Apologies for the delay. As you can see, after thinking about it for a while and due to the suggestions of some of the reviews, I've changed Harry's middle name. In part because it sounds weird for her to have a male name and for consistency with my other stories where Harry is a woman. I will go to previous chapters and change it too.
Thanks for all the reviews and positive feedback. Enjoy!
Exodus
While Harry fled the warriors of Khorne on Hammerhal's streets in Aqshy, on the inside of a chimney in Britain, stemmed members of the magical community arrived at the Ministry of Magic.
Draco and his parents exited the fireplace in a burst of green flames. The boy dusted his clothes and drew his wand. They looked around them with a nervous demeanour and the blonde mentally prayed they had not been spotted.
Not soon after, his friends appeared with nervous expressions on their faces.
There was Daphne Greengrass, a blonde with grey eyes that was considered one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts and that had her sister Astoria beside her. Blaise Zabini, his best friend and whose mother had a very nefarious reputation. Theodore Nott, one of the few Draco could count on when getting him out of trouble or selling him prank items. Crabbe and Goyle, a pair of dim-witted bullies that always followed Draco around, and usually acted as his bodyguards and muscle during their stay in school.
They had been coerced into joining their assault to the Department of Mysteries under threat. Malfoy cursed their luck. Due to their families' associations, now the heirs of wealthy politicians and Voldemort sympathisers were forced into following this crazy plan or suffer the consequences.
The group was followed on their journey by the escaped members of Voldemort's Inner Circle and their hostage. A small army to take over the place and fulfil their mission.
The group had decided to sneak into the Ministry late at night, on the first hours of the morning. This provided them the perfect circumstances for them to reach their objective without much security put in place.
There was his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange, followed by her husband. His father, Lucius Malfoy, that had lost weight in prison due to depression. The Carrow twins, famous for their rampage in Hogsmeade that ended with twenty wizards and witches killed. Dolohov that was arrested for raping a dozen teenage girls and making their parents watch. Peter Pettigrew, the one that betrayed The-Girl-Who-Lived' parents and had been instrumental in their lord's resurrection. Travers, Walden MacNair, Septimus Davoe, Prozion Bellona, Nigel Reed, Johann Valverde...
All in all, the group of people that had entered the Ministry of Magic that very night was comprised of no less than twenty. Subtle was not precisely what they were going for. Voldemort had gained the loyalty of quite a few and the prospect of returning to their lord was something they would do gladly.
The sound of their footsteps echoed in the enormous hallway where the magical chimneys were located. The tiled floor was polished to a sheen, allowing the people in it to see the ceiling and them reflected on its surface. Chandeliers that would cost a small fortune hung atop their heads, illuminating the place in warm light.
A pair of guards stood at the end of the hallway with surprised expressions, they had heard the roaring flames and the sound of footsteps from this entrance to the building. Before they could raise the alarm, Bellatrix whipped her arm with the fluidity of mercury and hit them with green bolts of magic, killing them in an instant.
Satisfied with her actions, the mad-woman twirled like a ballerina and faced the group with a maniacal grin. The sound of their bodies hitting the marbled floor and echoing in the chamber made Daphne jump in surprise.
"C'mon everyone! The coast is clear" Bella made a gesture with her hand, and began walking to their objective with a hop in her step.
Draco's group followed the adults reluctantly. Once out of the room of the fireplaces, they noticed that there was nobody else around and made some of them sigh in relief. The less fighting they had to do the better.
Fudge, the current Minister was tied with ropes and had his mouth taped so he couldn't scream or annoy them with his incessant whines. His face showed the fear the man was currently feeling plain as day and Draco couldn't fault him for it. Knowing the company they were with, it would take nothing to set one of the Death Eaters into a psychotic attack that would maim or kill the incompetent politician.
Dragging the overweight man around by the scruff of the neck, Dolohov jammed his wand on the hostage's ribs, urging him along. Reluctantly, Fudge began walking.
