's favorite herbs.
While Hohn was eating, Harry explained a little about him. "Well, Hohn is a phoenix. He's extremely loyal, and makes for a very good messenger. The truly miraculous thing about phoenixes is their life-spans. They live for about ten years before they die, but when they do, they are reborn. So basically, they never die. Neat, huh?"
Rhia nodded enthusiastically, but Merlin said, "What did you do earlier, when you made that noise? Were you talking to it?" Harry nodded, but said, "Hohn might be a phoenix, but doesn't mean you should call him 'it'. He has feelings too, you know. Besides," he said, flashing a cheeky grin. "Hell hath no fury like a phoenix insulted." They all laughed at that one, including Hohn.
When they had stopped laughing, Merlin's face went to serious mode again. "Well, we'd better be going. We still have a while to go." And so they left. They had left the forest now, and were hiking through some plains. As they walked, Rhia and Merlin were questioning Harry.
"So, Harry; what's the future like?" Harry thought about it, and said, "Really confusing. We're in the middle of a war. There's this evil wizard, and he's just wreaking havoc on society, killing whenever hew wants to. And I'm on the top of his death list." Merlin apparently had the same curiosity as Rhia. "Why's he trying to kill you so badly? You're not that old. Speaking of which, how old are you, anyway?"
Harry said, "Oh, I turn sixteen next week, actually. And as to the dark wizard, oh, I forgot to tell you his name! Well he goes by Lord Voldemort, but his real name is Tom Riddle. But since he's so evil, people just call him You-Know-Who. I think it's really stupid, but then again, I survived where others didn't. You see, when I was about a year old, Voldemort attacked my parents and me. He killed my dad first, and then tried to kill me. My mum sacrificed herself to try to save me, and she did, in a way. Her sacrifice enabled an ancient charm, which prevented anyone form harming me. The killing curse Voldemort used rebounded upon him, and he was forced to flee, bodiless, and less than even the weakest ghost."
Rhia and Merlin exchanged looks again, and Harry asked, "Why d you two keep looking at each other like that? I know you're hiding something from me, but I don't know what." Merlin spoke for both of them, saying, "You are correct. We are hiding something from you, but can not tell you what it is yet. Believe us when we say, when the time is right, you will know." Harry saw the determined look in their eyes, and knew it was pointless to pursue the information, so he let it be.
Harry was watching Rhia again, his eyes fixated upon her ears. She noticed him staring at her ears, and wiggled them back and forth. He burst out laughing, and took about a minute to control himself. When he had stopped laughing, he mused out loud. "Wish I had ears like that…" He suddenly slapped his forehead. Rhia chuckled briefly, and watched him screwing up his face.
All of a sudden, his ears began to lengthen. They became all pointy and elf-like. Harry's sense of hearing almost tripled. He could hear things like the wings of a mosquito, and a leaf hitting the ground. Rhia gasped, and Merlin had a look of shock on his face. Turning to them, he said, "What are you guys staring at?"
Rhia pointed at his new ears, and said, "How did you do that?" Harry pointed at his ears. "Oh, these? Didn't I tell you guys? I'm a metamorphmagi." At their blank stares he explained. "A metamorphmagi is someone who can change their appearance at will." He drove the point home by changing his hair to a vivid lime green color. Merlin laughed and Rhia made a face. "Ugh, lime green! Change it back, please." Harry chuckled, and returned his hair to its normal form; jet black and stubbornly untidy.
The sun was beginning to set, and they were bathed in an orange light. Merlin stopped and turned to the others. "Why don't we rest here tonight? It's a good spot." Harry looked around, and saw that it was indeed a good place for camp. Rhia walked by a tree, and let out a gasp. "Merlin, this is where we ran into Stangmar a couple of years ago!" Merlin looked around. "Are you sure? It looks like a normal hill to me."
