Author's Notes: I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. Maybe I'm strange, but of the fics I'm currently writing I have a very soft spot for this one. It's like my special fic because it's so different. It might not produce many reviews as average per chap, but I still love writing it. Hope the few people actually reading this keep enjoying it, even though I know it's not the usual style that readers enjoy in fics. Thanks. -bow-
Beta-read by Menecarkawan! Thanks Mene!
----Rewrote the first two paragraphs a bit. When I re-read them after a certain review I started to laugh and fixed them a little. Hope I made them a little better now.
Song: 'Blazin' Beat' by m.o.v.e (from Initial D)
Ch. 13: A Lost Duel
They journeyed over the ocean, the Disillusionment spell covering both Dianeia and Harry, but not concealing them completely. On their way Harry felt his scanner activate inside his own eyes without previous warning. It was a sudden surprise, but he stifled his gasp, avoiding alarming the others unnecessarily. A map formed in the air in front of him as a projection from his own orbs. He could see the flashing of the closest fragment and he spoke the coordinates aloud. The winged creatures understood and moved toward the indicated location, but as they approached the land they started to feel a strong chill encompassing them. Soon they had landed and there was fog and mist that diminished their eyesight. The land was very cold indeed and they didn't have the clothing required for such a place.
Soshlan, Kroy, and Dianeia recovered their human forms as soon as the others climbed down. They started their walk right away and had covered one kilometer when they found a very small town. There were merchants there and they used the opportunity to buy warm fur coats. Right after welcoming the warmth provided by the added garments they proceeded to the snow filled mountains of that country. They were about to get to the mountains when a group of at least twenty soldiers and two dark mages appeared in front of them. Harry frowned as he identified the soldiers and mages' uniforms, being reminded of the attack to the kingdom of Franya. One of the mages asked: "Are you the children from the other world?"
"Who wants to know?" Harry asked with a glare.
"The great lord Nebureth seeks an audience with you."
"Both you and I know that's a lie," Harry said with a sarcastic laugh.
"If you are not to come peacefully we will have to subdue you by force." The mage sneered.
Harry removed his sword from his scabbard and the others followed suit preparing their weapons. "SEIZE THEM!" one of the mages exclaimed and the fight started. Harry went against the soldiers swinging his sword with ease and accuracy. He was disarming every soldier without hurting any of them as these soldiers were actually human unlike the shadow men that were sent to kidnap children. Dianeia and Luna were paralyzing the unarmed soldiers while Soshlan kept knocking them with his boomerang. Nemaisse created a fog that blinded some of the soldiers and they started running not knowing where to go. Janryu easily took several down pinning them to the ground with knives and stars while Kroy imitated Janryu with very sharp scales. Neville knocked others down with very well aimed kicks and punches. In very few minutes, only the mages were left standing looking furious. Both of them united powers to create something like a summon. A spherical red and black monster with an immense mouth started to cause a vacuum effect trying to swallow them just like the one Dianeia could make, but this one was far bigger in size. Everyone tried to grab unto something trying to avoid getting swallowed.
Janryu started to growl as he was being pulled by the hole's force. His appearance started to change and he became a winged demon. Soshlan took it as a cue, invoked a sudden surge of power, and glowed before transforming into what seemed like a full fairy form. His canary yellow hair dropped and instead of looking cloud like it became straight all over his face glowing golden, but floating with the magical outburst. His insect like wings sprouted and his face changed, looking more mature instead of childish. He mounted the demon as the dark creature was able to keep itself from being swallowed and as if their minds were all connected, Nemaisse became a flowery boomerang that the fairy held firmly. He created an inmense power surge in his new form that he introduced into the flowery boomerang. They went against the vacuum and Soshlan threw the glowing boomerang causing it to hit some glowing parts of the big hole without getting swallowed, at the same time the demon shot dark blue beams from its eyes and opened muzzle at the same parts the boomerang had just hit. Soshlan drew the boomerang back like a magnet and it lost its form becoming a very worn out Nemaisse in his arms.
The force of the vacuum was weakening and Luna summoned Bijon. The giant eagle produced very strong thunderbolts that electrified the hole monster weakening it even more. At that Neville started to shoot the same spots that had been hit by the plant boomerang with his guns and Harry and Dianeia created waves of light that they threw to the inside of the vacuum. Right after the waves Kroy sent some illuminated scales to the inside of the vacuum and yelled: "TAKE COVER!"
