With Harry…

Considering the day I had yesterday, I was shocked that I was able to sleep at all, much less until sunrise. Turns out, elves rise with the sun and that's when I was up too… Much to Astraeus' displeasure. I just pulled him onto my shoulders as we exited the tent. I grunted as I stood up, not that the now fifty-pound dragon was all that heavy (he was) but because he was thrashing and moving on my shoulders like a marlin.

"Astraeus, hold still," I muttered as I got to my feet outside the tent. It was a brisk morning but not the worst I had ever felt. I was still in my jeans and coat but since that was all I really had on me it was hardly surprising but it was perfect for the cool morning air - my temperature control rune schemes in the coat weren't even active yet. I staggered over to the coal pit that was once the firepit and sighed in slight relief feeling that they were still hot. I knelt down beside it and reached my hand over it, wondering what I was going to do about breakfast. I felt my stomach turn at the thought of having to drink anymore of Hermione's super drink but had resigned myself to it if it was necessary - right up until I saw Yaela petting a rabbit. Unfortunately, Astraeus saw the fluffy, little bunny too.

I felt the little bastard's head snap up and his tail flick back and forth as he prepared to leap for the bunny. I guess the rabbit sensed his imminent death too because it snapped it's head up, saw Astraeus, and bolted from Yaela's lap. Astraeus leapt through the air and sacked the little rabbit before it could make it ten feet away… Say what you will about the little guy, he's fast when he wants to be.

"Well…" Yaela muttered weakly as the dragon tore into the rabbit with gusto, "he is a dragon."

"That he is," I said as I walked up next to her, "when do you want to get moving?"

"As soon as our mounts arrive, Rider Potter," she said, tearing her eyes from the hungry dragon.

"Yeah… That's a bit gruesome, innit?" I asked offhandedly.

"More so than you currently know, Shur'tugal. When you learn our ways, you will see why we do not partake as he does."

"You don't eat meat?" Now I'm interested. Ginny tried a vegetarian diet for a while there but figured out rather quickly that meat was just easier to get a hold of sometimes and was just better at keeping you going when you had to burn a lot of calories to play something like quidditch. I had figured that out on the Horcrux hunt, squirrels are stupidly brave after all.

"Nay…" she whispered, shuddering, "life is sacred, Argetlam. We only take lives when necessary for our survival and, even then, we do so with heavy hearts."

"That's a beautiful way to live, Yaela," I said quietly, "and I do agree with you, though I am afraid my physiology requires me to take in nearly thrice as many calories as any normal man… Fruits and vegetables are just not capable of providing that by themselves."

"This is a side effect of your magic?" She asked with a lifted brow. It was one of the few things we talked about last night, how our magics were so different. Turns out, they get their strength from the air and life around them while I have a… Well, I've heard it called a core but it was more along the lines of a battery. If it runs low, it can still be recharged but I'll be down for a few days with a horrible case of magical exhaustion but if you run it too low - or completely out - for too long… Well, I'm sure you can guess what would happen. But it did explain why my magic had been recharging so quickly as of late, the very environment was saturated with it. Back home, the core was almost necessary to fuel any outward expression of magic with any significant power behind any form of spells because there wasn't much actual magic in the very air like here. My theory is that magic here was bound to the land and the dragons once acted like conduits for it while back home dragons were just one of many magical beasts that roamed the land.

"Yes. My body makes what I eat into magic but the magic of this land has been strengthening me beyond what I thought was possible. In fact, I've never felt stronger in my life."

"You will only gain strength with the centuries, Rider Potter," she said offhandedly and I only stared at her as a ball of ice dropped into my stomach.

"Centuries?" I asked weakly. Yaela looked back at me with her brows knitted until the penny dropped.

"Indeed, Argetlam," she said curiously, "is it not the wish of your kind to be immortal?"

"Not a wish of mine," I said quietly, looking back over to the little dragon who had rolled on his back to enjoy the morning sun. "I had a family. A wife and three kids… My Godfather passed on twenty-five years ago and now I don't know if I'll ever see them again."

"No, Rider Potter. We all pass on by our lonesome. While it is a beautiful idea that you would see them again, it is a fallacy," she said gently, touching my shoulder as I felt my chest tighten.

"I'm not giving up hope," I said quietly, meeting her eyes. She nodded slowly and turned back to her tent. I closed my eyes and felt my body twist and warp as I transformed into my first animagus form. My eyes opened again and the world had seemingly changed, colors were sharper, my field of view was better, and I could see in the UV spectrum. I opened my beak and cried out as I leaped into the skies.

This was the first form I achieved almost straight out of Hogwarts, a jet black golden eagle. It was almost a ridiculous transformation since my Firebolt was so much faster (except when diving, nothing beat diving as an eagle) but it did come in handy for the night missions when we needed better intel than what we had on hand. People may look at an Eagle for a second or two but, unless they're serious birdwatchers, they'll look away pretty fast. Also, since I don't actually have a broom - besides my original Firebolt Sirius gave me all those years ago (that was shattered in two) in my pouch - with me, this was the best I could do for flight and I desperately needed a way to clear my mind. Kind of happens when you have the bombshell dropped on you that you've become immortal. I dove down toward the ground with all the speed I could muster before pulling up and running a lap around the clearing. I pulled up and launched myself back into the skies before I eventually looked down and caught sight of Astraeus who was looking at me in a kind of awe as he looked toward his own wings and the sky. I dove back toward the ground, pulled myself to a stop, and landed in front of him. He looked at me excitedly before he looked at his wings and hooted sadly, I changed back to my human form and scratched his chin.