Rhia knelt by the tree. "Yes, I'm positive. Look! Here are the shards from the Orb of Fire!" Merlin knelt down and examined the shards. "Yes, this is the spot." Harry, who was thoroughly confused, said, "I'm sorry, but what are you guys talking about?" Rhia pointed at the shards. "Those were once part of something called the Orb of Fire. It had the power to heal the spirit and inspire courage in others."
Harry knelt down next to her, and picked up the shards. Rhia and Merlin shot a glance at each other and waited with baited breath. Making sure he had all of the shards, he closed them tightly in his hands, until the sharp points cut and he started to bleed. His lips moved, and he muttered, "Reparo!" He opened his bloodied hands, and saw that the Orb was back in one piece. Inside, was a tiny, orange flame. Rhia gasped, but Harry could tell that the flame would die without help. He threw his entire magical energy, his entire soul behind his attempt, and felt his magical aura flare. Merlin and Rhia both gasped, and backed up, for what looked like a green fire had enveloped Harry. His aura returned to its original state, and he held out the Orb. Inside was a roaring green fire.
The look that passed between Merlin and Rhia was far too obvious to miss, and Harry asked, "Will you two please tell me what's going on? What was that look for?" Rhia sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, Harry, but we can't tell you yet. When you are ready, you will know." Harry sighed, and said, "Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay." Rhia looked extremely upset. "It's not that we don't want to tell you! We just can't!" Harry sighed and held out the new Orb. "I understand. Here, I want you to have this."
She took the Orb from his hands, and felt its fire warm her entire body. She gazed at it for a moment, and then threw her arms around Harry's neck, hugging him tightly. Harry looked, no he WAS shocked, but he gently hugged her back. She let go of him, and examined the Orb again. She gave it to Merlin, who examined it carefully. While Merlin was looking it over, Rhia turned back to Harry, and asked breathlessly, "How did you do that?"
Harry looked pretty shocked himself, and said, "Well, I know how I fixed the glass, but I have know idea how I did that fire thing. It was weird. I just felt as if something deep inside of me had been awakened. I have no idea how or why that happened." Merlin gave the Orb back to Rhia, and said, "Its powers have been restored alright, but they're stronger than they were before." Rhia hooked onto her belt, and gazed into its green depths, lost in thought.
Godric, who apparently thought the moment was becoming too heavy, chose that moment to say loudly, "What's a griffin got to do to get dinner in this joint?" Everyone burst out laughing, even Mira. Harry, after he had stopped chuckling, asked everyone what they wanted to eat. He conjured up the food, and Mira started a fire for them to cook on. Within half an hour, they were all munching happily on different meals. Mira was eating a large, roast ox, and drinking from a giant goblet made out of stone that Harry had conjured for her. Godric had a sheep, and a similar goblet. Sacri had a basket full of assorted rodents, and Hohn had his usual plateful of herbs. Silver was sharing a small goat with Harry, and had his own water. Merlin was eating some ham with a flask of something. Rhia, on the other hand, was eating a salad, with a variety of fruits she had never seen from Harry's time. She picked up a strawberry with a dubious look on her face. She tried it, and her face lit up. She quickly reached for another.
Harry tried not to laugh while he watched her sampling various fruits and veggies. He had already finished his meal, and took to perusing the stars. It always gave him a sense of calm and peace. As he looked up into the sky, he couldn't help but feel as if hundreds of eyes were winking down at him. He smiled, and watched as meteor burned up as it zipped across the sky. The moon was not full, and had started its waning cycle.
When everyone else had finished, Merlin vanished the remains. Merlin had packed a blanket, but Rhia had apparently forgotten. Harry conjured one up for her, and whistled to his animal friends. They all walked/flew/slithered to him, and they curled up against one another. Strangely enough, Godric was lying next to Mira, cuddled and looking very ungriffinish. (Author's Note: I know it's not a word, but it sounded funny.) Sacri was curled around Harry's left arm, and Hohn was perched on Harry's right shoulder, leaning against his head. Silver was curled up, and Harry put his right arm around him. They fell asleep feeling very safe and comfortable.