They all spread to different sides and the hole exploded. When they placed their eyes on the area the two dark mages were gone and even the trapped and unconscious soldiers had disappeared. Kroy looked at demon Janryu, who was regaining his human form, and then at Soshlan. He frowned at Soshlan: "Is this the first time you've taken that form?"
Soshlan nodded and tried to transform back, but couldn't. "I can't go back..."
"You can do it. Try to do it gradually. Come on!" Kroy fixed his eyes on the elven fairy.
The glittery fairy closed his eyes and little by little returned to his childlike normal form with hair that looked fluffed as in a cloud effect. "I did it!" He jumped happily and then started to fly around with his transparent wings that looked like a dragonfly's.
"This is bad," Dianeia stated.
Kroy confirmed the words gaining strange looks from the children. "Very bad."
Both Dianeia and Kroy were looking at the elf-fairy. "What's bad? What did I do?"
"What we saw was probably your approximate adult form. You children are trying to evolve too fast and it's dangerous to do that! If my memory doesn't fail me you said you were not yet sixteen? You weren't supposed to be able to take that form!" Dianeia looked honestly concerned about Soshlan, but turned to Nemaisse. "Are you a shape changer?"
Nemaisse shook her head. "Not exactly. I can only turn into objects made of plants and it's limited. Turning into that boomerang was too much for me and that worsened with the energy boost Soshlan added. It's better if I transform into flowers, trees, or things that really have to do with nature rather than artificial objects. At that moment it was like our minds had become one and Soshlan's boomerangs wouldn't have been able to connect with the hit points without getting swallowed. He needed a boomerang with a conscience or something like that. Holding back was also hard work. For a second I thought I would be swallowed."
"If you had been swallowed you would be another child in the dark lord's den," Kroy said softly while looking at the ground. "That's what the monster hole they create does. When the dark lord started to capture children for the first time they took them by numbers with that method."
Harry looked pensive. He didn't know how he had produced that wave of light that he knew was weak holy magic. He bit his lower lip thinking about it, but then spoke to the others: "Let's go. We have a fragment to get."
XxXxX
They started to climb through the mountainous area, fighting the cold weather that wanted to consume them. It was difficult to keep the pace as they kept getting higher and higher. At some point, it was difficult to breathe, but they kept going until they reached the peak of one of the mountains. Harry could see that the fragment was there through the scanner that had become part of him. "It's here," he said with difficulty.
Neville felt that it called to him. He accelerated his pace surpassing his companions until he reached the point where the white fragment floated at the top of that mountain. He extended his hand towards it and it neatly floated into his palm and entered it. He glowed and shivered as a cold sensation took him, but then he started to feel warm. "It's the ice summon. Her name is Skadi, like the Norse goddess." Neville almost beamed.
Harry looked closely at his fellow Gryffindor and considered that the Neville that would go back to Hogwarts was not going to be the same Neville as before. He was sure Luna was changing too and of course, he himself was changing.
They started their climb down the mountain and halfway down, an ice dragon came flying and stationed itself in front of them roaring madly. It sent an ice beam that surprised them. Nemaisse, Soshlan, and Janryu had no time to dodge the surprise attack and were turned into ice statues.
Dianeia used her rod to produce a flametongue, but the dragon dissipated it easily. It attacked her with ice shards that came from its body and even though she created a shield in front of her, some of the shards pierced her arms, shoulders, and thighs through the warm fabric that covered her. She started to freeze immediately as the shards invaded her body, entering it. The dragon breathed another ice beam towards Luna, but Neville tried to repel it with a flame shield in vain, as he stood in front of Luna. Both were turned into ice statues.
Kroy produced some scales and set them ablaze before throwing them at the dragon, but the creature was extremely powerful and repelled the scales. It sent an ice beam at Kroy, but Kroy produced a very effective shield with his scales that managed to reject most of the beam, but part of it wasn't blocked and got in contact with Kroy's skin. Like Dianeia, Kroy started to freeze little by little. All the time Harry had been trying to summon Fenghuang in vain. For some reason he was having problems with summoning. He wasn't sure if he was even compatible anymore ever since the evolving process. He tried to create a powerful fire sphere and sent it against the ice dragon. It barely scratched it and the dragon retaliated with ice shards. Harry created his pentagon shield by swinging his sword in front of him with amazing speed. One shard broke through his left boot and entered his ankle. Harry could feel the sensation of the ice coming upwards to completely freeze his body.
A white light appeared out of nowhere and Harry yelled a name: "ANGELUS!"