The group of criminals moved forward, guided by his aunt at the forefront, and dragging the teenagers with them without saying anything. Bellatrix looked at Draco and the boy felt a shiver down his spine at the woman's eyes. He was beginning to lament his decision of telling her what Harry's friends had said in Hogwarts. There was this feeling he couldn't shake of an upcoming disaster waiting to happen.
"C'mon, brats!" Amycus Carrow barked, flailing his arm in the air with wand at the ready "We don't have all night. Let's go!".
Not wanting to test the man's patience, the teenagers began to pick up the pace, sending nervous glances at each other. The only two that seemed to apparent calm and in control being Daphne and Blaise, most likely to not appear weak under the criminals' gaze.
The group exited the hallway and arrived at the main hall of the Ministry. The chamber was enormous, easily the size of a marketplace, with a circular structure from where doors gave access to the various departments. A gorgeous marble fountain stood at the centre with a decorative statue depicting a wizard standing atop a pedestal while a muggle, a house-elf and various other magical creatures kneeled in a gesture of reverence. It was a monument to the ideologies of the society, and the belief of the Wizarding World's supremacy.
On one side of the spacious room was a counter where normally a group of employees from the Ministry's staff would attend new arrivals, and help people with any doubt they may have. The place was deserted for the most part.
"Hey! Who the bloody hell are you?!".
Draco watched, as the guard that had yelled at them had no time to take out his wand before his father whipped the one he had hidden in his cane, and launched a cutting spell at the woman. Her throat was severed instantly, and he watched she brought her hands to her neck in desperation to try and stop the flowing blood from spilling out.
The horrible chocking noises she did trying to speak made him gag. Unlike the killing curse, this was the first time Draco has witnessed such an unclean and brutal death. It brought to the forefront of his mind how severe the situation was. The lack of hesitation in his father's actions was nauseating.
The woman's body hit the floor, and the blood flowing from the open wound stained the marbled tiles in crimson colour. The corpse had its eyes opened wide, forming the face into a horrific rictus of nightmarish visage.
His friends didn't take it much better either. Crabbe threw up, staining the floor with his dinner and a trail of bile dangled from his open mouth. Artoria shivered and her sister embraced her in a gesture of comfort.
"Bloody hell...!" Theo hissed at the gruesome spectacle. The boy gritted his teeth to resist screaming, and consequently getting the unwanted attention of the criminals around them.
"Damn it, Malfoy. Why do we have to be here...? This is all your fault!" Astoria's accusation made the teenager wonder about his decision too.
It had been so easy, to run towards his parents and spill all. He couldn't blame himself for it, since childhood Draco had always relied on his parents and taught to inform them of everything. His father's idea of going to Azkaban and freeing his demented aunt had spilled disaster for all of them.
Not only they had freed Bellatrix, but also been forced to help all the other members of Voldemort's circle that had been imprisoned in there. Now, his friends and their families were being threatened and their record was forever blemished by today's events.
Minister Fudge was shoved and hit by the Death Eaters, who snickered at the man's misery. The pathetic politician had tears streaking down his face, and his expression was one of horror and fear. The teenager couldn't blame his attitude and didn't wish to be in his position at the moment.
"We must hurry. It won't be long before the aurors are alerted of what's happening here" His father warned the group.
Picking up the pace and receiving grunts of approval, the group marched in the direction of the Death Chamber, dragging their hostage along.
XXX
Sirius considered himself a man that could take anything in stride. He lived in a world were magic was real after all. There was little that could catch him off-guard. But this new adventure was testing his limits.
This new world was strange. No, more than that. This world was absurd, the product of the dream of a madman. Not even the most drugged of junkies could come up with such a place.
The skies above his head were constantly caped by dark clouds, and strangely it was coloured a pale magenta that gave clear signs this place was not on Earth, the wind blowing sounded like the howling cries of the dead and the terrain the man was walking on was formed of a sinister texture that resembled crystal. Statues of living beings littered the place and added a foreboding nature to the place.