Rhia watched all this from underneath the blanket Harry had conjured for her. Merlin was already sleeping, and snoring loudly. She tuned him out, watching Harry and his friends. They looked so safe and content, leaning against each other, each with a slight smile on his or her face. The light from the dying fire fell softly on Harry's face, and she studied his features carefully. He looked so innocent, and yet, so troubled. He was obviously more at peace with his friends.
As she watched, he twitched slightly. His smile faded a little, and he his lips began to move. He began to twitch again, moaning. "No… Sirius…Don't go… Please, come back…No…" Her heart throbbed with sympathy, and she got up. She sat a log next to his head, gently stroking his hair, muttering, "Shhh. It's okay. It's okay, Harry. Calm down." He stopped twitching, and sunk back down onto Silver. She continued to sit there, gently rubbing his head. As the fire continued to die, she slumped down, her head resting on his left shoulder.
When Harry awoke the next morning, he looked around at his friends. They were all still asleep, and Harry gently stroked Silver. He glanced up at Hohn, perched on his shoulder, sleeping soundly. Wait, if Hohn's on that shoulder, what's on my other shoulder? He turned, and saw Rhia leaning on him. He quickly stifled the yelp that was about to leap out of his mouth. It was difficult, however. What on earth was she doing on his shoulder?
She suddenly stirred, and yawned loudly. She opened her eyes, and found herself nose to nose with a very startled looking Harry. She quickly got up, blushing furiously. After about a minute, she looked at him. "Uh, I can explain. I was trying to sleep, and I saw you twitching. I thought you must have been having a nightmare, and tried to calm you down. I guess I just fell asleep. Uh, sorry."
Harry, who still looked stunned, waved his hand. "It's okay, I don't mind." Rhia smiled, and suddenly said, "Well, you make a very good pillow." They both laughed, and as they waited for the others to awaken, talked about various things.
"So, Rhia; what was the most exciting part of growing up in the elvish culture?" Rhia thought about it, and answered, "Well, I learned a lot about combat. I never learned how to do magic, though. I don't think I can. Very few elves have the magical potential to become wizards or witches. I think it's like 3. Yeah, low, isn't it?"
Harry was puzzled by this. "Aren't all elves magical?" Rhia nodded, and said, "Well, all elves are magical and have a magic around them, but very few can control it. For others, it's more commonly viewed as an elves natural blessing. The few exceptional can control and channel that 'blessing'."
Harry absorbed this information, and posed another question. If she was going to pound him with questions, he was going to have his revenge. "So how old are you? Don't elves live forever?" Rhia smiled, and said, "No, elves don't live forever. We used to, but lost the right due to the corruption of a warrior elf. Now we just age much slower than normal humans, but that's only due to the magical blessing all elves have. Me, I'm actually pretty young on elvish standards. In human standards, I'm only fifteen. I turn sixteen in September."
Harry absorbed all of this like a sponge, and walked over to her bag. Lying across the top of it was her elven longbow. Hi picked it up and examined it. "So, what is this thing?" The bow was made out of a light colored wood, with silver vines snaking their way around the wood. He also saw intricate silver runes running down the bow, and asked, "Is this Elvish?"
Rhia picked up her bow, and said, "Yes, it is. It talks about my character. You see, according to elven tradition, when an elf comes of age, or is old enough to carry a weapon, they must make it themselves." Upon seeing Harry's mouth open, she said, "The elven age is thirteen. This is why many elves carry bows. Bows are easier to make, and not quite as bulky for travel. You see, most elves start with the bow. Another tradition is that of weapon mastery. There is no such thing as halfway learning a skill in the elven culture. An elf is required to master their first weapon before they begin to learn with another. An elf is also forbidden to posses any weapon he or she has not mastered."
Harry looked skeptical. "But you had all those weapons back in Arbassa." Rhia nodded, and realization dawned on Harry. "You mean… You- You've mastered all of those weapons?" Rhia nodded, and Harry was at a loss for words. All he could say was whoa. Rhia pulled an arrow out of her quiver and said, "Could you conjure me up a target?" Harry complied immediately, creating a large wooden archery target, complete with scoring rings.
