Inception: Rise of the Heir
After the murder of Hepzibah Smith, Tom Riddle disappeared for ten long years. He sank deeper into the Dark Arts & pursued knowledge that others could only dream of, consorting with the darkest members of wizarding society. With his eyes set on North America, he has no idea that the magic he so desperately seeks will shape his life & his inevitable future for years to come. TomxOC
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for my o/c's and my own storyline.
The sweltering heat of the desert trickled in throughout the tent, waking him from his deep sleep, the sheets sticking to his body uncomfortably as he peeled them back, silently cursing.
"Frigidus Circium." He waved his hand lazily, feeling a refreshing gust of cool air encapsulate his body.
Getting up from the bed slowly, Tom looked at the shirt that he had left hanging on the backside of the chair across the room and slipped it on slowly, his fingers fumbling with the buttons, still slick from the morning sweat that had woken him. A soft knock on the door interrupted him and he looked towards it with displeasure.
"...Tom?"
He continued to button his shirt and scoffed as he walked towards the voice, cracking the door open slightly. Lyra's strange eyes stared back at him through the opening, her gaze moving down towards his bare chest and he watched as a slight red hue took over her cheeks, her face turning away from him in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry...I didn't realize…" She trailed off momentarily before clearing her throat and starting once more. "We need to leave."
"Now?" He asked, his voice teeming with annoyance. Opening the door quietly he followed her into the common area, tucking his shirt into his pants and stared into the kitchen, the table full of an array of foods.
"After you eat." She said, "You haven't had a proper meal in awhile..."
Tom opened his mouth to retort, but the loud rumbling of his stomach dissuaded him from arguing. Lyra smirked at the sound and politely ignored it, pouring herself a fresh glass of water while he sat down.
"I don't need you to cook for me." He said quietly, staring at the food before him.
"I hardly cooked." She said as she lazily waved her hand over towards a tea kettle, which lifted gently off a small flame and poured itself over a glass, the smell of breakfast tea hitting his nose. The small mug floated carefully over to where he was sitting and set itself down on the table before him.
Tom grabbed a piece of toast and nibbled at it quietly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He took a small sip of his tea and placed the bread down on a small plate, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. "You said you were going home. But who is it we're exactly going to see?"
Lyra stared at him for a moment before answering hesitantly. "A lifelong friend."
"You mean your father."
She looked away while they sat in silence and spoke softly. "He's not my father."
"Ah. That's right."
Lyra sighed and rubbed her temples. "I told you before...it's complicated. His name is Sani Ma'iitsoh."
"That's a strange name." Tom said nonchalantly, sipping from his tea once more.
"No stranger than Tom Riddle." Lyra responded defensively, swirling the water around in her glass.
Tom narrowed his eyes and tried to fake a smile, confused at the offense she had taken. "Perhaps. My apologies…" He raised his eyebrows and looked at her innocently. "You haven't told me exactly why your relationship is so...complicated."
"As I said before...it's a story for another time. He took me in after my mother died but that does not mean he was my father."
"Apparently I've hit a nerve." Tom tried to hide the devilish grin that spread across his face. "I see. But you're certain he will be able to help you?"
"If anyone will be able to understand what is written within those pages, it would be him."
"And you're sure you can trust him?"
Her face turned serious, the expression in her eye's distant and far away, lost in thought. "I would trust him with my life."
Breaking away from whatever had troubled her, Lyra placed her glass down and walked over to her open purse, waving her wand lazily as the furnishings started to fly into its open mouth, signaling that the conversation was over and that breakfast had concluded. Once finished she turned around and waved her wand towards the table, the food disappearing as she started to exit the tent. "I'll be waiting outside."
"Something is bothering her...I think perhaps if circumstances were different, her path would lead her anywhere but home…"
Tom looked down at the small piece of toast before him and grimaced, picking it up quickly and finishing it as he walked back towards his room to gather his belongings.
Stepping outside the tent and watching it quickly vanish from behind him, he motioned towards the vast emptiness before them and scowled. "Where do we go from here?"