It was odd, that the two were certain. They couldn't determine what had caused such shift in the nature of this place. Magic at such scale was rare on Earth and Sirius didn't know muggle weapons capable of this kind of power, except maybe those of mass destruction. The only thing that could be possibly like this was Pompeii and the Vesuvius' eruption, but there was no volcano close enough to have rained down such volume of ash and lava.
Not everything was doom and gloom though.
Remus, his best friend and resident werewolf, was by his side. Together, Sirius was certain that they would find Harry sooner or later. Others had accompanied them to the other side and if they had appeared here, surely, they were somewhere too.
"Morgana's shaggy tits, Moony! This place goes on forever!" Sirius yelled in exasperation "If I knew it, I would have brought me The Quibbler or something!".
Remus smiled and rolled his eyes. Sighing, the werewolf stopped to see if they could orient themselves. Sirius rested atop a crystalized rock and laid down against the tree beside it.
Complaining wasn't going to do anything, but Remus considered the attitude of Harriet's godfather was beyond reproach given the circumstances.
Calculating the time they had spent traversing the fossilized forest, their estimation was of no less than six or seven hours not finding sign of life beside the humanoid monsters that had pursued Sirius and Remus there until giving up. They had paused a couple of times to rest and resumed their journey, but that didn't provide as much relief as they have wanted.
"C'mon Padfoot" He encouraged him gently "The sooner we get out of here, the better".
Nodding, the raven-haired man got up from the polished rock.
It had not been more than ten minutes of constant walking. That was when he noticed it. A strange and unnatural formation, the uniformity of the ground becoming more pronounced, the corpses frozen in horror of people increasing in number, their gestures of fear and their bodies angled indicating their fleeing movement paused in time.
A small city found itself in their path, a sign of civilization after a long time. A medium-sized town for the looks of it. Steeping closer to the site, the two adults remained silent and making no sound except the one produced by their shoes stepping on the crystalline substance covering the ground.
Sirius and Remus drew their wands in a gesture that indicated all the time spent training and fighting over the years. The cause of such a pre-emptive measure was due to the constant fighting endured in the service of family and friends against death eaters, dark wizards and witches, and Voldemort.
This wretched place was only the next obstacle of many to defend his loved ones. He was determined to not be psychologically defeated until Harry was with them once more.
Sirius would soon find his torment and setbacks had no sign of stopping anytime soon.
The two stopped in their tracks. What greeted them at the other side of the wall was total defeat.
Sirius chocked in surprise, and a coughing fit followed. He covered his mouth with his hands in an effort to muffle the noise. Supressing the urge to scream at the top of his lungs, the man hurried with Remus and the two quickly found cover behind the ruins of a fossilized building.
Stretching into the horizon, there was an army. Not unlike those found on Earth in antiquity, yet different in equal measure.
For once, the soldiers that comprised it were some kind of undead, an amalgamation of bone and ethereal fire melded together in an unholy mockery of life. The second was their choice of weapons, terrible instruments of death that were made from a combination of fossil and obsidian. The third was their number, hordes of reanimated corpses stood silently among the wreckage of a dilapidated city in numbers that defied any kind of possibility for quantification.
At first, the Animagus thought his eyes deceived him, that they were only soldiers wearing macabre garbs and armour to inspire terror in their enemies, but he soon found his delusions shattered. Beside them, were skeletal soldiers that resembled those found in humans, wearing less elaborate armour and carrying swords and shields, their eyes lit with spectral flame of a bluish colour.
The scale at which this army operated was absurd. He had never seen anything like this before. A literal continent of soldiers of monstruous size and number. Each taller than a man and carrying armour and weapons that made them deadly and unstoppable.
Chariots pulled by spectral beasts of burden lined the forefront, while catapults and other siege engines like ballista provided support behind them. What seemed to be the unholy fusion of a dragon and man flew on wings of bone in numbers so great that they bloated the sky. They wielded swords that, for the looks of it, could easily hack a man to pieces like a hot knife through butter.