"One day, bud," I said with a grin, "and one day you'll be even faster than me." He did his best attempt at a roar that had me grinning even wider. I reached down to him and he clambered up my arm like it was a ramp, going to his spot around my neck. I felt a tickle on my mental shields with a haze of familiar red, I was so stunned at the color that it slipped past most of my defenses before I knew what was happening.

'One day, Harry,' Astraeus whispered into my head. I looked at the little dragon with my jaw completely slack.

"You can talk!?"

'Yes,' he sounded way too cocky but I couldn't really fault him. I shook my head and looked up to where the three elves were staring at me in utter shock even as I felt the little dragon leap off my shoulders and over to where Yaela was standing. He looked up at her before curling into a ball at her feet.

"Argetlam," Wyrden asked with awe on his face as he picked up a familiar jet black feather, "where did you learn to do this? Can it be taught?" I grimaced slightly at the look of sheer hope on all three faces and hesitated as I thought of how to answer that question.

"Maybe…" I started slowly, "I'll have to find the potion and see how much I have left - if there is any. Don't forget that there's no promise you would get an animal you want - I'm also not sure if it could work since our magics are so much different…" I said as I looked at them but that hope didn't disappear at all.

"Argetlam, if you can grant our people the ability to take to the skies on the wings of eagles, we would be in your debt," Yaela said wistfully, looking at the skies and then back at Astraeus before her eyes met mine. I nodded slowly.

"Again, no promises," I said. She nodded but grinned broadly all the same.

"Flying without a dragon," Vanir whispered, "I didn't know it was possible."

"Aye, Vanir-vodhr," Wyrden said quietly, "though our flight must be different if we wish to reach Kirtan on time. Come, we must go. Rider, can you keep up with an elf?" He asked seriously, his coal black eyes almost flat with his back to the sun. "I am aware that you can keep up as an Eagle, but we will be running for many days. Will you require rest?"

I didn't say anything, just transforming into my second form. Hermione had a theory back in oh-one, the second year after I had formed the corps (with Kingsley's and Robard's blessings, of course), that theory was that everyone that was magical had an animal corresponding to their human side and another for their magical side. Ron and I were her guinea pigs, as usual. She also was able to avoid the standard mandrake animagus process and went straight to making a potion with help from the unspeakables who were salivating over the idea of a new animagus process that was not only easier than the tried and true method but allowed for two forms. The Unspeakables were pissed that Hermione wouldn't join them since the only reason she didn't was because she couldn't get us the cutting edge equipment directly. "If I can't tell you what i'm working on, and you can't tell me what you need, how on Earth am I supposed to keep you alive?" Was her famous quote to the two of us.

Anyway, the process was a resounding success but there were limitations to this brand new potion. The mundane animal would have the animagus' coloring, no matter what. For instance, Ron and I were both golden eagles but mine had jet black plumage and green eyes while Ron's was a dark auburn (thankfully for him, his hair had faded from the shocking red of his Hogwarts days during his time in the academy) with his eye color. The magical side - on the other hand - was luck of the draw from what Hermione theorized.

Ron's second form was something none of us had ever even heard about before, right up until an Unspeakable keeled over (he got up seconds later, thankfully) at the legendary animal standing in front of him. When he came to and saw Ron's form, a second time, he was only able to gasp out Squall Lion before bolting away and coming back with twenty other Unspeakables who tested Ron thoroughly. I, for one, thought it was hilarious. Right up until I transformed and they turned their probes on me.

My second form was a melanistic American Nundu - also known as a Magical Panther or, as I prefer, the Aztec Bane. The Massive jungle cat could transform from the size of a (still rather large but otherwise) normal Jaguar up to about the size of a bison while actually being faster than it was at standard size. It wasn't exactly the most subtle animal for most jobs since it was a big cat but it could still prowl around pretty well.

The most impressive thing though? I could produce the toxic breath without the great honking venom sack around my neck like the African species - not that I used it all that often, it was a little hard to explain the controlled use (well, as much as Nundu gas can be controlled, that is) of what amounted to a WMD in an after action report. While fiendfyre is much more destructive and basilisk venom is much more concentrated, Nundu breath is insidious - especially the American variety. The African version has a strange green tint to it that you can see coming from a kilometer away while the American strain, on the other hand, looks like a heat mirage. You can't see it, you can't smell it, all you can do is hope you don't get caught up in it. It can melt lungs, travel against the wind, and will kill you in seconds if you're caught unprepared. The prevailing theory was that a strong bubble head charm could save your life against the venom, but that was proven wrong by me and the Unspeakables. The venom slipped under the charm like it wasn't even there, which had the unspeakables scratching their heads and checking their notes before throwing up their hands and saying "we don't know!"