Lyra pointed ahead in the distance, towards a small orb that remained in the sky, unnatural and out of place in the light of day. "Sani's house lays at the base of the mountains, underneath that star."
He squinted towards it and frowned. "A star in daylight? Isn't that rather risky considering how nosy muggles can be?"
Lyra let out a small laugh and shook her head. "While I understand the concern, muggles-as you call them-can't see it at all...Wonderful little piece of magic Sani invented...No, that's specifically meant for those who need to find him-even desert recluses need to be found sometimes."
"Who else besides us might want to find him?"
"You'll see." Lyra murmured quietly as she held out her hand for him to take. Tom grasped it gently and felt the world fall out beneath him as they slowly disapparated.
They disappeared and reappeared a few more times until they had suddenly come to a stop, the desert wind blowing around them forcefully as he shielded his eyes from the sun. Looking up towards the star in the sky, he felt his shoulders slump in disappointment, they seemed to be no closer to its location then they had been moments before.
"Why have we stopped?" He asked curiously as Lyra took a flask out of her pocket and sipped from it deeply, dabbing her mouth with the back of her hand as she offered it to him. Tom looked at the flask and eyed her suspiciously.
"It's just water again." She rolled her eyes impatiently as she started to observe their surroundings, squinting her eyes as if she were looking for something. "It's easy to get dehydrated out here, the lack of humidity can be misleading."
He took the cask from her hesitantly and took a small sip before corking it back up. "Are we lost?"
She let out a small snort. "Hardly. But as you can see, traveling out here will take quite a while…"
"It looks as if we've hardly made any distance at all." He turned around, expecting to see a small speck of the large boulder they had camped under and looked towards her sharply when he realized that it was nowhere to be found.
"The desert is a strange place…" She murmured before placing the flask back into her pocket, while she wiped the sweat from off her forehead. "It can be a labyrinth for those who don't know how to navigate it...I just need a moment to rest."
Tom tried to hold back the scowl that etched itself across his face, silently cursing himself for insisting that he accompany her. The humidity was non-existent in the remote areas of the desert, for which he was thankful, but the sun and heat were unlike anything he had ever experienced before, the climate becoming more miserable by the minute.
He watched as Lyra looked up towards the star, her face unreadable. She pulled out her wand and suddenly murmured a few words under her breath, staring at the endless sea of sand before them.
"How long do you think it'll take before-"
"Shh!" Lyra silenced him suddenly, her attention still focused on the ground beneath them, her face growing serious. She looked around them nervously and tapped on the earth loudly with her foot, as if waiting to hear something.
"What?" Tom asked, confused by her sudden show of concern.
She looked towards him, her face growing alarmed. "We need to leave. Now."
"Is something wrong?" He asked softly.
"Take my hand-" The words had barely left her lips when the ground between them suddenly split, a small chasm forming where the earth had been, sand pouring into it's dark mouth as a tremendous acromantula-like beast emerged.
Tom watched as one by one, each terrifying leg emerged from the hole, it's beady eyes shifting back and forth between them. He was instantly brought back to when he had opened the Chamber of Secrets and pinned the crime on that hairy, bumbling fool Hagrid and the acromantula he had been hiding for months in the castle. He had only seen the one in his entire life and although it was still in its infancy, he knew it looked nothing like this.
"Tom, steer clear of its stinger!" Lyra yelled at him as the gigantic spider reared back for a moment before lunging in his direction.
"Acromantula's don't have stingers!" He said arrogantly as he sent a jinx flying in its direction, watching in horror as the spell clumsily bounced off the acromantula's rock like skin.
"Yeah? Well Desert Acromantula's do!" Lyra said as she jumped away from the creature, narrowly avoiding its fangs.
Tom tried to place distance between the acromantula and himself to get closer to Lyra, but stopped when the angry beast moved in between them once more, it's jaws clicking viciously, as if it instinctively knew to keep them apart. Tom watched in disgust as it's venom hit the sand beneath it's massive head, causing the earth to sizzle and spit.