The mysterious rescuer had appeared once again and he was like a flash hitting the dragon in several areas with a flaming staff. The dragon seemed confused trying to locate the attacker to no avail. Angelus used his fiery staff to char both of the dragon's eyes and the creature howled terribly at the loss. Angelus then turned to Harry: "Use the phoenix!"
"I can't!" Harry said in a desperate voice. His legs had already become ice.
"Yes you can! If you weren't compatible, they would have abandoned you. You just have to domesticate them once again. Use your strong will!" The man's deep voice was almost angered.
Harry closed his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. His waist was frozen and the ice kept making its way upward. His fear was interfering with his concentration and he opened his eyes panting.
"HURRY!" Angelus yelled at him.
Harry saw the blind dragon open its mouth to send a beam at him, seemingly guided by the creature's sense of smell. The beam left the creature's mouth, but Harry raised his arms, sword held in both fists. He screamed as he accomplished the summoning of the phoenix. Fenghuang sang as it emerged looking more powerful than before and the opened beak swallowed the ice beam. The phoenix launched forward and in an immense flame completely devoured the ice dragon. It sang again triumphantly and returned to its master.
Little by little, all of the companions started to thaw. They were all trembling and had clattering teeth when they had completely unfrozen. Angelus sent a warm wave towards them that was a great relief for them all. "Who are you?" Kroy asked looking at the wingless man that floated in midair where the dragon had been before. Nemaisse and Soshlan also blinked confused, but Angelus ignored them keeping his eyes on Harry.
"I will leave now. It is not my time to join you yet, but I'll keep watching you, children from the other world." With that Angelus vanished.
"Do you know him?" Kroy asked Harry. "He looked like the paintings of the legendary Tenshi..." Kroy added looking extremely confused.
"His name is Angelus though..." Harry said looking at his boots. With a flick of his fingers, he repaired his broken left boot and looked at everyone. He then said in a depressed and somber tone: "Let's just leave this place."
Dianeia was quickly by his side. "Something the matter, Harry?"
He gave her a half smile. "It's nothing." But Harry could still feel his body changing from the inside and he was worried. He didn't want to think about what was happening to him, but it was inevitable. The changes had even interfered with his ability to summon.
XxXxX
The group had finally left the cold mountainous area and proceeded to look for the closest town. They had to eat and needed a place to rest. They all looked extremely tired and to make matters worse the evolution portal appeared in front of them once again. Harry and Janryu looked fearful, but Kroy calmed them: "It doesn't come for the same person twice." With that, Kroy looked at Soshlan. He had feared the portal would come for the elf-fairy after the display with the dark mages. "This is a record in my opinion. You are probably going to be a very powerful man due to your strange mixed heritage. When will you be sixteen?"
Soshlan cowered in front of the portal as he replied with trembling lips: "Next week."
"We have to walk through it like before. I just hope it won't affect anyone else," Kroy stated before moving towards the portal. The others imitated him and soon the atmosphere was filled with Soshlan's screams. He looked as if he were convulsing. His eyes grew bigger and his hair turned golden. The fluffed hair broke and collapsed into golden strands and the face started to transform, but only partially losing some of the babyish face. There were tears streaming from the boy's eyes due to the pain. His wings sprouted and transformed from transparent into golden. They also lost the insect like form. A golden, four-sided star symbol appeared on the boy's forehead like a tattoo or a carved rune. The boy was lifted into the air and then fell violently to the ground and the portal disappeared.
Kroy picked the now taller boy up. "We have to look for a place to stay."
There was a town right behind the place where the evolution portal had appeared and they entered it. An old woman stared at them looking frightened. "They were just here a few minutes ago. They said there were children around, but no one believed them." The woman eyed them all warily. "Do not stay at the Inn. That man has sold plenty of children. Do not trust anyone. Follow me quickly."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Dianeia asked raising an eyebrow.
"Would you doubt a frail old lady?" All of them nodded and the old woman laughed. "That's good, but you can feel my heart." She grabbed Neville's hand and placed it on her chest.
"I think we can trust her," said Neville not understanding why he could feel so sure about it.
Harry quickly said: "I believe Neville."
The old woman escorted them fast towards a small house. She provided them with food and prepared a bed for Soshlan looking curiously at the boy. She couldn't help her curiosity. "How old is he?"
"Not yet sixteen," replied Neville.
"Why did he evolve then? Trying to become a man too fast can bring terrible consequences."