The army's scale was too large, too terrible and too frightening to elicit even a thought from the two men from Earth. The sight before them stretched far into the distance, with no end in sight. Studying it in detail would take them hours they couldn't afford.
Sirius and Remus were familiar with dark magic. It was an inevitability of their lives and professions. Zombies, Inferi, vampires, curses, maledictions... This was nothing like it. Even the most skilled necromancer on Earth could only control twenty or thirty corpses at maximum, with the famous Grindelwald reaching a whooping fifty on a good day if Dumbledore was to be believed.
This. This was another thing entirely.
Unusual for them, Sirius dreadfully realized that the enormous soldiers leading the troops looked to be more of a mass of ossified substance shaped like a golem.
At the forefront of the army, Sirius and Remus noticed one of the creatures that looked like the leader of such a warband.
Taller than a two-story building, with the masculine visage of a man trained for war. The monster carried a shield of black metal and white bone the size of an elephant's skull on one hand. On the other, a polearm similar to a spear or glaive, the blade engraved with mystical runes the two outsiders couldn't recognize. The most disturbing thing, was a cloth wrapped around his hips made from sewn skin similar to the one grafted on its helmet. A ragged cape hung atop his shoulders and from the back, there was a piece of metal shaped like ribs clasped and giving the impression of being shaped like wings.
Sirius doubted they could converse with such a creature and ask for directions. The most likely outcome would be their deaths being slow and painful.
A retinue of smaller soldiers carrying banners stood at his side. Not knowing the name of such monster, Sirius decided to aptly name him 'Bloody-Hell-Murder-Skeleton-I-Really-Don't-Want-To-Get-Closer-To'... On the other hand, maybe he would think a more appropriate name when they found themselves VERY FAR AWAY from them.
A second creature approached the first, mounted atop an undead beast that resembled a horse only partially. Bowing his head to 'Super-Skeletor', the one he assumed was second-in-command dismounted. Like Moses parting the seas, the re-animated soldiers made way for it without needing to be commanded.
His plated armour was made from the same obsidian metal of the rest of the army, with a helmet that bared for all to see that the wearer was a reanimated corpse. His eyes glowed with will-o-wisp fire, giving their terrifying appearance an even more dreadful look. On one hand, he had a small round shield with a rune engraved on its centre and on the other a sharpened spear with a red pole.
Whover had animated them was incredibly powerful. Sirius didn't see the caster, summoner or owner of the army and wondered how they would be able to direct the troops efficiently...
And that's when they began talking among each other.
"Katakros-'tor aiñ'nf vowv-'a" His voice was like the wind on the cemetery, sending chills down Sirius spine.
"Boa'ñcvb irb'a'-djqg Zandtos..." The booming voice of the leader made Remus' brain rattle inside his head.
The horrified realisation of their sentience made Sirius pale. What kind of creatures they were?
Unfortunately, they had no idea what they were saying. It was not a language the two adult wizards could recognize.
"...Wic bñahv'alkvb' cvoou p balcbo'an kvbe...".
"...Pso'anb Nagash-'cn'tor to'a,v og'cmb pap...".
For the looks of it, they were discussing some kind of strategy or plan, but without the appropriate linguistic knowledge Sirius could only guess. For what purpose they were here? What kind of conflict needed such a massive mobilization of troops? First the crazy cavemen that Sirius was pretty sure were cannibals, now this?
"Okay, this is too much. We need to leave. Now!" Whispering, the animagus addressed his friend.
Nodding in agreement, they were about to turn around, but the werewolf frowned when he noticed something wasn't right.
The two undead had stopped talking.
Turning their heads, Sirius and Remus looked in the direction of the leaders of the army.
The giant golem and the mounted skeleton were looking directly at them. They had found them!
"Bollocks! Let's get outta here!" Sirius exclaimed.
They watched as the smaller one walk towards them, each stride bringing him closer to their position and Sirius was flabbergasted by the calm in which it approached the snooping strangers.
Jumping from their hiding place after a fraction of a second of doubt, they started running in the opposite direction in an effort to escape.