"Arania Exumai!" He screamed as he pointed his wand towards the beast, growling in frustration as it seemed to have no effect.
"It's skin is too thick! Spells like that won't work against its hide!" Lyra yelled towards him, dodging the acromantula's stinger that plunged into the dirt next to her and continued "The only soft spot on its body is underneath it's abdomen!"
"And how exactly does one get under there?" He said sarcastically, as the large spider reared around towards him, dodging it's oozing jaws.
"Still working on that one!" Lyra wiped the sweat from her face and watched as the spider continued to focus on Tom, leaving its backside vulnerable to her. She grimaced at the only option that was left.
"This can only go really well...or very bad."
She watched as the creature tried to sting Tom once more and summoned the small silver dagger from her purse, clutching it tightly in her hands. Taking a few steps back, she let out a deep breath and started to run towards the spider, jumping into its rocky back, taking advantage of its otherwise engaged stinger. Clutching firmly onto it's rough jagged exoskeleton, she slowly started to climb up towards it's head, the dagger held up in the air.
"When I give the word, you need to act!"
"Stupid girl, what in Merlin's beard is she doing?" Tom thought as he watched her jump onto the spider's back, holding onto its side while it frantically bucked and shook, desperately trying to rid itself of her weight. He watched as she raised the silver dagger above it's head, the sun's rays gleaming off it dangerously before she plunged its blade down into one of its large beady eyes.
The acromantula shrieked in pain and shook ferociously once more and with each scream, Lyra continued to thrust her knife into its remaining eyes. The howls of pain filled his ears as the spider finally raised up on its back legs, trying once more to desperately shake her off, it's stinger plunging into the ground fruitlessly in efforts to disable her.
"Now!" He heard her scream as he pointed his wand carefully at the beasts naked and exposed belly.
"Arania Exumai!"
A small white light jumped out from his wand and hit the acromantula square in its abdomen and after a few moments, Tom watched it's legs finally stopped seizing, falling to the ground with a defeated thump.
He took a few deep breaths and wiped the sweat and sand from his face, watching as the dust settled around them. Breathing heavily he pointed his wand towards the hole and murmured under his breath, watching the ground repair itself, the chasm no longer existent. "Just in case any friends of yours decide to try their luck."
"Took you long enough." He said sarcastically as he walked towards the beast, listening for her reply. His heart started to pound heavily when he realized she did not respond. "Lyra?" He hastened his pace, the dust still lingering in the air around him as he waved it away, trying hard not to choke on the sand that invaded his lungs. "Lyra, are you-"
He stopped and scowled when he caught a glimpse of her at the tail end of the beast, carefully extracting the stinger, her wand raised and leading it over towards an open jar in her hands.
"What are you doing?" A hint of annoyance in his voice at her silence. "I thought-"
She pulled a small jar out from her pocket and placed the stinger inside, shaking it curiously at him. "Desert Acromantula's stingers are worth a fortune. Seems a shame to just let it rot here."
Lyra motioned towards its hide and threw a small jar towards him. "It's hide too. Would you mind terribly just collecting a small sample for me? Very useful in shielding potions…"
He felt the anger rise in his stomach and tried to shake it away, raising his wand towards the beast.
"No, no-not like that-" She interrupted and walked over towards him, using her bare hands to pry a piece of its shell off, it's oozing black blood dripping onto the desert floor. The awkward silence between them was suddenly filled with the sound of bones cracking in half, Lyra talking in between pulls. "-you-need to-use your hands."
Tom tried to hide his disgust, instead dusting away the sand that lay embedded in his hair. "Where did that thing come from?"
Lyra stood up when she had finished and dusted herself off, wiping her bloodied hands on her dress. "The desert acromantula? This entire part of the desert is riddled with their nests. They're quite exceptional diggers, although they barely ever come out during the day...It must have smelled prey. I thought I had disapparated us far enough away from where their territory ended, but...as you can see, I misjudged the distance." She walked over towards the beast's head and reached down, placing her foot on its head, while she ripped her dagger out from one of its eyes where she had lodged it before its untimely demise.