Ron, good old Ron, fell over laughing when he heard the results, muttering about Potter luck - or something incomprehensible like that - while Hermione was just as baffled as the Unspeakables and she was the one who proposed that it acted sort of like an incredibly powerful chlorine gas! She hypothesized that since usually gas masks would protect you from the worst of that chlorine gas it would protect you from the nundu gas, obviously that wasn't the case. It seeps into skin just as easy as you can breathe it in, bursting veins and arteries as it forces its way into your heart.

Thankfully there was a way around that. And just what was that saving grace?
That would be that the venom degraded and disappeared in less than half a minute and there were ways to protect yourself from it. Hermione eventually found that the only way to protect yourself from the venom was to either be a Nundu or to be completely encased in a wall of Goblin steel or Dragonhide. Apparently, dragon hide - since it's basically hundreds of layers of armor lacquered over itself to make a form of skin - can protect against the venom relatively well. She designed the Dragon Corps armor with this in mind, thus the design had the user completely clad in steel with layers of dragon hide filling the chinks necessary for movement.

The truly genius idea, though? She created oxygen conjuration runes on the inside of the faceless helmet along with the sight and sight enhancing runes that let us actually see what's on the other side of the helmet - leading to our completely enclosed, blank face masks. If only I had the damn thing when fighting the Greek Basilisk…

But, back in reality, the three elves looked utterly stunned as a meter tall, black cat stood in the middle of the clearing with its tail flicking back and forth. I nodded my head thrice before warping back to my human form.

"I can keep up easily. As for rests? Yeah, I'll probably need to stop at night at least."

"We had planned to stop for camp each evening, Argetlam. Come, we must go now," Wyrden said with a small smile. I looked down at Astraeus who was still dozing at Yaela's feet and sighed. I picked up the dragon and sent him: Go with Yaela. He looked at me quizzically but I just changed back to the Nundu form. He didn't look impressed as he huffed and jumped up onto Yaela's shoulders - much to her surprise. I growled with the best approximation of a jaguar chuckle and pawed at the floor as Vanir took off like a shot into the trees. I couldn't help my grin as I took off behind him.

It took two minutes before I felt my tracking charm starting to strain - granted, I didn't put much power behind it but still it was quite impressive that the group got ahead of me so quickly. 'Just how fast are these people?' I thought but shook my head and apparated above the trees, warping into my Eagle form - catching up with the group rather easily. I stretched my wings and did a quick barrel roll, ready to take on whatever this new world held.

XXX

Kirtan wasn't so much a city as it was a waypoint - from what I could see - and it had taken us three days to reach it. The four of us stopped just outside the city limits and I was told to wait with Astraeus as they got us all horses. They came back a few minutes later but I took one look at the ponies and decided then and there I was going to stick with flying but left Astraeus with a horse of his own. He wanted to fly with me but he was still just too slow to keep up with my eagle form and the group itself, and there was the small fact he couldn't really fly just yet. I was hoping maybe he would be able to get in the air in a few days but there were no promises that would happen. Though it was a good thing we got him a horse when we did. The little guy wasn't too little anymore at a whopping forty-five kilos [1]. I made him a nest of pillows on the horses back and the three elves and dragon took off at a gallop as I gave chase from above.

It took thirteen days of hard travel but thank Merlin we were almost there. I had gotten to know a little of elven culture at night beside the campfire and how I should address the queen when we make it there, though my grasp on the ancient language virtually amounted to their greeting, how to make a pebble float, and how to make fire. Little did I know that things were just about to get rather interesting. On the evening of the thirteenth night things changed.

"Shur'tugal," Vanir said quietly, "tomorrow you must ride with us. Your dragon is now abreast with the horse he rode, it is truly remarkable. Though I fear he must walk or fly for the rest of the journey on his own."

'Spoil-sports,' the not-so-little dragon said into my head. I grinned slightly but nodded, glancing at the dragon gnawing on a doe's leg that he had caught earlier today. He was fourteen hands high at his shoulders and was the same size as the horse was chosen for me to ride. I sighed but looked over to Astraeus and sighed.

'Aye, but they're not wrong, you great, scaly beast,' I poked at him before I turned back to the elves as he protested but I just nodded. "I'll take him. What's his name?"

"Rivkolr," Yaela said as she stroked the horse's snout gently. I walked up to him, holding out my hand. I waited for the horse to make the first move and he did. He walked up to my hand and pressed his snout to it. I grinned as I patted his flank, he sort of shied away at first but quickly got comfortable with me but I finally realized something I hadn't before.

"Uh… Where's his saddle?"

"These horses need no saddles, Hadrian-vodhr," Wyrden said. "They are commanded by the ancient language - I have taught you the phrases myself. Tell it to go and it shall, but do not treat him as a slave. These horses are our friends, Shur'tugal. Treat them as you would your own dragon.

'As if the not-for-food-deer could be as magnificent as I,' Astraeus said into my head. I rolled my eyes. Ever since the little guy learned how to talk he had been nothing but a pompous pain in the ass.

'Hush, you,' I said back to the dragon who was now looking at me. He belched a stream of smoke as he curled up again. I shook my head exasperatedly but looked back at Wyrden. "You have my word, but I've never ridden a horse before," I said a bit nervously and muttered, "well, no horse without wings that it is…"

"Rivkolr will not allow you to fall, Argetlam," Yaela called "not unless you deliberately throw yourself from his back. Come, help me with the fire wood."

