Catcher

A/N; I am really, really sorry for the huge delay. What more can I say? I warn you though this chapter has a really bad cliffy at the end. I've finally got a bit of time on my hands though so I should be able to get the next chapters up for the other two stories soon and then the conclusion to this one. As a semi apology I've made this chapter almost twice the length as my average for this story as in instead of 2500 it is 4500! This story is now around 72,500 words!

Chapter 27; The Sinking City

Harry's response had been immediate, at his orders pennants had flown up the aft mast of the Burning Wind to signal the Avrilon that they were to go on Alert and prepare for departure. To his surprise the small motor-torpedo boats based at Fort Merlin hoisted similar flags and Harry could make out that they were planning to answer his call.

Harry wasn't at all surprised when the Wizards made themselves scarce and decided that they would have to be talked into helping in any skirmishes in the future.

Just as the Elvish sails had been set Matt spoke, "Do you want me to recall Kalia?"

"Not right now Matt, she might as well continue her hunt, can you recall the others though, they might come in handy." Harry responded as he saw one of the motor torpedo boats pull up alongside the Burning Wind.

"Sure Harry, I will have them meet us when we exit the portal."

Harry turned and walked down to the midship's railing and caught sight of General Granger on the open bridge of the motor-torpedo boat five feet below his own gunwhales. It was obvious that the man wanted to say something to him so Harry grabbed the railing with one hand and vaulted overboard and landed with a satisfying clunk on the metal deck of the Muggle Boat.

"General," he nodded to the man after he had straightened up and turned to face him, "Did you need something?" As he listened to the response he told Matt to steer the ship towards the rendezvous point through his link and was satisfied when the great wooden ship creaked around away from his current boat.

"Yes, our satellites picked up a fleet of what looks like ships similar to your own converging on a single point in the Atlantic Ocean, we were just about to mention it to you when you hoisted your own Alert Flags so we are going with you. If you would take us with you through the portals. Also HMS Nottingham, HMS Exeter and HMS Kent are stationed off Lands End and if you wish for their aid then we could make a brief detour to there to pick them up and use a portal to take them with us."

Harry was delighted to have the Muggle aid and their information and agreed to take the detour.

"Also two Trident Submarines are in the general vicinity and will make their way there as soon as they can and join in the fight when they reach it."

"Thank you General, have your ships follow the Avrilon through the portal, I will take the Burning Wind to pick up the Destroyers and Frigate." Harry turned sterner briefly, "I assume I do not need to remind you not to under estimate this enemy, they may be slightly more primitive than yourself but they are still powerful and I do not know to what extent they have assimilated the Wizarding population and you have no defence against either their canon fire and any Magic they may have."

"Of course Harry, I will take you words seriously. Instruct the Destroyers to keep out of range but do everything they can."

Harry then turned into his Leprano form, complete with fire and lightning and sprung off from the deck and flew steadily back to the Burning Wind, and explained the change in orders after he had returned to human form.

He turned his attention out across the water as he started to pull magic from around Hogwarts to create the two portals and as he saw two growing discs of black forming he heard a watery voice in his mind.

'My Lord Catcher, it is I, Caliver. The Leviathans have already responded to the fleet of Kristoshian Ships as we were already watching their coast lines and docks. There are fifteen ships remaining, ranging from twenty gun sloops and fire ships to eighty gun Frigates. There is also a one hundred gun Battleship similar to your own in design.' Harry nodded mentally to prompt his Leviathan representative to continue, 'The City of Atlantis is trying to defend itself but its weapons were destroyed early on by a burst of magic that heated the water significantly. We can no longer reach the City's sides as the water burns us. The Sea Dragons however are not hampered and are not being harmed much by enemy fire.'

Harry had by this point completed the two portals and he lost the connection with Caliver briefly as his own ship passed through the portal and reappeared off the coast of Lands End. They were close enough to shore that he could see locals staring from the cliffs at the Ghost Ship that had just appeared out of a glowing black portal.

"Three Ships on starboard beam!" Came a yell from the mast tops. Harry turned and took in the size of the two Destroyers and the single frigate between them with a grin.

"Signal the Ships that they are to follow us through the next portal and are to keep their distance from the enemy on encountering them."

After he got an affirmative from his signalman he concentrated on his next portal. He knew that the Avrilon would already be in the fight along with the Muggles and Leviathans and didn't want to waste another minute.