Lyra scowled at the dirty blade, wiping it clean against her dress, before placing it back in her bag. Tom stared at her incredulously, finding her statement to be the most ridiculous thing she had ever said. "Yes, it smelled dinner...It smelled us!"
Lyra let out a small laugh and shook her head. "No, not us. Desert Acromantula don't hunt wizards or humans normally, it smelled something else." She pointed her finger towards the horizon before them and Tom squinted his eyes at what seemed to be a large sandstorm approaching them quickly.
"Lyra...what is that?" Tom said apprehensively as he watched the massive torrent of wind and sand blowing upwards on the horizon and clasped his wand tightly.
"The acromantula's intended victims...but a very welcome sight for us as well." Lyra retorted quickly as she started to walk towards the storm, her wand clasped tightly in her hands. A soft thunder rising in the distance.
"It's intended victims? What is she on about?"
"It's coming this way…" An alarmed tone hiding under his voice as it continued to fly towards then rapidly, swallowing up the small scattered desert brush and landscape it raced across. He took a step forward and followed her cautiously, watching the terrifying scene unfold before him.
"Have you ever ridden a Thestral?" Lyra shouted towards him, the noise of the storm growing louder with every step they took, the ground shaking and rumbling beneath them.
"What does that have to do with anything?" He said loudly, the air starting to whip around them, he watched the small stones upon the ground start to bounce and shake while they skidded across his feet, the sandstorm almost upon them, it's eerie sound consuming his senses.
"You'll see!"
Within seconds the tempest overtook them, sand flying through the air as it stung his eyes and clung to his hair, the sound of large stones being thrown across the ground in a deafening roar. "Lyra?" He yelled as the storm swallowed her whole, the strange noise circling him in what appeared to be every direction.
"Carpe Rectractum!"
Through the gust of sand, he saw a flash of bright orange light and a loud bellow and he felt his heart start to race as he pointed his wand slowly towards where she had screamed. Before he could mutter a spell, he felt the wind shift pulling him by force into its center. Coughing and rubbing his eyes, he was made aware of a sudden silence, the sand no longer pelting his face and ripping his skin apart as it tugged at his figure. He lowered his arm slowly and saw Lyra smiling smugly before him, motioning for him to look at her catch. An orange glowing rope protruded from her wand, the other end fastened tightly around what appeared to be a large horse-like creature with glowing red eyes, it's tawny body raised dangerously up in the air at the sight of him. As he walked towards it, it tried to rear once more and Lyra spoke to it soothingly, running her hands from its back through its mane, which looked strangely like sand that poured elegantly out towards the desert floor.
"I take it you're never seen a Leehzlin before." She laughed heartily, continuing to stroke the creature's face, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small green satchel of herbs. Tom watched as the beast bent it's head down to her hands, delicately eating the small offering of food.
"A what?" Tom said slowly, staring at the magnificent beast before him.
"A Leehzlin." She said impatiently, rubbing its snout before looking at him once more. "Honestly Tom, did you read the book I gave you at all?"
"Parts of it." He murmured, still looking at the strange beast before him.
"It's a creature only found in the Southwestern desert of North America...very rare...very wild- impossible to tame. But with a little luck and proper bribery-" She pulled another sachet of herbs from her pocket, feeding it to the eager steed. "-you can use them to get from one point to another in the desert very quickly. This herd is quite large...I don't think I've ever seen one this big."
He stared at her strangely, still trying to understand what was happening around him when Lyra nodded toward him."Your turn."
He looked towards the swirling wall of sand and looked back at her incredulously. "This seems-"
"I could do it for you if you like…" She shrugged her shoulders. "...but it might not let you ride it if you're not the one to catch it."
"How does one go about catching a-one of those?"
"Just aim your wand and repeat the spell." Lyra shrugged, "It's a big enough herd, so I'm sure you'll get one on your first try."
"Seems a bit barbaric..."