"Accio dry log," I called, almost bored. A few moments later, a log thicker than I was tall came lazily floating into the camp. I could only stare at the thing in shock. "I, uh… that's not quite what I wanted," I said, slightly chagrined. Yaela only threw her head back with a ringing laugh as I set to work splitting and cutting up the hundred foot long oak. Even with magic, it took me twenty minutes to cut down and split the mega tree into something usable for firewood.

"We do not need this much wood, Shur'tugal," Vanir said with a pensive frown, "what do you plan to do with the excess?"

"Keep it, store it, good firewood is hard to come by." I said with a shrug and a gesture to my pack. His eyes widened as he got the message.

"Of course, Hadrian-vodhr, I had forgotten of your pack of infinity."

"How many times do I have to tell you lot that my name is Harry?" I asked exasperatedly as the elves all laughed.

It was mid morning on the fourteenth day that I had really wished I could have flown instead of riding. Apparently, as horses go, Rivkolr was an excellent horse - but, as riders go, I was shit.

"Merlin damn it," I swore quietly as I felt a blister on my inner thigh pop and I could have sworn the damned horse giggled, I knew Astraeus did since I heard him in my head laughing hysterically. Thankfully, my misery was about to end as Wyrden threw up his hand and shouted something that sounded a lot like blotter! Blotter! It took me a second to realize that he was actually shouting in the ancient language and telling us to stop. My horse was obviously a lot smarter than I was because he came to a swift canter and then a trot until we came abreast with the rest of the riders at a dead halt.

"Rider Potter," Wyrden said quietly, "in a league, we will approach the limits of the city. The way is protected by Gilderien the Wise, he who is the Prince of House Miolandra, Wielder of the White Flame of Vandil, and the Guardian of the City since our war with the Dragons - Du Fyrn Skulblaka. When we approach him, I would advise you to do so from the back of Astraeus Bjartskulr with your hand bearing the Gedway forward. Do you understand?" His black eyes were unwavering as they bored into me. I nodded slowly but had to ask.

"This war with the dragons," I started cautiously, "when did it happen?"

"Twenty-Seven hundred and nine years ago, Rider Potter," Yaela said quietly, "and it is said the Prince was ancient even then. One of the few of our kind who crossed the sea from Alalea and yet he still lives. He would have seen nearly twenty-eight centuries, young Rider."

I looked at her in disbelief before saying, "you do realize I'm just a few years younger than Vanir and twenty years younger than you, right? But compared to this prince we're all mere children aren't we?"

"Indeed we are, Rider… Indeed we are," Wyrden said with a pensive smile as Astraeus finally swooped down through the branches to land beside me and Rivkolr.

"Why have we stopped?" He asked as he turned his crimson eyes to me. I shook my head and dismounted Rivkolr.

"Because we have to walk the rest of the way, bud," I said with a sigh. "And Wyrden there suggested I ride you."

"As it should be… When I'm strong enough, we will fly together properly. Not side by side while you are in that gnat's body," he said in his rumbling voice. I just chuckled and rubbed his face gently, he actually cooed as I did and growled as I stepped to his side and made to climb up on his back. "Partner-of-my-heart, why did you stop?"

"Because we have to get moving," I grunted out as I finally managed to find a comfortable spot between the spines on his back. The elves looked at me curiously but we kept up our conversation.

"This elf, he has been there for how long?"

"Well, you hatched just over two weeks ago, bud," I said as we started walking forward, "Gilderien has been there for much, much longer than even I've been alive. He's probably the single oldest person you would ever meet," I said quietly. The dragon fell silent for a few minutes as he just walked alongside the ambling horses.

"I would very much like to meet this old elf, partner-of-my-heart," the dragon said quietly. I grinned and patted his side.

"You will bud. You will."

"But why can I not fly?" He asked as he huffed a small plume of smoke in my face and twitched his tail.

"That… that's actually a good question," I said as I looked over to the trio of elves with a raised eyebrow.

"What is his question, Hadrian-Vodhr?" Wyrden asked with a small smile.

"He wants to know why he can't fly," I asked with a raised eyebrow. Yaela nodded slowly and was the one who answered.

"This forest is old, young one. Far older than even Gilderien but, to answer his question, we have already triggered wards to protect Du Weldenvarden's oldest city - Ellesmera. It would be unwise to stray from the path until we meet the gatekeeper. Even then it would be wiser to tread lightly." I gulped but nodded all the same.

"Harry… What does that mean?" I didn't respond outloud, just sending a thought back through our connection as I clambered up his side.

"That means that we stay grounded. No matter the cost," I said warningly. I felt Astraeus agree as he shuddered slightly underneath me from my place on his back between his spines.

It took us about half an hour to make it through the absolutely enormous trees, (seriously, the smallest of them were bigger than the biggest trees back on Earth!) and I could only stare in awe at the sheer immensity of the forest around me. Some of these trees were taller than skyscrapers in London and were still growing.

"Maybe I was wrong," I thought to Astraeus who perked his ears up slightly, still plodding forward, "maybe this place has no more magic than home does, it just has a sheer density that nowhere back on Earth can match… Nowhere on Earth could have ever matched…"

"It's so big," he said, obviously awed.

"Yes… Yes it is."

