Originally beta-read by Menecarkawan and then throughly revised and edited by Bella.

Song: 'Around The World' by M.O.V.E (from Initial D)


Ch. 14: They Eat Men

As soon as they were inside the ship, Kroy and Dianeia helped Harry into a room and placed him on a bed. Even with all the healing spells they had used on him, he had to rest because he was strained and worn out after his fight with Zheylks. Kroy looked at Dianeia and shook his head after Harry was deeply asleep "This is too strange. His appearance has kept changing gradually, but I think it has almost stopped at last. I do hope your people will accept you with him..."

The young woman sighed. "That's the least of my worries right now. My first worry is still Nhuriel. Harry is strong and I'm sure he'll cope with his changes. I will cope with being exiled if it ends at that, but if I make sure my baby brother returns to my parents safely it will all be worth it."

Kroy nodded and smiled at the young woman before casually asking "What do you see in Harry?"

Dia took a deep breath. "I see a young man fighting for his life, fighting to have a normal life back. He craves a normal life like a plant craves water and sunlight. He has had a hard life full of bitterness, cruelty, and burdens upon his shoulders that he never wanted. He has been forced to grow up abruptly and he needs lots of love. I can read him so easily... Even though I've never asked him I know that he grew up without a mother."

"How do you know so much about him?" Kroy asked looking amazed.

"It's like our minds have somehow... connected."

"You two did become one then... That's very strange indeed. I envy him..." Dia raised an eyebrow. "Don't mean to scare you by saying that" Kroy winked at her and laughed. "I really think he needs you."

XxXxX

Janryu was beside Neville looking at the waves. Neville looked ill. Even though it was the third time they'd been on a ship, he was getting seasick. He had gotten a little seasick on the previous occasions they were at sea for days, but this time, even though they had only been on that ship for less than an hour, he was feeling awful. He gazed at Luna, who was in a conversation with Nemaisse. He then got a glimpse of Soshlan who was seated in a corner playing a tiny flute-like instrument, the new golden straight hair being messed by the sea breeze. He looked at the sea again and couldn't hold himself anymore. He retched.

Janryu blinked not looking very disgusted. He gave Neville a pitying gaze. "You alright, Neville?"

"I don't feel so good," Neville replied letting his body drop into a sitting posture. Janryu sat next to him. "I'm worried about everything and it just makes me feel worse. My gran is in hospital because of me." The boy placed his hands on his dark brown hair. "I'm stranded in this world and can't go back to her to tell her I'm alright. Sometimes I wonder if we'll survive... What if I die here and my gran is unable to find out?"

"Don't think about it," Janryu stated seriously. "Just think about keeping yourself alive and have faith in being able to return to your world once everything is over. I'm sure you'll survive." Janryu lowered his face, as if stating that perhaps he wouldn't be as lucky. Every day he wondered if he would survive.

Neville had indeed tried not to think much about anything, but it was impossible. There was fear nesting in the depths of his mind. He was also worried about Harry having found love in that world. Certainly Harry couldn't plan on taking Dianeia with him to Hogwarts, right? There was also Luna, and Neville felt that he had to protect her at all costs. She was everything Mr. Lovegood had, a situation similar to his with gran. It was strange, but the three of them were an only child respectively. Harry was the last of the Potters. He suddenly felt like smiling. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. Harry was the one who had it worse because he had to vanquish two dark lords. It made Neville wonder if he and Luna would also have to help Harry vanquish He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He had always thought that was a burden for Ron and Hermione to carry as Harry's best friends. Something removed him from his thoughts unexpectedly. He saw something white floating beside the ship and stood up.

"What?" Janryu asked him.

"I saw him!"

"You saw who?"

"Angelus!" Neville ran to the other side of the ship and placed his hands on the rail. He looked from side to side, but there was nothing. He could see the water below, feel the wind on his face, and see nothing but water on the horizon. He couldn't see above him because the midday sun blinded him.

Janryu joined him looking everywhere. "I don't see him... Are you sure you saw that strange guy?"

"I'm completely sure... He does always seem to know where we are, doesn't he?" Neville asked Janryu feeling sure of himself. The vampire nodded.

The ship started to tremble and Neville lost his balance and fell on Janryu. His startled face fixed on the vampire's and he asked "Fiend?"

Janryu's eyes hardened. "I believe so."

Both young men stood and were joined by Nemaisse, Soshlan, and Luna. Neville was suddenly nervous as Kroy, Harry, and Dianeia weren't with them. He was no leader and he wondered if Janryu would take leadership at that moment, but the vampire looked at him instead as a giant eel, like the one they had fought before, emerged, but this eel was of the electric variety.