"Traveling by Leehzlin will be faster than apparation, especially over this distance. But I understand if you're apprehensive. It's not entirely the safest method...although most wizards would give anything to be able to ride one of these."
Tom narrowed his eyes at her, knowing full well that she was still sore from his remarks earlier that morning and was trying to goad him. Ignoring her, he pointed his wand towards the moving gusts of sand and repeated the incantation carefully.
"Hold your ground steadily Tom..." She warned from behind him. "Don't pull too hard or-"
He interrupted her, his voice fraught with annoyance.
"I'm fine, I don't need your-" Without warning an angry Leehzlin broke through the wall and headed towards Tom, its red eyes glowing brightly. It raised up on its hind haunches and pulled up furiously, its hooves made from stone and rubble hovering dangerously above Tom's head, threatening to unleash their wrath upon him.
"I was trying to tell you not to pull too hard!" Lyra said as she approached slowly, taking another green satchel from her pocket and handing it slowly to him before backing away. "It's an insult to them."
"Is there any beast in this country that isn't vicious naturally?." He thought to himself as he leaned over and took the small assortment of herbs and spoke wearily, his eyes still focused on the creature before him. "Now what?"
"Hold out your hand with the herbs and talk softly...look him in the eyes...yes! Like that Tom." She coached softly, watching the Leehzlin start to calm down and instead of attacking, now watched Tom suspiciously. "Hold your position steady...be assertive, but not too forceful. If he accepts your gift, you will be able to ride him...if not...release him and we'll try again."
He followed her instructions and felt his heart pound nervously as the sand steed walked towards him, bending its head cautiously towards his hand, it's hot breath lingering amongst his fingertips. After a few moments the beast let out a loud snort and took the offering from his palm, kicking his heels in satisfaction softly against the dirt.
"Well done." Lyra said as she climbed atop her Leehzlin and grabbed the glowing orange reigns that hung from its neck as she softly tightened her legs into its side. "He likes you."
He watched as the sand walls parted and let her and the Leehzlin through, Lyra guiding it confidently forward and stared at his own in wonderment. Although the idea hadn't seemed favorable at first, the excitement and awe started to build through him and he slowly reached out, touching it's gritty coat. As he moved his hand along the beasts neck, it's long mane flowed through his fingertips, like sand in an hourglass.
"Extraordinary." He thought as he carefully pulled himself into it's back, grabbing the reins carefully. The creature lurched forward beneath him as he mimicked Lyras actions and felt his heart start to return to it's normal gait as they made their way through the herd of Leehzlin and caught up to Lyra. No sooner had he resumed his place by her side, when the roaring rumbles and gusts of sand abated from their vicinity, disappearing against the horizon once more.
"Is the desert everything you thought it would be?" She asked, a humorous grin spreading across her face. He watched as a soft breeze caught her hair and swept it wildly across her face, the sun reflecting brightly against her Amber eyes. He rolled his eyes and let out a soft laugh. "More than I imagined...in more ways than one."
She grabbed the reins tightly and leaned her body forward. "Now hold on tight and don't let go." Pointing her wand into the sky, she murmured gently and watched as a small ball of light exploded from its tip towards the star, both Leehzlin bellowing loudly before taking off through the desert.
Tom held tightly onto the reins as his steed bounded forward, racing through the desert, riding waves of sand. Although nauseatingly fast at first, he had grown accustomed to the Leehzlin's speed and watched as the scenery passed them by, the star ahead growing closer and closer against the horizon until they had reached the foothills of the mountain. He felt the creature underneath him start to slow its pace gradually until they both came to a stop, a strange house set into the mountain before them.
He watched Lyra dismount her Leehzlin and followed suit, waiting patiently as she pulled out two more satchels of herbs, handing one off to him, and opened his hand gently towards the strange creature. Once both steeds had been rewarded, she slapped the back of her beast and he watched in astonishment as both creatures raced off into the sunset, a small sandstorm forming in their wake.
"Where will they go now?" He asked quietly, trying hard to pull his eyes away from the magnificent scene.