'Maybe they won't be able to catch us', He wishfully wondered.
Sirius and Remus had no such luck.
In the span of the blink of an eye, the mounted second-in-command was beside them, running at their same speed without its mount's aid, even though it carried such heavy armour and weapons. Each step it took was a middle finger to the natural laws and common sense.
With inhuman reflexes, Sirius watched as the skeleton tripped Remus, sending his friend to a painful meeting with the crystalized ground. The next second, it did the same to him.
Hitting the fossilized and hard soil of the Realm, he felt patches of his skin peel off and some of his ribs crack from the impact. He had no time to cry in pain or lament his condition.
Sirius' last sight before losing consciousness was of a fist of bone quickly approaching towards his face at supernatural speed.
XXX
Draco had expected for anything but this.
The chamber was very spacious. The group had entered the room in full and yet there was still space for them to stroll around. The stone archway in the centre loomed silently, it's light casting monstrous shadows on the walls. Arcane inscriptions decorated the black rock forming a gate, and the willowing and ethereal energy inside brought forth the air of the underworld.
"Finally. Soon, Lord Voldemort will be with us once more!" Lestrange declared "And then, we will find the wretched brat that took us away from Him and make her pay!".
It was a very daring proposition. Many knew of the rumours surrounding the archway. The threat of dying for nothing was something they were keeping in mind even now. How they had been convinced of following Bellatrix in her mad quest for the Dark Lord was simple. The Dark Mark was a link to their master and so, as long as it was there and active Voldemort was still alive.
"Are any of you afraid?! Are we not pure of blood, sharp of mind and excellent in magic?! If so, come with me, and let's have some fun!" Bellatrix goaded her companions.
"Yeaaah!" "C'mon, let's go!" "I'll go first!" "No, me!" "Can't wait to see Our Lord!".
"Hahahahahahahahaha!" Bella's cackling laughter echoed in the room, cementing the woman's madness in the boy's mind.
The cries and cheers of enthusiasm lifted their spirits and made them resolute. They were ready.
Nobody was worried for the possibility of not being able to return to Britain. With magic at their side, they would triumph.
Except the teenagers, everybody was rearing to go.
Dolohov approached the gateway with confidence, but was stopped in his tracks by the resident lunatic's wand pointed at his face.
"Ah, ah, ah...! Ladies first Dolohov! What's the matter, daddy and mommy didn't teach ya' any manners?".
The man made a face that seemed like Dolohov was about to refuse, but Draco watched as he quickly glanced at the tip of Bellatrix's wand for a moment before raising his hands in the air.
"Of course, Bella... I'm just eager to see Lord Voldemort like the rest of you" He relented.
"Good boy" The woman slapped him maternally a couple of times on the cheek and stood in front of the Veil of Death. Turning her head around for a moment, the woman grinned ferally.
Draco paled. As if sensing that something was wrong, the rest of Hogwarts' students collectively took a couple of steps back.
"The children will go next. Don't want them to get cold feet, don't we...?".
Her quip was met with the roaring laughter of the other death eaters.
Not wasting any more time, Draco watched the woman plunge without hesitation towards the archway. Everybody gasped in surprise when she vanished instantly, without leaving a trace.
"C'mon brats! You heard her! Hurry!" Septimus barked. His face resembled a Pitbull, and the sneering look he gave the teenager didn't help to his image.
Draco watched as his friend gave him a look of resignation and the blonde cursed himself. This was the point of no return for them. He only hoped this whole ordeal would be a quick one.
Deciding to not waste any more time, the boy took a couple of steps until he crossed the archway.
He felt his body flung itself forward at such speed he lost consciousness in an instant and knew no more.
XXX
The words fascinating, terrifying and worthy of respect didn't come close to express how incredibly exotic Hermione found every minute of her life on Ghur.
Yndrasta and the small forces that were accompanying them to help Harriet were currently slaughtering a pride of enormous leonine creatures that resided at the foot of one of the many Realmgates found in the Realm and that were currently trying to use to travel to Hammerhal.