'What of the Atlantians?' he spoke to Caliver.

'I think most must be dead my lord. The domes are in flames but their ships are fighting effectively still. They have sunken five of the original twenty ships that sailed here.'

'We will be there momentarily.'

As he said this he lost contact again as the Burning Wind went through the Portal first. As with protocol even as they came out of the portal they were already turning hard to starboard to dodge anything that had been attracted to the portal.

Harry took in the scene and thought of hell. The sky was filled with smoke from the burning ships and the two Domes of the City of Atlantis. Below the black masses of cloud sat a myriad of ships firing canons. He easily counted ten enemy ships before him and another five of their fire ships wrecked against the City's domes.

"Captain! Open fire on their largest ships!" He yelled over the din of cannon fire from the other ships.

A salvo of forty-five cannon balls flew into the air as Harry turned his attention to his allies. They weren't doing to badly, the three Altantian ships were still functioning though many of their sails were ripped and many of the cannons were destroyed. They now mingled with the Muggle boats and the Avrilon and stood their ground.

He saw the Motor-Torpedo boats turn toward the enemy and he noticed ten streams of bubbles leave the five boats bows and speed across through the water. Harry watched as the enemy ships slowly turned hoping to dodge the torpedoes but they were obviously too slow as Harry watched three fifty-cannon ships explode in flames and debris and slowly sink below the water.

"Sir, there is an eighty-cannon and the hundred-cannon ship missing from the fight!" shouted a lookout.

Even as the Elf shouted it Harry heard a volley of over ninety cannon shells being launched from his left. He knew there target even before they struck the side of his ship. The Burning Winds Captain had already issued commands to turn the ship to engage the two that had ambushed them so many of the shots missed them but Harry and Matt had to flatten themselves to the ground as over fifty shells turned the upper deck of the Burning Wind into chaos.

Even as he stood, pulling Matt with him, he heard that revenge had already been dealt. Whilst the enemy ships had been launching their attack on the Burning Wind the three Destroyers had gotten a lock on them and as the cannon balls had hit Harry's ship they had fired.

Harry stared at the explosions on the two ships. The eighty-cannon ship had been utterly destroyed but the hundred-cannon ship still sailed, albeit extremely lopsided. It seemed, Harry thought, that they did have magic protecting at least that ship. Those shell blasts would have utterly destroyed anything that they turned their guns against.

"Signal the Destroyers to engage the larger mass of ships!" He ordered the signalman before turning to the Captain. "Close with that ship, try to take it rather than sink it. We need information on them!"

"Aye, My Lord!" The Captain then turned to issue more orders to crew members.

It was five minutes before they reached the enemy ship, but by then the battle was more or less over. The remainder of the enemy ships had either been sunk or captured. Two had surrendered once a destroyer was too close and seeing as they were almost the same height with no masts it had been a wise decision on the enemy's part. Another two had been captured by a Royal Marine force from HMS Exeter and the other by the Avrilon and its Elvish fighters. Still there were small fights on those two ships.

Just when the Burning Wind was approaching the crippled ship a great cracking sound was heard from Atlantis and to everyone's horror they saw the two ornate domes sink slightly on their pylons before they slips sidewards off of their crippled supports and into the water. Lights began to flash anew inside the domes and sirens could be heard as windows were thrown open on all floors and people were seen either clambering up to the tops or sliding down into the water below them.

Harry shook himself from the scene as he noticed that they were now alongside the enemy Battleship. "All fighters board her, leave the leader to me!" He yelled and the Elvish fighters snapped back to reality from the scene of a dying city in front of them and soon a full scale war was being fought across the deck of the Enemy Ship. Harry turned to Matt as he pulled out his Katana and charged it with Lightning. "Coming Matsue?" He asked with a playful smirk and jumped across to the Enemy Ship to dodge his friend's staff.

The quarter deck of the enemy ship was empty when he landed on it just aft of the helm and his confusion increased as he noticed that the Elves in the waist of the ship were equally alone. He looked around at the bare ship as Matt landed gracefully beside him. He took in the damage done by the shells from the two Destroyers; Exeter and Nottingham, and the Frigate; Kent. Matt whispered his conclusion even as he realised it.