Harry seemed confused. "Why is that, when marriage is allowed from age fifteen? Doesn't being married turn you into an adult?"
The old lady looked at him strangely. "You can marry at fifteen, but it doesn't make you an adult. It's also unusual for children to marry so young. They prefer waiting. You are also an evolved child, but a very strange one. Did you combine with someone who wasn't of your same race?" Harry lost all colour from his face at the question and the old woman smiled. "Ohohohoho! You are very precocious children indeed, but what you did was one of the worst sins. A human, even if he is a mage should never combine with a magical creature, child. You evolved too because you mutated, but... If you had been a normal human, nothing would have happened. You must be a very powerful mage to be able to combine. Did you do it on purpose?" Harry shook his head. "It's irreversible, boy. Remember that."
During dinner, they learned that the old woman's name was Safsla. She spoke to them about many things and told them stories about Al and about the many legends they had. She also spoke about the legendary Tenshi and noticed how they all stared at her as she described the man and how he would appear out of nowhere to help Al when the boy and his companions were in trouble. One day, Tenshi had simply joined them only to die in the end. Luna asked Safsla how Tenshi died, but like Dianeia had said to Harry before, no one knew.
"How do they know he died then?" Nemaisse asked interested.
"They just know. He died in the fight against King Beliaphest. Turned into nothingness. There wasn't even a body to bury." They were all silent and Safsla suddenly laughed. "You are very interesting children indeed. There is a very pure heart within your group. Protect the pure heart at all costs for someone will want to claim it in the near future."
"Do you know who the pure heart is?" Janryu asked concerned.
The old woman laughed. "I can only feel it, but I cannot identify who has it."
Harry started to analyze the group and thought that when it came to pure hearts it had to be a girl, probably Nemaisse who was the youngest and probably the most innocent. He would keep an eye on her.
XxXxX
In the morning, Soshlan awoke feeling refreshed. He wrapped a blanket around his naked body after exploring it with his eyes and went to a mirror to see himself. "I look so different! Not even my parents will be able to recognize me! I like my new hair though... What's this?" He touched the four-sided golden star that adorned his forehead. He almost jumped when a hand fell on his shoulder.
"Runes and tattoos are always a sign of great special powers hidden beneath," Kroy stated. Soshlan could see Kroy's image in the mirror and nodded at it instead of looking directly at the man.
"Let's get ready," suggested Harry.
They prepared and after a quick breakfast that Safsla gave them, they abandoned the small house. It was a very foggy morning, but they used the fog for their own benefit. It cloaked their departure from that town. Even so, they were wearing hooded cloaks as they were going to board a ship this time. It was dangerous to use flying constantly and it was evident that they had been detected last time. Their fight against a group of the dark lord's men was enough proof.
The walk was tedious in the fog, but Harry wanted to avoid the use of magic. It was better if they looked like a group of common human travelers rather than mages able to Apparate. They kept their walk until the fog started to magically scatter, revealing them.
"There's someone there," pointed Luna towards a spot ahead of them. There was a tall person standing there, his incredibly long hair moving majestically with the wind as the fog revealed his form. The man was dressed in a pale ice blue tunic and pants of the same colour. There was a sword in a scabbard on his waist, which was tied over a golden cloth, and he removed the sword, lifting it upwards. The man had a golden scarf around his head that almost dropped to his eyes.
Dianeia paled and whispered: "Zheylks."
"Your big brother?" Kroy looked very startled. "Why is he here?"
"LEADER CHILD FROM ANOTHER WORLD! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!"
Harry was taken aback. "Does he mean me?" He asked sounding almost scared. Dianeia nodded at Harry, which wasn't very reassuring for him.
"Please Zheylks!" The young woman pleaded. "Don't do this!"
"I saw it in Dionaius' mind, Dianeia! He tried to block it in vain! If the one called Harry is man enough to want you then he should show me that he is indeed capable of taking care of you!"
The whole group was alarmed and they all looked at Harry. Harry regained some of his courage and started to approach the older man. "What do you want from me?" he asked valiantly.
"I don't want pathetic little boys with my sister! My sister needs a man, not a wimpy boy! You will show me if you are a real man now!"
Harry's eyes hardened. The man was indeed insulting him. "Wimpy boy?" Harry removed his sword from the scabbard on his back and prepared himself for the duel.