"Back to their herd I suspect, should only take them a day or so." Lyra smiled and turned around to face the house before them, letting out a soft sigh. "Well, we're here."
The house before them was unlike any other he had seen before, its foundation and walls seemed to be entirely of clay and sand, the architecture strange and foreign looking. Next to the oddly shaped square house, a tremendous garden encapsulated by an old wooden fence lay beside it, with all sorts of plants and herbs growing past the recesses of it's gates looking wild and overgrown.
"It looks...intriguing." Tom said, trying to be polite about the home's untidy appearance, unsure of what to say.
"Sani grows some of the most sought after ingredients for apothecaries all around the country." Lyra said softly as they approached the house, waving her arm towards the garden. "It's hard work, but he's made a decent living out of it. That is the reason for the star above us." She pointed upwards gently. "There were always travellers and merchants stopping by to purchase his wares...although I remember his garden looking a bit more...maintained."
Her eyes took on a distant and forlorn look, as if she was reliving a cherished memory. "...By the time I went to school, I could brew potions that rivaled even the staff's abilities...something I will always attribute to his skill and patience. He taught me almost everything I know about Potions and Herbology…"
"It must have been...nice...to grow up with that advantage." Tom said quietly, jealousy blooming through his chest.
Lyra let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "I suppose...but that was about all we had in common. Sani and I don't see eye to eye on much else."
"How so?"
"Our views on magic are...different."
Lyra guided him towards the front of the house, a soft breeze blowing past them, animating the soft wind chimes and bizarrely shaped lawn decorations that were scattered across the entrance to the house. Although the adobe residence was somewhat too outlandish for his taste, Tom couldn't help but smile at it's whimsical charm. He knew that Lyra seemed uncomfortable at the thought of returning to her childhood home and looked upon it rather unpleasantly, but the quaint surroundings still seemed better to him than that of the cold and unfriendly environment of Wool's Orphanage.
He was broken from his thoughts as they approached the small, blue wooden door, Lyra turning the small golden handle hesitantly before pushing the door open, calling out softly. "Sani? Are you home? It's me...Lyra."
Sorry if this one took a few more days to write, the week has been super chaotic and I've barely had time to write! This was probably one of my favorite chapters, from beginning to end. Tom was a teeny bit OOC in this particular chapter, but I think he's a little bit at his wits end when it comes to Lyra's recklessness and nonchalance in certain situations. He's definitely more reserved and she's a little bit more of a wild spirit. I hoped everyone liked my little additions to southwestern Magical creatures, the Desert Acromantula scene was super fun to write and I absolutely LOVED the idea of the Leehzlin. I came up with its name from mashing together some Native American Navajo phrases from the Dine language and it's translation literally means Sand Horse. I always loved watching documentaries on wild horses and it only seems befitting that the Southwest should have some sort of magical horse like creature. The idea of it all came from looking at pictures of sand sculpture competitions on the beach and after seeing a few ones of horses, I knew I had to create a magical beast that resembled what I had seen! So now Tom and Lyra are at her "father's" house, and we'll start to see a little more unfold in the next few chapters about Lyra's backstory and a few more details that have yet to be revealed about her past. It was VERY difficult for me to come up with a true Native American name, because a lot of the Navajo language doesn't translate as you would think it does. Sani Ma'iitsoh's name roughly translates to Old Wolf, which kind of is appropriate for a man who lives alone in the desert no?
Stay tuned for more updates! If you like what you've read so far, please review, follow and favorite! It really motivates me!
KiraCalico:
I know, you can't help but feel sorry for the characters, regardless of how awful and cruel they can be. I think if either of them had more love in their lives, such easy emotions wouldn't be so hard to embrace or accept. As for the potion, I don't know if Tom will part with any more Horned Serpents jewel than he already has. He did it once and used her essentially as a lab rat without her knowledge to see what its benefits COULD be, I hardly see his selfish persona giving it up to help anyone else but himself at this point. Lyra may have to start looking elsewhere if she wants answers, but maybe Sani will have a few contributions of his own! As always thank you for your reviews, its SO great to have feedback.