"No dead!" His voice shook slightly with uncertainty and he looked at Matt, "but the fighting we saw?"

Harry immediately opened his Crysti senses and saw the weak shimmering of a dome rising up from the gunwhales. And it clicked.

"A Trap!" He yelled, as he recognised the signature of an illusion. "Return to the ship!" Even as he said it he was pulling all the boarders into the air in a sickening jerk making his order pointless as none of the Elves had a choice in the matter.

The Burning Wind was already bracing its yard to catch the wind and Harry swept his hand down to his right and slightly behind him so it was pointing between the two ships Sterns and then slide his hand forwards and up like a tennis player's front-swing. A blue trail was left dripping behind his hand and the Burning Wind shudder and leaned towards the other ship as a sudden huge current swept the hull away from the enemy's illusion that still showed fighting in the waist.

Even with the quick actions though they had still fallen for the trap and it had slammed shut on them catching their fingers in the metaphorical bear trap. The one hundred gun ship exploded in a fifty metre high fireball and Harry was too slow to erect more than a weak shield. However the damage was done, flames and shrapnel exploded across the deck killing many. Harry's magic acted on its own to protect himself and Matt but the Elves had no such protection. Many were quick enough to dive behind objects that offered a little protection whilst others either threw themselves off the opposite side of the ship or were flung that way by the force of the explosion.

Harry dragged himself to his feet after what felt like an age and in his slightly deafened and blinded state used his Crysti ability to view the area, taking in the bare masts of the Burning Wind devoid of all but two of its yards where the burning remnants of sails burned almost cheerfully. The masts, wreathed as they were by flaming sail debris floating down, were cracked and warped by the blast and the ships ghostly appearance had failed. Harry could hear the ship itself groaning in pain as its magic slowly leaked away.

What really caught Harry's attention though were six fluctuations in the magic around the ship.

"Oh God Matt, look at this!" He didn't have to explain to Matt what he meant, and he felt Matt's mind slide closer to his and could sense Matt looking through his eyes.

"What are they?" He whispered.

"I think they're ships!" Harry said back and saw some of the crew shoot upright around the Quarter deck where they had previously been tending to wounded or recovering themselves. "Six of them!"

"Guns!" Captain 'Lord' Balakay shouted down the ship and not thirty seconds later a muffled respond came back that Harry couldn't make out. Balakay turned to Harry and Matt and winced visibly. "We have twenty guns remaining ready for use. All deck guns and starboard guns are gone. We have ten per deck on port side on the middle and lower deck."

"Where's the rest of the fleet?" Harry asked as he looked around taking in the closing forms of the six ships that had surrounded the Burning Wind. He could see another dome around them but only worked out what it did when he was told that they couldn't see the fleet or for that matter the domes.

"I'm guessing that the fleet can't see us either?" Matt nodded at Harry's question. "Captain? I'm going to destroy their illusions. When I do fire all of the port guns at the nearest ship and send up the distress flares. I don't intend to go without a fight and they have yet to be properly introduced to the Heir of Magic."

After the preparations were complete the net had closed so that the hidden ships were only two hundred and fifty metres away on all sides. Harry saw the signal from the Captain and grabbed hold of the Magic around him and violently wrenched all of it into him. He smirked as he felt numerous Wizards collapse, dead before they hit the deck, as their magic was drained from their bodies and the spells collapsed with it.

Harry then flung his arms outwards and the newly revealed ships were blasted by a huge wave of magic that snapped many a bowsprit and mast and flung many unaware sailors from their decks. He followed the brief trails of red light as four flares were sent into the air and listened as twenty guns below his feet launched iron missiles into the nearest ship.

HMS Kent

HMS Kent was a newly built Type 23 Frigate. As such she weighed just short of 5000 tonnes, was 130 metres long by just over 16 metres wide. Her crew of 185 could make the ship fire against other ships, aircraft and even weapons aimed against her allies, but mostly she was perfect for plucking enemy submarines out of the ocean. Unfortunately most of her anti-ballistics and anti-submarine technology was useless in a battle like this and the only weapons getting a real work out were her close quarters weapons and her 4.5 inch deck gun.

Her Captain, Peter Dowlrey, watched as a three second blast from the HMS Exeter's 20mm Phalanx splintered the masts and rigging of the last fighting enemy ships. The 150 bullets fired in so shorter time managed to completely cripple her ability to sail and therefore fight and he smiled as her ensign was brought down.