Rhia notched the arrow to her bowstring, and pulled it back. In the instant that she was lining up her shot, time seemed to slow down. She pulled the string further back, and the bow seemed less like a bow than part of her. She let the arrow fly, and it whistled through the early morning air, stopping with a thump, quivering dead center in target. She turned and smirked at Harry.
Just then, Merlin began to stir. He was beginning to wake up, and as he did, Harry heard Silver growl out a sleepy yawn. Hohn had been awake since Harry had, due of course to his movements. Sacri too was awake, and searching for a morning mouse. Hohn had found a thyme bush, and was chowing down. Silver got, and stretched in an extremely cat-like manner. Godric and Mira were beginning to wake up too, and Harry began to conjure up some munchies.
Harry and Rhia finished their breakfasts earlier than the rest, and talked as the semi-awake animals and human ate. "So, what's so special about that Orb thing? I mean, you said it had magical powers, but plenty of things are magical." Rhia began to explain what made the Orb of Fire so unique.
"Well, remember how I said this place was once called Fincayra?" Harry nodded, and she continued. "Well, this was one of its treasures. There are several others, like the Flowering Harp, or the Caller of Dreams. Each has its own unique power. You see, about a couple of years ago, we were on the dawn of a tremendous fight, and this land was still called Fincayra, several ominous things happened that had to do with the Treasures of Fincayra. The Orb of Fire was broken by Stangmar, the Flowering Harp's strings snapped, the Caller of Dreams cracked, and the Key, which is one of the Seven Wise Tools, lost its power."
Harry committed this to memory, and absentmindedly fingered Rhia's bow. The others finished their eating, and they prepared to leave. Merlin pulled out a map, and showed Harry where they were going to go. "It's a good day's walk from here, assuming we don't rake many breaks." Harry had an idea, and said, "I have a better idea." They both looked at him, and Merlin asked, "What?"
For his answer, Harry pulled out his Ocarina. He was a little nervous, never having tried this song before, but the others had worked, hadn't they? He raised it to his lips and began to play the Ballad of the Gales. A fierce wind swept through the camp, lifting them off of the ground. Rhia looked surprised, but quickly began to enjoy herself. Merlin looked bewildered, and was clutching his staff and trying to keep his balance.
The winds brought them back down to the ground, and faded. Merlin looked around, and said, "Well, we're where we wanted to be. Nice trick, Potter." Harry grinned cheekily at him, and said, "Thanks. First time I've ever tried that one." They all laughed, and Merlin looked around. Harry did the same, and noticed for the first time that they were in a marsh. It smelled terrible, and was eerily silent. Merlin saw a light, and started toward it. They followed, and found themselves standing in front of what looked like a flaming tree. Merlin waved his staff, and a key appeared beyond the reach of the fire, and floated down to them. Merlin grabbed it and examined it. He then passed it to Harry.
Harry looked at it, noting the way the metal was strangely dull. This must have been the key Rhia had described. It was about the size of a ham, a golden color, and had a sapphire encrusted in the handle. As he took the key, Harry felt something within him stir.
His hands gripped the key tightly, and an unseen wind blew his hair about. He didn't know what was happening, but at the next moment, had begun to glow yet again. The key flashed in the light he was radiating, and the sapphire changed to a rich emerald. When the glow faded, the key was shining brightly, as if it under the sun, yet no sun shone upon it. Rhia gasped again, and Merlin just shook his head in amazement.
"What… What just happened?" Merlin looked highly amused, and said, "If you don't know, then neither do I. I suppose you did the same thing with the Orb of Fire." He took the Key from Harry, and looked it over. "Yup. There's no doubt about it. The Key's power has been restored." He suddenly smiled, and said, "C'mon, follow me." Rhia looked like she understood, but Harry said, "Where are we going?" Merlin smiled, and said, 'To visit a friend."