Everything shifted in an instant though. The forest, for the past few miles, had seemed gloomy, dark… All of that changed as we stepped across a boundary. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up as we crossed it - everything changed. The gloom retreated in an instant and revealed an elf standing there in a shaft of sunlight. I gulped as I took in the sight of the obviously ancient elf in all white, flowing robes with a simple circlet of silver on his head.

"Hadrian-Vodhr," Wyrden said quietly, "show him your palm."

I gulped and nodded, raising my left hand and barring the Gedwey Ignasia for the old elf to see. He frowned at me, obviously not pleased at my coat. I felt my throat go dry as I realized something incredibly important, these people practically worshipped dragons and it looked like I was wearing one's skin. I swallowed and looked at Vanir.

"Do you still have the Basilisk?" I asked before I looked at Wyrden, "I'm going to need you to translate. I think that he thinks that I killed a dragon," I said now on edge. Vanir looked a little nervous too but handed me the snake that was still somehow hanging around.

"I apologize that I do not know more of your language," I said as the snake slithered up my shoulders lazily and Wyrden translated my words to the old man who actually looked curious now. "But I can assure you, I have not harmed any dragons in my life. I have killed these," I held up the basilisk calmly, "in self defense. You see, they can grow to roughly the same size as these trees surrounding us," I said as I pointed to one that was roughly the same diameter as Slytherin's basilisk. The elf followed my gaze but I had already turned back to him. He nodded in understanding. "The first one I killed had already taken a life, a girl no older than fourteen years," I said. Wyrden repeated it and the old elf's eyes narrowed to slits. "I avenged her and saved the life of an eleven year old girl in the process. I killed it with nothing save a sword at the age of twelve. The next one I slew was utterly mad and had murdered thirty innocents and was positioned to slay a dozen more…" The old elf nodded in understanding as I patted my coat. "This is not a trophy, this is a form of armor. A reminder to keep Constant Vigilance," His eyes widened in realization as a soft smile crossed his lips and opened his arms.

"The path is clear, Shur'tugal," Wyrden said as he stepped forward. I got Astraeus moving beside him while Yaela and Vanir passed on his right. We made it a few paces past him and I just happened to look back and see the ray of sunlight disappear - and him with it. If it weren't for my years of doing something similar I would have been impressed.

"Can we fly yet?" Astraeus asked impatiently, I just chuckled and relayed his question to the rest of our little group. They all smiled but shook their heads in unison.

"We are almost in the city, little one," Yaela said soothingly, "your patience shall be rewarded greatly."

He huffed out a plume of smoke but didn't protest anymore. I jumped off of his back and warped into my Nundu form, shifting to be about his size and nudged his shoulder gently. He bared his teeth playfully as I growled in that strange approximation of a chuckle. For a brief second I had the thought of what someone would have thought if they saw a pony sized Panther playing with an equally small dragon… Though small is definitely relative here.

I warped into my eagle form, winging myself over to Rivkolr and landed on his back with the ease of practice. I changed back to my human form and rode abreast with Astraeus.

"Thank the stars," Astraeus said for all to hear, "you're heavy for a human."

"And you're short for a dragon," I shot back at him without any heat.

"On the contrary," Wyrden said, "he is quite large for a dragon not even three weeks old… His growth is quite remarkable, one could say it's almost unnatural."

"One could say magical," Astraeus said with his nose a bit higher in the air. I stopped for a beat as I realized something rather important and looked at Astraeus a bit closer until I was interrupted from my thoughts that the dragon had picked up on.

"Indeed," Yaela said with a grin, "though I wonder how long this may last."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I knew he was growing fast but he has a growth cap, doesn't he?" Yaela just laughed brightly as I blushed slightly. "Oh."

"No, Shur'tugal, your partner will grow to the size of the mountains should fate will it," Wyrden said with a slightly sad smile. Around the fifth day, they had all asked if they could see the eggs that I had stolen and were all disappointed that there wasn't even a stirring in them when they touched them.

"That's insane…" I whispered as I looked at the preening dragon.

"I am the greatest of all creatures, after all," he said arrogantly.

"The most arrogant of all creatures maybe," I snarked back at him out loud, getting a chuckle from the elves who were used to our antics by now but privately I sent him, 'second to elves it would seem.' The dragon snorted a small plume of fire but I blinked as I caught sight of something, something that looked like a path. There was another, and another… Something wasn't quite right here.

"Welcome, Shur'tugal, to Ellesmera," Yaela said quietly. I glanced over at her before the world seemed to rearrange itself and I finally realized what I was looking at - a city of earth… Well. Of trees, really. But there were no people to inhabit the city, or so I thought.

It started as flickers on the edge of my vision, images so sharp that I thought I didn't really see them, maybe it was just leaves falling. At least, that was my thinking until we made it another five hundred feet into the city and caught sight of appendages. A foot here, a hand there, a sandal or two here, a face over by the weeping willow, a flash of silver disappearing behind an oak… A few more steps forward and the elves' curiosity finally won out over any sense of caution.