The battle was over. He turned to his executive officer, "Assess damage to us, then move to pick up any Atlantian survivors." As an afterthought he continued, "And report to the Burning Wind and General Granger that all enemies are accounted for and that the battle is over."

The ship had barely begun to turn towards the domes along with the other ships when he heard his radar men report that the Burning Wind had disappeared from their radars. The communications officer had not been able to get a link and had asked radar. His reaction made many jump in the bridge.

"Port lookout!" He yelled out the bridge door that led to the open wings to either side. "Find me the Burning Wind!"

Ten seconds later the reply came back "Captain, I can't find it, it was there two minutes ago but all the is over there now is smoke."

The Captain turned back to his Executive officer, "Get me General Granger!"

Not five seconds later the General's response came over the loudspeaker. "This is General Granger, what's the problem Captain Dowlrey?"

Peter responded as soon as the static had cleared knowing that it would automatically transmit anything said in the bridge now. "We've lost contact with the Burning Wind. Our lookouts had her but she's gone now from both radar and sight."

There was a pause where, Peter knew, the General checked his own systems. Then after a few seconds the General's voice came back over the speaker.

"All ships, this is General Granger, All other MTB's are to collect survivors with the Alantian ships, HMS Kent, Exeter and Nottingham are to head for the last known position of the Burning Wind at half speed. HMS Kent, broadcast the last known position of the Burning Wind. Out."

Before they had completed their turn however everyone saw a cluster of ships appear almost five miles away, where they were heading, their radars blanked out as a wave of magic emanated quickly from the cluster and then four flares arced up into the air from the centre. The Kent's lookout brought his binoculars up to his eyes and then passed them to the Captain who had quickly come to his side.

He was astounded by what he saw, six ships surrounding another one, obviously the Burning Wind, what amazed him was the state of the centre ships. Its whole structure was crippled and it listed heavily over to its starboard. But it still fought on as a few cannons fired on its port side into one of the attacking ships, bringing down its main mast. Another blast flew outwards from the Burning Wind which tore apart one of the bows of an attacker which immediately settled by its bows and listed almost 45 degrees to its port. Another had lost both its masts.

He tore his eyes away and yelled over his shoulder even as he heard an order across the radio from the General, "Full speed ahead!" But he couldn't help his regret though, one that he shared with the other captain's as the MTB pulled ahead of the others. They could do nothing, the risk of hitting the Burning Wind was too much, and they couldn't fire at the attackers.

Burning Wind

Harry spared a glance at the fleet as it closed in, he knew they wouldn't fire but hopefully they would scare off the attackers. As soon as Harry's first blast had hit the attackers they had pulled hard over so that the Burning Wind was now surrounded by broadsides. The ships had sheeted out their sails and were now sitting and firing into the Burning Wind. Six ships, four were eighty's and the other two were one-hundreds. Meaning that each collective broadside threw over 240 cannon balls at the already crippled Burning Wind.

But it seemed that their attackers were drawing tired of this action as the two one-hundred gun ships set a few sails and directed their bows inwards towards Harry's ship.

"Stand by to repel boarders!" Captain Balakay shouted and instantly the remaining Elves pulled out swords and knives and went to defensible positions. Some guarded the Quarterdeck and the officers while others move to guard the hatches and new holes to the lower decks. The Captain then turned towards Harry and Matt. "We can not repel the oncoming assault My Lord's, I beg of you to flee to the Avrilon and to safety."

"That's a negative Lord Balakay." Matt answered gently, "We will fight this battle alongside you!" As if to prove himself he lifted his arms to summon his Dragons to him and the Clouds of smoke lightened briefly as he called his Lower Dragons to him.

By the time this was done Harry had convinced the Captain to allow them to stay and turned to look curiously at one of the oncoming Battleships. He started calling errant magic to him but it was becoming more difficult as he had already used the magic of the enemy Wizards and any of the wards on the enemy ships. Also he had already nearly drained the latent magic around him. This would be the last blast to be able to do any real damage so he concentrated it entirely on the nearest enemy ship that was about to come within grappling range and released the energy adding a bit of his own to help it on its way.