"None of my summons will work on this one," Luna sighed as she studied the monster and performed a scan. Certainly it would be a waste of time to use a water or lightning summon. The girl finished analyzing the monster with her scanner and frowned. "No readings!"

Nemaisse raised her hand, a tree branch emerging from it, but as the branch tried to creep upward through the fiend's body, it turned itself into pure electrified water, defying gravity. The branch simply went through it and Nemaisse drew it back into her hand. She shrieked as the monster sent a lightning bolt at her and she fell to the floor convulsing under the bolt. Luna quickly used healing magic to save the younger girl.

Janryu sent a strong firebolt at the monster, but it retaliated by pouring a wave of acid-like water at Janryu. The vampire barely dodged and hissed as some of the acid destroyed part of his right sleeve. Luna quickly poured a potion over the injured arm. She was functioning better as a medic rather than fighting the monster.

Soshlan sprouted his wings, flew a few feet above the floor, and closed his eyes, making the star shaped rune on his forehead glow golden. He joined his hands as if praying and as he separated them, a sphere-shaped light expanded. When it was as big as the monster's head, he threw it at the fiend. The light hit and weakened the creature, but it roared and spat acid water on Soshlan. The elf-fairy dodged it, but the eel went berserk spitting at the boy and he had to keep on dodging. He looked at Neville pleadingly. "Do something! I won't be able to dodge every time!"

Neville raised his left hand. "Skadi! Help us!" The ice summon came from Neville's left palm. She was of a crystalline blue colour and was dressed in a crystalline coat. She removed a hood from her head, sparkling blue hair floating eerily. She removed an arrow from the quiver on her back and placed it on her ice bow. The arrow was shot and went through the eel. Neville thought it would come out through the eel's other side, but it didn't. The eel started to freeze at a rapid pace and was soon an ice statue. Skadi shot a second arrow with a smile forming on her lips and the second arrow caused a crack to form on the frozen eel. It crumbled and became nothingness on the seawater. The summon bowed courteously in front of her master and entered through his chest.

"That was amazing!" Soshlan exclaimed landing on Neville's side and saving his shining wings.

Neville looked at the others and saw Luna and Nemaisse smiling at him while Janryu gave him a thumbs-up sign. He felt really happy and suddenly considered that perhaps he was indeed going to survive in that world somehow. He would return to his gran safely and maybe she would be really proud of him just like she was when she learned he had been in the Ministry of Magic fighting Death Eaters at the end of 5th year.

He looked back as he felt people clapping behind him and his friends. Not only were there passengers clapping, but Kroy, Dianeia, and even a weak-looking Harry were there too.

XxXxX

On the third day of their travel by ship, Neville found himself with Harry. Harry looked very worried about something and kept frowning and sighing. "What's wrong Harry?"

Harry looked at Neville with a surprised expression and then saddened. "I don't know what to do. I can't get Zheylks' words out of my mind. He told me that next time he wanted me to transform into a magical creature for our duel, Neville. I can't transform! I'm not a magical creature!"

"Did you tell Dianeia?"

"I've been keeping it from her to tell you the truth, but I believe she heard her brother. Still, she hasn't mentioned any of it."

"Maybe you can transform... If he said that it's because you can," Neville stated thoughtfully.

"How? I don't feel like I can transform into anything, Neville! At this rate I'll die miserably in our next duel."

"Maybe you can try it like Animagus form?" Neville suggested, thinking hard.

Harry blinked at the question. "As an Animagus form?"

"Yes. Maybe you can transform as if it were an Animagus form..."

"Neville... There are no magical Animagus forms, remember? They are all common animals."

"Harry, you are forgetting that you are no longer human. Human wizards may only get common animals as Animagi forms, but you have mutated. You can probably transform into a magical creature now. You may try applying the Animagus transformation concept to transform." Neville smiled at Harry.

Harry looked curiously at Neville. "Maybe you're right, Neville. Maybe you're right. Problem is we didn't study much about Animagus transformations..."

"You'll have to improvise I guess," Neville shrugged, laughing a little.

XxXxX

Four more days passed and they finally arrived to a strange tropical looking island. They disembarked and started their journey, Harry quickly scanning the land to check if there was a fragment there. Soon enough he saw the image in front of his eyes. There was a fragment in the deepest depths of that small land. They continued walking until they got to a strange area with stone walls inside a deep forest. The stone walls were full of vines that slowly started to remove themselves and opened the walls making an entrance as some sort of invitation for the travelers.

"I don't like this," Kroy stated. "I don't like this at all. Can't we go find another path?" he asked, glancing at Harry.

Harry shook his head. "This is exactly where the fragment is. We have no choice but to enter this place whether we like it or not."

"I have a very bad feeling about this place. It gives me chills!" Soshlan exclaimed looking wary.