As one, three hundred almond eyes locked onto Astraeus and a cheer erupted through the city as Wyrden dismounted from his horse and whispered to it. I don't know what he said but the silver dipped its head and plodded away. I couldn't be happier to dismount and did so as fast as I could without losing my footing with Yaela and Vanir doing something similar. I patted Rivkolr's snout and whispered "ganga" to him. He dipped his head and turned away, following his companions as they plodded off in the trees. When they disappeared, I stepped beside Astraeus and the roar of the people just grew louder with chants of "Argetlam," or "Bjartskular," and "Shur'tugal!" I looked at Astraeus who was just looking down at me. He looked thoroughly impressed as he preened from the attention.

"This is how a dragon should be treated, Harry," he said as he let a puff of smoke out his nose.

"Your head is too big already, you ruddy lizard. Come on, we're getting left behind." And we were, Wyrden was leading the way through the crowd straight toward a set of utterly massive double doors.

"The Queen and Council await," Yaela said as she almost appeared out of the earth beside me, "we musn't keep them waiting, shall we?" She asked with a broad smile that I returned easily.

"No, I don't think we should. Lead the way!" And she did, right beside Wyrden as Astraeus and I brought up the rear. Wyrden made it to the top of the staircase and pushed the door open. I don't know what I was expecting to see but a chamber with a honeycombed roof while being made from Red and White oak certainly wasn't it. I stepped into the chamber and thought Merlin himself had walked through the doors beside me based on the looks the elven lords and ladies were giving me. Most of them were leaning so far forward in their seats that I was half convinced they may fall out of them - that didn't take away from the fact that they each had a sword belted to their hips with the silver circlets settled on their brows.

"Wyrden, Yaela, and Vanir of Ellesmera, welcome home! Shur'tugal, we welcome you as well!" the woman settled on a throne of what looked like knotted roots on a raised dais called from the head of the room. She was breathtakingly beautiful with hair darker than midnight tied back with a crimson band and placed delicately under a simple diadem. I swallowed at the sight of the diadem and was thankful that it was just a simple silver band with a diamond inset on the front, otherwise it would have reminded me too much of Ravenclaw's diadem that I destroyed all those years ago, but, of course, that line of thinking always brought me back to my first - and nearly lethal - encounter with wild Fiendfyre and those thrice damned Horcruxes… The queen, for there was no doubt who she was, stood there in a velvet cloak over a scarlet tunic held at her hips with a simple length of braided gold. The most striking thing, though, was the white raven perched on a curved rod that she held in her hand. The Raven locked eyes with me and I felt the hairs on my neck tingle as the chamber fell silent, until the raven croaked, "Peverell, son of Ignatius. Heir of the Brothers Three, be welcome."

I stared at the raven in shock, my mind racing for any possible answers I could come up with but was rudely interrupted from those thoughts as the Queen hushed the Raven and rose from her throne. As one, the three elves I had traveled with knelt before their liege. I, on the other hand, remained standing. This was not my queen, I had only met my Queen once and I could already tell that Elizabeth, old bat she was, was thrice the woman this queen looked to be - no matter how graceful or powerful she may appear. The elven queen raised one of her perfectly manicured midnight eyebrows at me and tried to bore holes into me with her brilliant green eyes that were just a shade paler than mine.

"You do not kneel, rider?" She asked. I shook my head as Astraeus growled lightly, I just placed my hand on his flank and said:

"No, majesty. I do not. You are not my queen, you are not my race. It is not my place to kneel before you as of yet - or possibly ever. I am beholden to my dragon as he is beholden to me, I shall not kneel for then Astraeus would be subordinate to you. As you can imagine, a dragon kneels to no man or, as the case may be, elf."

"You speak words of wisdom, Shur'tugal… My subjects, rise," she said and I didn't miss the emphasis on my as she looked at my three companions who had all risen to their feet. Even though I was slightly annoyed, I glanced at them and twisted my hand over my chest and did the traditional greeting to the queen, she deserved that respect at least. She looked slightly surprised but said the second line of the greeting.

"I am afraid that is the extent I have made of learning the Ancient tongue. I am Harry Potter and this, as mentioned, is Astraeus," I said with my hand still on his flank.

"This is no fault of your own, Rider Potter. Two weeks is hardly time enough to learn an entire language. What business brings you to my city, besides my scouts, that is?" She asked with a small, utterly fake, smile.

"I am seeking shelter from the king, Galbatorix," I said seriously, "I was fortunate enough to find myself in a position where I was able to… Liberate a good portion of his possessions, most of which will remain in a location non-disclosed until further notice - though it is most assuredly secure."

"And what is it you stole from the murderer that could interest us?" one of the nobles called down from the bench. I didn't even hesitate as I unslung my pack, upended it, wordlessly cast Accio Rider Swords on it, and watched as hundreds of the multicolored blades tumbled out of the bag. I summoned the elder wand and waved my hand at the unruly pile, causing the blades to leap into the air and sort themselves by color before hovering point down in the air, slowly revolving around me in four rings.

"Those are rider swords!" Another voice called from the bench. I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes as the mutters stirred up even further.

"Blagden," the queen said quietly to the Raven that knew way too much, "fetch Rhunon, she is needed." The white Raven leapt off the staff the queen held and flew through a window. I raised my eyebrow again as the queen started talking again.

"Very impressive, Rider Potter. I thank you for returning these to their rightful people." I narrowed my eyes at her, stopping mid-movement as I brought my hand to my chest toward my mokeskin pouch.