The beasts numbered in the dozens, bigger than a tigger and with sharp tusks and horns protruding from their bodies. Claws large as a man's arm, sharper than swords and used to cleave the reinforced hide of their prey left scratches in the intricate armour of the Stormcast Eternals that were currently exterminating them.
It was a slaughter. The warrior's weapons crushed bone, rended flesh and cut limbs with ease. Like an exterminator of Earth cleaning a house from pests, Yndrasta and the rest of the chosen warriors of Sigmar attacked with the precision of a well-oiled machine.
"Bloody hell! That's some scary beasties!" Ron exclaimed.
"Mister Hagrid would love them. Sad he couldn't come with us" Luna commented, ignoring the redhead's outburst.
Their mounts waited now by their side, the teenagers having dismounted for a bit to stretch their legs while Yndrasta's forces fought against local fauna that had settled at the entrance of the Realmgate.
Unlike her friends, Hermione had never seen a Realmgate before. It was a fascinating sight, that made the curly-haired teenager excited to know more. From what Ron and Luna had told her, this type of portals were the ones that had allowed the two to come to her aid with soldiers in tow.
She analysed with her innate curiosity the sight before her and wished this were different circumstances.
An archway of monstrous proportions stood in front of the army, shimmering light casting great shadows in all directions. The gateway had strange symbols engraved on its surface, that blinked with supernatural light and released arcs of raw magical energy the colour of flame. Pieces of rock floated, defying gravity. Decorative frames of wood and bone were affixed in the Realmgate, giving the impression of shamanic idols. Shifting ripples disturbed the surface of a liquid barrier that filled the hole made inside the Realmgate.
A product of craftmanship too perfect to have been formed naturally. It seemed that on the Mortal Realms the fantastical was on leagues greater than Earth's. Nothing she had seen as a member of the Wizarding World could compare.
For what she had understood, these gateways connected all the different Mortal Realms -Hysh for this one in particular-, and the girl wondered if once this whole ordeal was over they would let them go visit them just to see what kind of places they were.
It resembled in no small surprise the one found in the Department of Mysteries and the girl wondered what was their connection. After all, it had let them arrive in the Mortal Realms but scattered to the wind. Maybe the one on Earth was an imperfect copy? And if so, who would have created it? Those questions and more plagued the girl's head.
But one certainty imposed itself in the forefront of her mind.
"It's beautiful" The brunette said with starry eyes.
"Don't 'now what you are staring at. We've seen these before, they're not that impressive" Ron joked.
Huffing at his words, the girl ignored him and tried to come closer to the stonework to admire it in detail. One of Yndrasta's men stopped her and the golden soldier shook their head. Once satisfied, the armoured warrior turned around and went to assist his comrades in their current conflict.
Bitting her lip in apprehension, Hermione relented and went back to her friends a little bit disappointed. She glared at Ron when the girl noticed the redhead stifled the impulse to laugh at her with little success.
Deciding to ignore her friend, the girl waited beside him and Luna for the general's permission to finally cross the Realmgate.
After the last of the giant horned lions was killed, Lord Lucian came to retrieve them and the group mounted once more the majestic gryphons.
"Hope Harry is alright..." Ron muttered with a tint of worry on his voice.
"It's okay, Ronald" The blonde reassured him "Harriet is the best. Nobody will be able to stop her".
Smiling at Luna's confidence, the brunette marvelled at Lovegood's daughter to see everything with a positive light.
"Look guys! We're here!" The redhead pointed with his finger.
She was so distracted with her friend's discussion that almost didn't notice the moment they stood at the feet of the magical archway. Its light was a little bit straining in the eyes, but not too bright.
Close as they were, Hermione and the rest could hear the crackling sound of energy coming from the Realmgate as if the roar of a waterfall. Hermione felt the hair of the back of her neck stands on end due to the static electricity. A buzzing noise echoed softly through the air, muffling the sound of their mount's steps.