Zheylks smirked at Harry. "That's more like it. IT STARTS!" The man exclaimed and moved extremely fast towards Harry, but the younger man moved his sword just in time in the defensive to stop the blow from hitting. "I won't go easy on you." Zheylks told the boy as their swords were crossed. Harry replied with a glare. In the closeness, he could see silvery orbs with an emerald border.
The white haired man removed the sword and thrust it, aiming at Harry's neck, but Harry blocked again. Still, Harry felt blood forming from a scratch on his face. Even when he blocked the man had managed to scratch him. Zheylks separated the sword again and started to swing it with ease at Harry, Harry always blocking every blow, but scratches were forming everywhere on his body. He had three cuts on his right arm, one on his left shoulder, one on his right side, and one on his left thigh. Zheylks started to speak in raspy whispers. "You are no man. You are a child. It's as simple as that. You can protect no one with your lack of ability to defend yourself. At this rate, she will die protecting you and I cannot allow that. You have to become a real man. Now we'll duel in magical forms."
Harry's eyes went wide as he kept trying to land his sword on Zheylks in vain. On the contrary, he managed to get two additional cuts on his body. This time on his left side.
All of a sudden, there was a blinding light and Harry saw a winged unicorn of great size coming at him. He was reminded of his dream as he saw the emerald horn. The size of the animal reminded him of Beauxbatons Abraxan winged horses. He tried to use his sword against the creature, but the creature dodged and hit him with its head with such force that Harry flew ten meters. He landed badly scratched and with a twisted ankle and felt a strong voice in his mind. "TRANSFORM! YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO DUEL ME IN HUMAN FORM!"
Harry felt pain all over his body and his voice came out broken when he screamed: "I DON'T HAVE A MAGICAL FORM! I'M A HUMAN!"
The creature came and almost trampled him as it spoke horribly loud to Harry's mind again. "YOU ARE NO LONGER HUMAN, PATHETIC BEING! YOU HAVE A MAGICAL FORM! TRANSFORM!"
"I CAN'T!" Harry screamed, blood spurting from his mouth and this time there were angry tears coming from his eyes as the animal pointed at his heart with its horn, one of its front legs on Harry's stomach.
Dianeia yelled: "YOU'RE KILLING HIM! STOP THIS ALREADY!"
Zheylks transformed back to human form and wrapped his golden headband over his emerald gem, then pointed at Harry with his sword. "Are you crying on me?" The man scowled. "Nothing but a baby." He removed his sword, but didn't help Harry stand. "Next time we duel you will use your magical form. Next time also I want to duel a man, not a wimpy boy. Become a man, Harry. Only then will I be able to accept you." Zheylks saved his sword in his scabbard and walked away disappearing into the fog.
Dianeia came running to Harry's side and cradled him as she started to use healing magic on him. Luna did the same and Nemaisse summoned magical leaves that she started to place on Harry's external wounds as the other females healed his internal damage. Dianeia started to smile weakly to Harry's amazement. "Why do you smile?" he asked, his voice coming with difficulty.
"Zheylks likes you," she stated almost happily.
Harry coughed and Soshlan spoke the words Harry would have said aloud in a very sarcastic tone: "Now that's the way I wish someone would like me! By wanting me dead!"
"It's a very strange way of showing it," Janryu said with a raised eyebrow.
Kroy laughed and intervened. "The thing is that in our races an older brother only challenges a suitor for one of his sisters if he thinks the suitor is worthy of his sister. The fact of him challenging Harry to a duel means that he wants to accept Harry, that he thinks Harry is worthy, thus, he actually likes Harry. That's why he wants to make Harry become a man even if it is in a very rough way."
"What happens if he doesn't like the suitor?" Luna asked very interested.
Dianeia replied: "The older brother ignores the suitor and that is dishonorable. It's a way of spitting in the suitor's face. Normally the suitor will break the engagement. Others will challenge the older brother then to try to demonstrate their worthiness. Usually that duel is to the death. That's why the norm is for the suitor to simply break the engagement. They don't want to risk their lives for a woman..."
"You come from a very strange race then," Neville said with a smile. "I'm glad I haven't fallen for someone of your race..." He added thoughtfully making everyone laugh, including a pale looking Harry.
"I am always the one to draw problems to myself like a magnet, Neville," Harry said with a faint smile, but groaned as he still hurt from the mess he had become after having dueled Zheylks. He definitely wasn't looking forward to the next duel, but that wasn't what bothered him the most. What bothered him the most was what Zheylks was expecting from him, insisting on him to transform into a magical form when he certainly couldn't.
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