A woman dressed in pearly robes came out of the opened walls. She was young and beautifulwith golden brown hair that cascaded down to her hips. The woman smiled at them before introducing herself. She kept eyeing the males and barely looked at the females. "My name is Kharainne. Welcome! I see that you have hesitated even though we opened the walls for you. Why is that?" The woman had the voice of a seductress.

"Are you saying that we are cowards?" Janryu spat the words in a very disrespectful manner.

"Of course not, handsome. You may enter after me, if you dare." She winked at Janryu and he sneered.

Janryu started the walk first, followed by the rest, but Harry stayed behind studying the walls. He had a bad feeling the walls would close after the last of them entered and he was right. As soon as he entered the walls sealed themselves, but he knew he had to keep going because the fragment was there.

Harry and his friends were startled when they saw that the place was full of beautiful women. Some were dressed like Greek goddesses while others were scantily dressed. The-Boy-Who-Lived averted his eyes from the scantily clad women. He needed to be in his right mind if anything happened.

Many women surrounded them and Neville seemed to be the one receiving the most attention. Some touched his face and hands while other women caressed his clothing and hair. Neville looked at Harry feeling terrified and not knowing what was wrong with those women. Janryu blinked, thinking that he had to be in paradise, but Soshlan looked as terrified as Neville. Kroy had a very serious expression and his gaze kept hardening with every second that passed. He whispered to Harry. "Look for the fragment because we have to leave this place as soon as we can. I don't like this at all, especially the obvious lack of males in here as in nonexistent."

Harry nodded at the half Draconian's words. The woman that welcomed them then approached Harry and touched his face. "You are a bonded one." At those words, the women avoided Harry and kept studying the supposedly non-bonded males.

Harry whispered to Dianeia "What does she mean by bonded?"

"She meant that she believes you are married."

Harry understood and grabbed Dia's hand. She gripped harder to reassure him and the queen, or the one they were already thinking was the queen Kharainne, spoke. "What do you seek?"

"We are in search of a summon fragment. We only wish to obtain it and leave," Harry replied.

"Oh! But you can stay for a few days! It's unusual for us to receive visits and we've been desperate as we are in need of children."

"Children?" Harry asked confused.

"Yes. As you can see, we have no men here so we were in desperate need of men to procreate. I hope you will help us with this dilemma..." There was desire in the woman's eyes.

Harry saw Soshlan trembling as two of the women kissed his neck and two others nuzzled his ears. Kroy kept pushing women away from him as they kept trying to touch him Janryu seemed to like the attention though Neville looked like he could cry as the women kept touching him too. He looked at Harry with a pleading expression. "Could your women please stop groping my companions?" Harry asked as politely as he could.

Kharainne looked Harry up and down almost wantonly and snapped her fingers. The women quickly left the young men alone. Neville and Soshlan breathed sighs of relief, Kroy kept his hardened features, and Janryu shrugged.

Harry scanned and saw that the fragment was in what seemed like a bedroom. He almost wanted to curse aloud, but spoke to the queen. "Can I get the fragment?"

"Sure! But I already stated the conditions. We want children in exchange for the fragment. We are in desperate need of your companions."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then no fragment for you. Simple." The woman winked at him and Harry felt a horrible sensation in his stomach. "I can change things a little though. It seems my girls like the well built one. The others are kind of skinny. We enjoy our males to have more skin and fat rather than bony or muscular frames. Can we have him in exchange for the fragment?" Kharainne pointed at Neville, who from the start seemed to be the women's favorite as he kept receiving the most attention and glances.

"I can't do that. I will leave the fragment then."

"So righteous, are we? You only have to yield one of your companions. Why can't you do that?"

"Because he is my friend and I would never abandon any of my companions anyway. We're leaving."

"Wait! Just... Just have dinner with us first and then you may leave."

Harry looked at the others and they all shrugged. He wasn't sure about having dinner with people he did not trust, but his friends seemed calmer after the women left them. "Alright, just for dinner, but you'll let us leave peacefully, right?"

"Of course!" Kharainne answered with a seductive smile.

The travelers were escorted into an extended hall with a giant table. There was dinner already served and his companions started to eat although he was afraid of touching the food. "It is not poisoned... I'm eating it. Want me to taste the food from your plate to convince you?" Kharainne snapped her fingers and several women tasted the food from all the plates of Harry's companions and Harry thought that was enough to start eating. Kharainne tasted the food from his plate still, as if to reassure him.

A while later dinner was over and Harry felt very strange and dizzy. He was seeing double and saw his male companions collapsing. He also saw his female companions having their weapons removed and being arrested and taken away while he heard Kharainne's words "We'll serve the chubby one tomorrow. Make the fertile women bed the others, including the deliciously built one. I'll bed the leader one even if he's bonded. He seems powerful and worthy. I want his child."