Inspecting it closer, the rift between Realms undulated like the waves of the sea during a gentle summer breeze. It came to mind the special effect from the movie Stargate she had seen that summer.
"Well, we can finally go to Harriet" Luna spoke, her eyes gazing forward and seemingly looking at something only the absentminded girl could see "She promised we would go feed the thestrals after returning from the Ministry".
"Of course, Luna! You know Harry never breaks her promises" The brunette replied.
Ghur had been a roller-coaster of emotions. And now finally, Hermione would be out of there and away from imminent danger without magic to defend herself. The orruks as the Stormcast called them had almost killed her, and the emotions Hermione had felt during that time had been more intense that when she and her friends had battled in the Department of Mysteries.
There was only one thing the girl couldn't get it out of her head. A faint sensation, fleeting and weightless. It was very difficult to describe. Almost like the teenager was going to go on vacation, and Hermione felt herself being a little anxious to abandon the place.
Grabbing the reins of her mount tightly, Hermione snapped out of it and steeled herself. Lucian goaded them forward, and the gryphons began traversing to the other side of the portal.
And without looking back, the three teenagers left the Realm of Ghur behind.
XXX
Running. Always running from everywhere and everyone. Pursued by madmen and psychos, under the weight of a destiny she didn't want. It seemed to Harry that she was cursed to repeat the same actions over and over, until the girl would give up and finally surrender to her fate.
She remembered the fight in the graveyard.
"Harriet Lily Potter. My enemy, my Death" Voldemort's voice echoed in her mind "I will finally be rid of you once and for all".
Harry also remembered the prophecy. The one professor Trelawney had uttered and sealed her parent's fate.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...".
If she understood correctly, the dark wizard was afraid to be killed by a baby. It was pathetic. Living his life with an obsession for eternal life was not worth anything in her opinion.
How she hated him. How she loathed him. How she wished he would just die.
The girl shook her head to get rid of that train of thought. Now was not a good moment to remenisce about the past.
Harriet felt her lungs burn from the strain of running at max speed for so long. Hammerhal was immense, and it felt like she was running a marathon. The buildings and people around her became a blur of shapes and colours that made the young witch's head spin. The paved streets of Hammerhal were littered with corpses, fallen objects and crumbled houses. Screams of civilians asking for help reached her ears, vivid images of what she had seen being etched deep in her mind.
Glenn and Neville were beside her, the three trying to reach the Realmgate before it was too late. The closer they came to their destination; the more citizens cluttered their path, and that ended up forcefully making them slow down. A line was forming, with guards flanking the civilians and directing them towards the Realmgate.
All as well, she observed. Apparently, the bloodthirsty woman had stopped pursuing them.
"...Holly...shit! …Who...? ...Who was that?!" Glenn asked.
"No... idea..." She responded in between breaths.
Trying to calm down, the raven-haired girl huffed and closed her eyes. Once she felt her heartbeat slowed down, Harry opened them again. It seemed the Stormcast Eternals had distracted Selene long enough for them to get away.
"...Ok... That woman has left, but knowing my luck she will return. The sooner we are out of here, the better".
The three of them walked towards the Realmgate, hoping to leave Aqshy at once. Once they finally stood at the foot of the portal, Harriet could see the fine details of the archway. The immense gateway to Ghyran had symbols she couldn't recognize engraved in the rock, volcanic in nature and with plant-life growing in small patches around the frame due to the connection to the Realm of Life.
The soot and ash from the World of Fire covered the ground in a layer of dust, and the shimmering surface of the divide charged the air with static electricity. The magic at work was wild and untamed, reminding the girl of the dangers of the Mortal Realms. People crossed the threshold without hesitation, hoping to be safe on the other side.
A guard made them gestures of encouragement, hurrying them along. Harriet hadn't noticed they had been standing in place, frozen in doubt.
Neville grasped her hand and the girl smiled. The boy was one of her best friends, and she doesn't know what she would have done being alone when the invasion happened. Nodding at him, and stealing a glance at Glenn, Harry regained her resolve.