"Rightful people?" I asked quietly.

"Aye, boy. Though rightful smith is more like it," A new, gruff, voice said from the door. I turned around and saw a steely haired woman stomp into the throne room, "I was just headed here when your damned Raven came for me, Islanzadi! Though, I'm glad to see you sent the blasted thing for a reason." I couldn't help my grin as the woman browbeat the queen with casual ease, plucking a white sword out of the air with barely a glance at it as she drew level with me and the scouts.

"Oh, Islingr," she muttered, looking at the bone white blade with a practiced eye, "what did that bastard do to you?" I looked at her curiously as I stepped up and held out my hand.

"May I?" she looked curious but passed the sword to me anyway. I shuddered at the feeling of black magic in the blade and ground my teeth trying to think of something… "Finite Malus," I whispered and a pulse of red magic erupted from my hand, up the sword, and around the room. The pulse of crimson magic sank into six other blades on the floor, I could only stare at the blade in awe. It not only let my magic travel through it, but amplified it. I grinned viciously at the thought as I passed the sword back to the smith. She took it with an awestruck look on her face before she grinned broadly.

"I'm impressed, Argetlam," she said gruffly, sliding the blade through her belt. "If you need a blade better for you than that poker at your side, come find me in the forge. I have work to do. Oh, before I forget, these are my blades, Islanzadi. I forged them for the riders but they are mine. Argetlam! Keep them for me, would you?" She asked me. I nodded dumbly as we locked eyes - I waved my hand, returning the swords to my pack. "Excellent," she said with a nod toward me just as the smith turned on heel and marched out of the chamber before I could say another word, thankfully Islanzadi had realized either her faux pas in that time or that she had just been beaten by the hammer blunt smith.

"I… apologize, Shur'tugal. I am not used to your tongue, it has been many years since I have had need of it. I believe the correct term I was searching for was rightful creators?"

"Original creator," I said a bit less on edge but still annoyed. "There is one more thing, though," I said as I pulled out my mokeskin pouch. These people may be prideful, arrogant bastards, but they've proven they would do anything for the dragons. I glanced over at my companions who were all nearly vibrating in excitement - they would also force me to show the eggs if I didn't do it on my own terms. The queen quirked one of her eyebrows before her jaw went slack at the emerald and sapphire eggs being pulled from my pouch simultaneously.

There was a beat of silence before the chamber erupted in a roar that was as equally deafening as it was impressive. I doubt even Astraeus would even be able to match it if I hit him with a Sonorous. There were elves jumping up and down, some were dancing with each other, and then there were the few who were just staring at the eggs in my hands as if they couldn't believe their eyes. The queen said nothing, just raising her staff with a massive (and real) smile stretching across her face.

"Harry Potter, you have given my people hope once more. As such, I name you elf friend," she said as she reached out her staff once again. The white raven came fluttering in from the window and landed on his previous place with something in his talons. Islanzadi took the ring - now that I could see what it was - from the Raven and stepped down from the dais. I replaced the eggs in my pouch and watched the hauntingly beautiful queen warily. "There is only one other of the Alfakyn roaming the world, Harry Potter. Another former rider by the name of Brom, you will meet him one day, I should think." She smirked as she handed the golden ring inset with a ruby to me. "You will do us proud."

I nodded to her but was already pumping charms and detection wards into it as fast as I could. There was nothing inherently dangerous about the ring, or at least nothing that would kill me if I wore it - CONSTANT VIGILANCE! And all that. With that, I resolved to scan the damn thing even further in depth when I was finally alone. Well, only one thing left to do… I fought back a grimace as Islandzadi looked at me expectantly, I sighed and pulled the ring onto my right ring finger - only slightly surprised to find that it fit me perfectly. The Queen looked around the room and lifted her hand once more,

"I call this session over, may we meet again! We feast this night!" She called to another round of cheers in the room. In seconds the room was empty, save for the five of our travelling group and the queen.

"You are a mystery… Harry Potter… You come to us yet you do not know us, you bear the dragon eggs but do not relinquish them, and you do not ask for training in our ways… I would know why." Her green eyes were cold, calculating, analytical, as she tried to bore holes through me with them alone. I stared right back at her and smirked, Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth would have torn strips from this cub and I'd been shouted down by much more intimidating people. Hell, Voldemort was the literal boogeyman to Wizarding Britain and I walked up and let him kill me. Even Snape, the bloody, traitorous git he was, had a better death glare than this hollow supermodel of a Queen.

"Queen Islanzadi, you tout yourself high," I rebuked her sharply, "but I do not need your magic, I do not need your help - though it is appreciated greatly. I came to these woods to find a place to hide or seek shelter for the rest of my days, only to find that those now stretch into the uncountable - the unfathomable. I will fight a war against Galbatorix, if need be, but only after my dragon grows stronger," she stepped back as if stung but I carried on. "Fifteen days ago I had no idea elves still lived. Make no mistake, your majesty, I am no boy you can browbeat into your cause. I was an Auror - a soldier and lawman. I have seen things that would make Galbatorix squirm and scream and I have destroyed that darkness without hesitation. The very coat I wear came from a beast that would have killed Astraeus with, dare I say it, laughable, no - hilarious, ease. Come and see," I said, projecting the image of the basilisk to the front of my mind. I knew the instant the Queen was in my mind, her presence was just so big. But, it was hard to find something you couldn't see. My mental defences - after I found a teacher better than Snape - were superb simply because of how unorthodox they were. Most people use the 'clear your mind,' or the 'focus on this,' mentality - I do the latter and focus on my invisibility cloak. I know it better than most things and it works better than any shield - there's also a small area to let the person trying to find my mind basically knock, which was what the queen was doing. For the queen to see my fights with the basilisk, I simply have to push those memories through the cloak for her to watch.