Most of the Elves along with Matt were thrown to the deck as the blast impacted the bows of the oncoming Battleship and blasted it apart. The shock must have travelled down the ship as the head on blast splintered the sides of the ships hull. It immediately lost momentum and the bowsprit plunged into the waves as it rapidly sunk under the debris littered Atlantic.

Retaliation was quick in coming though as the two other ships on that side got a clear shot over their sinking comrade and over seventy explosive cannon shells flew across the small gap between them. Harry through out his own magic and created a temporary shield that he shells exploded against. But it caused Harry to become so dizzy that by the time he had cleared his head the ship on the other side was already against its side.

But no people were coming over the sides. A voice however did.

"I am Lord Avastar," Harry saw Matt clench his fist around his staff at this name, and he remembered the name from his sharing of memories with Matt during their stay in the City of Magic. He had opened the gates to one of Kristoshia's Citadels allowing enemy warriors to enter and slaughter tens of thousands either whilst they slept or in the ensuing battle, including Matt's cousins and his mother's sister and brother. The voice continued, "I challenge the Lord Catcher to a duel for the decimation of my fortress in Brazil and the deaths of my Battle Division."

Harry stepped up to the railing, "Explain your demand!" not understanding the accusations.

"We know that it was you that cast the spell that idiot of a spy brought back to my fortress and it killed almost five thousand before I could defeat it. That costing me an additional two thousand troops. My Master was not pleased! And for that I seek retribution!"

Harry smirked; at least he now knew the results of his spell work. "If I win, you and your fleet will vacate this area!"

"Agreed, your death will be enough for me."

Even as this sentence was finished a man vaulted the gap between the ships almost faster then Harry could follow even with his Crysti ability. Harry gasped as the pommel of a broadsword impacted his ribs, shattering a few of his ribs, and causing him to fly backwards across the quarter deck and through the port railings and over the side.

'Harry!' Matt's shout echoed in his head and he instantly shifted into his Black Panther form and with a flick of his wings flew back up other the broken railing to face Avastar again.

'Matt stay out of this, you'll only forfeit the Duel!

Avastar moved again, and Harry only just managed to use his front claws to divert to attack, but the blade hit his left wing instead and he yelped in pain. His Leprano side came forwards in retaliation and he managed to get a swipe at Avastar's exposed left side, making a deep gasp in his shoulder before his enemy could back off from the attack.

Harry shifted to his fire form and was happy to note Avastar hesitate in his next attack. He had obviously decided against another frontal attack and instead Harry suddenly found himself facing two fast moving throwing knives that he had to twist his body to avoid.

He dodged the next few attacks but knew that his opponent was too fast for him to defeat in his Leprano form and so he shifted back to his Human form and drew his Katana and attacked as lightning crackled along the blade.

A dance began on the quarterdeck as the Elves watched on helplessly knowing that their lives were at stake. Every time the blades hit together a shot of electricity shot out across the sky and the noise was deafening. They were evenly matched though; Avastar's inhuman speed was enough to counteract Harry's vastly superior skill. Harry had his Crysti abilities open for any hint of deception but wasn't quick enough to stop what happened.

Avastar had withdrawn from the sword fight and they had started to circle each other slowly, and Harry was just starting to pull out his own store of magic when a slight nod from Avastar and then the almost simultaneous cries of the air and also from Matt through the link as he saw the deception. Harry had just started to dive out of the way of whatever the danger was when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and realised that a sharpshooter had shot him. He fell to his knees in pain, and weirdly the first thing he realised was that he had been lucky it had missed his heart, but he knew it had ruptured his right lung.

"Cheat!" He spat out at Avastar covering the deck before him in blood. Before his opponent blurred in front of him. He thought it was just his eyes failing until he felt a tug at his throat and then the deck was rushing up to meet him.

Reviews;

Shade (and numerous others); I've re-posted chapter 18, I didn't realise it had done that, my copy was fine. Must have been something I did when I uploaded it…my apologies! Thanks for pointing it out.

D3571nyBan3; Thanks for the idea, I've got a new one coming out at the beginning of the next chapter which can't accommodate that but I will definitely remember it. Thanks!

James Evans; Thanks a load, that meant a lot to me, since most of my friends were away at uni before and having fun this summer! Cheers mate!

Thanks of course to all my other reviewers. Please review again, it doesn't matter if you review every new chapter, its great to hear from all of you!