Harry felt sick at what he was hearing. His sword was being removed at that moment. Even when he was obviously drugged, he hadn't completely lost his senses, but didn't know what to do and felt incredibly weak and helpless. He had figured something out though. The drug only affected males. That was why the women could taste the food and be unaffected. That was also the reason why they had to arrest Luna, Nemaisse, and Dia. Dia... There was no way he would fail her. He would get out of the situation no matter what, but his eyes were already closing.

XxXxX

Harry woke up tied to a bed. He was still under the drug influence, but kept trying to keep his senses and alertness. He hoped he wasn't too late for his friends. He tried to break the binds, but the drugs interfered with his magic. He cursed under his breath and a voice spoke in his ear. "You truly are something! Even drugged you don't lose yourself. Maybe I should add some wine..." Harry felt his hair being pulled to stabilize him on the pillow and his mouth being opened forcefully. Kharainne was obviously not alone in that room and they poured the liquid into his mouth. He started to thrash with the binds, but the wine kept entering his mouth. "Maybe we can keep him and use him for a while. We can feed him a lot so he'll make a good meal later on" Kharainne scoffed mockingly and the other women present laughed.

"Go to hell!" Harry blurted, spitting remains of wine from his mouth.

"Leave girls. I'll bed him now." The girls left and she caressed Harry's face. "Why are you so stubborn? Stop fighting and things will be much easier."

"You will never have me."

"We'll see about that..."

Harry felt the woman trying to remove his clothes and as weak as he was he managed to activate power and electrified her. She screamed and slapped him. "STOP THAT YOU FOOLISH BR..." Harry electrified her again and kept at it until she went limp on the bed. He knew he hadn't killed her he had simply knocked her out. Panting he concentrated until he accomplished burning the binds. He got up, still feeling dizzy. The wine had made things worse and he didn't know how to completely wake himself from this unwanted state. Women entered the room because they had heard Kharainne's scream.

"What have you done, you monster!" one of them exclaimed as she glared at him.

"Monster?" Harry spat the word with disgust. "The only monsters here are all of you!" He fell on his knees, but trembling stood again to face the four women. They were furious and launched themselves at him with daggers, but he managed a spherical wave that threw them throughout the room knocking them against walls. Gasping for breath, he produced a small flame in his hand, removed part of his tunic shirt, and burned his chest with the flame. He screamed but woke himself, which had been what he had intended. Almost sober, he quickly arranged his clothes and saw the fragment floating close to him. It was exactly in that bedroom, but he wasn't sure if he could take it with him even if that summon wouldn't be his. He had a feeling it was Luna's. "Please, I need to take you with me even if I am not your master. Would you do that for me?" The fragment flickered and entered Harry, but he knew it would only be with him temporarily. He could feel that it wasn't his.

All of a sudden, Harry heard a huge roaring sound and wondered 'What was that?' He hurried to the door and it sprang open. He had to leap back to avoid a collision. There in front of him were Luna, Dianeia, and Nemaisse. He could hear the roaring sounds and women screaming outside. The fragment that had just entered him came out in seconds and entered Luna, making the girl almost lose her balance. She managed to straighten herself and smiled. "What in the world is happening?" Harry interrogated them.

"And here I thought we needed to rescue you!" Dianeia said with a smile, but she was panting as she handed him his sword.

"Are the others alright?" Harry asked with concern.

"They're fine, but still drowsy. No one will touch them though. Those women are busy with a very BIG problem." Dia put great force into the word 'big' and even extended her arms to express it. "It happened right after we escaped from those crazy females."

"How big is it? Does it affect us?" Harry swallowed as he asked.

"Unfortunately yes, it affects us. Don't worry, you won't miss the problem because it's extremely big!" Dianeia sounded nervous by that point as she gestured again with her hands about the magnitude of the problem.

Harry thought rapidly and heard the 'roars' even more. "It's not Kroy, right?" Harry asked hopefully, but with a troubled expression.

Nemaisse laughed nervously at that and Luna's protuberant eyes were almost gleaming. "He is gorgeous. You should see what he looks like."

Harry muttered several curses that made the females flinch before asking "Does he recognize us?"

"He is still drugged so... no," Dia replied with a pitiful sigh.

"How did they manage to unleash him?" The girls shook their heads. "Anyway, we have to stop him! Come on!" Harry ran out the door with the women running closely behind.


Thanks to: YOyo - You reappeared! Thanks for your criticism; lovenotknown - I already replied to you with a logged reply, ehehe, and bandgsecurtiyaw - I always have to re-check if I wrote your nick correctly. lol