The queen gasped in horror and staggered backward after she saw the sheer magnitude of the Basilisk and felt what I was feeling as I fought it.

"By Stars and Dragonfire," she muttered as she looked at me in a new light. She frowned before she obviously made a decision. "Come, Rider, there is something you must see," was all she said as she strode toward the door. I looked at the other three and nodded.

"I'll catch up later, I'm going to see where she's taking me. Come on, Trae." I said quietly and turned back to the door with the dragon at my heels. I managed to catch up with the queen and fell in step with the woman as she sped through the paths of the city. It took us about ten minutes before the trees broke and we found ourselves in a clearing. The queen whirled around to face me one more time.

"Before we go any further, I must ask your oath of silence in this matter. I would have it in my tongue as well, no oath spoken in it can be torn asunder." She said coldly and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Why should I give you my word?" I asked in my cold commander tone. She glared at me for a beat before deflating.

"To protect a man's life, our kind, our very future..." she said quietly. I felt the truth in her words and nodded hesitantly.

"Alright then," I muttered, "but I want Yaela, Wyrden, Vanir, or even Rhunon, here so I know I'm not swearing to something I don't want to," she looked at me and I stared back at her just as forcefully. She sighed and waved her hand as Rhunon walked out of the trees with a smirk.

"That'll be five gold, lassy," the smith said with a broad grin. The queen sighed and handed over the coins. I raised my eyebrow at them and then at Astraeus who looked equally confused.

"We missed something."

"Obviously," I shot back as Rhunon snorted.

"We knew you were coming, I told lassy here," the smith indicated the frowning queen, "that you wouldn't be stupid enough to take any chances with a language you didn't know. She thought you'd do it without hesitation."

"I may have in my youth," I said with a small smile, "but I've learned better now."

"Good lad! Alright here's the oath in your tongue: 'I, state your name, henceforth do swear that I shall not divulge information on the Mourning Sage or his mount with any being living - be it willing or by force - unless they too are aware of the Sage as well. I do swear this until such time I am released from my oath by the Queen of the Elves or the Mourning Sage.' Got that, boy?" she asked gruffly and, for a second, I saw a flash of Moody superimposed on the smith. I felt my lips quirk as I chewed on the oath for a second and found that it really wouldn't hurt that much in the long run.

"Alright, yeah. I've got it," I said. Rhunon nodded and coached me through the oath word by word until she was confident enough I could give the oath and Astraeus could too. Taking an oath from a dragon… Will wonders ever cease? We both took the oath and the queen led us over to the edge of a cliff. I blinked in surprise at the view. I looked over to where the queen was just standing to see she had already disappeared. I sighed and shook my head again as I leaned on Astraeus and soaked up the view.

"You know," I said quietly, "this isn't quite as breathtaking as the time Gin and I took the kids to the States to see that Canyon of theirs out in Arizona. Also, there's not a Thunderbird in sight but it's still a magnificent view indeed, but why would a mourning sage be out here?"

"What is this thunderbird you speak of, Harry?" Astraeus asked. I sent him an image of the enormous bird and he hummed approvingly.

"I miss them, Trae…" I whispered quietly.

"Aye, but you are here, partner-of-heart-and-mind. I would not have you anywhere else."

"Of course you wouldn't, bud," I grinned and looked him in the eye. Right up until I creased my forehead in concentration, listening to the air around us. Astraeus' ears perked up too as he heard it. It sounded like distant thunder but it was too long and low to be that, not to mention the sky was completely clear. I frowned deeper and put a hand on my sword, summoning the elder wand I hissed a low activate to make sure I was protected against whatever was coming. With one last jerk of my wrist I was fully armored, shielded, and prepared to face any potential threat. I apparated Astraeus and I away from the cliff face by about a hundred yards and waited on whatever it was flapping it's way up the cliff. I felt my jaw drop as it finally came into view though.

A mind bogglingly enormous dragon crested the cliff face for at least a hundred meters in each direction as he hauled himself up and over the cliff face. I swallowed nervously as the sixty meter tall - at the withers, it's head stretched another five above that - came crashing to the ground with an almighty crash. I barely registered the fact that A: Astraeus had his fangs bared and B: the dragon had a rider climbing down his side.

The rider, garbed in pure white - almost shimmering - robes that opposed the dull grey of my Goblin steel armor quite well, hit the ground with his hands spread in the universal gesture of peace as the titanic dragon folded his wings carefully.

"Peace, Rider Potter. I am Oromis, du Osthato Chetowa, the Mourning Sage and the last of the Riders of Old. Come, we have much to speak of."

XXX

[1] 45 kilos is roughly 100 pounds.