Turning one last time to see Aqshy and the status on the ongoing battle, the three crossed the Realmgate.
XXX
Samantha stood in front of the improvised tombs of her friends without uttering a word. Buried
Their travelling troupe had finally said their goodbyes to those that had left them. It was something they had learn to accept in this world. None of them like it, but that was something inevitable.
"Samantha" A voice gently called for her attention. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
David, one of the actors of the troupe, stood behind her with a sad smile on his face. The man had blond hair and a small five o`clock beard from not having shaved in days. He wore a simple shirt, rugged pants and a pair of laced shoes that had seen better days. He had a small Hyshian accent that if the man said was true helped him when flirting during parties.
"Hello, David" She answered "How are the rest?".
"Fine, if you could say that..." He replied "There's someone here asking for you".
Blinking in surprise and arching an eyebrow, the woman turned around to give the man her full attention.
"Who?".
"I don't know. A very fancy lady. Says that she has an offer for us. A potential patron? We could really use some cash right about now, considering what is happening".
Frowning, Samantha wondered what was the catch. A potential sponsor was hard to come by, due to the reputation wandering troupes had. She would have to be very careful, or they would be screwed if it was all a ruse.
"Alright. Where is she?".
"Waiting for you in the caravan".
Deciding it was at least worth the trouble to see what the mysterious benefactor wanted to say, Samantha walked in the direction of her caravan.
Arriving there, she finally met the strange lady David had told her about.
She was beautiful, with pale skin and dressed in clothes only the wealthy could afford. Her eyes were two gems that could only be found on a dragon's hoard. The woman's hair was pulled in a tall bun decorated with golden hairpins and was the colour of freshly fallen snow. Her bosom was accentuated by a cleavage that drew the eyes of men and inflamed their desires.
She smiled at Samantha's approach and grabbing the hem of her dress, the woman made a curt gesture of
"Salutations. I apologise for the interruption, I heard of your loss and you have my sympathies" Her voice was melodious and gentle, giving her the impression of someone worthy of admiration.
"It's alright, Ma'am. It comes with the business" Making a gesture of invitation, Samantha opened the door of the caravan and entered the vehicle.
Doyenne followed and climbed the stairs. Once the two were inside, Samantha closed the door.
"Thank you for hearing my request".
"Of course, Madam. I'm just curious"
"You see, due to our current circumstances, I find myself in need of assistance. My previous residence in Hammerhal was unfortunately abandoned, and had only time to pack the essentials. What I want is an escort to my family home and was wondering if you and your troupe would accompany me there. Of course, you will be paid handsomely, and after arriving at our destination you could decide if you want to continue working with me. What do you say?".
That sounded too good to be true. Samantha had to be careful and determine if this was true or just some sort of scam.
"Why us?".
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The woman's eyes opened slightly in surprise as if she had remembered something "All this must sound so odd... It's simple, really. One day, I was walking through the streets of Cynderfall district because a deal I had signed when found myself standing at forefront of one of your little performances. You were all so good that the memory is etched deep in my mind. I always wanted to be the patron of such a wonderful band of actors and performers. So, when I heard you were here, among the refugees, I had to come see you. My current situation just provided me for an excuse to meet all of you".
The woman's giddiness was like that of a child during their birthday. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and excitement. Samantha was stunned and wondered if all rich people were like this. Most likely not.
Rumiaging the offer, Samantha considered the alternatives. They had little income at the moment. And the possibilities of finding a patron were slim, if she rejected the offer now, the troupe wouldn't know until the next one came. There was doubt in the back of her mind, still.
Looking at the rich woman's eyes, Samantha felt a curious sensation. The sensation faded as quickly as it came. Her doubts dissipated in an instant.
Reaching a decission, and hopping she wasn't going to , the leader of the troupe openned her mouth to answer the woman.
"I'm Samantha Polove" The leader of the troupe stretched her hand. The rich woman grasped it between hers and Samantha noticed the woman's flesh was cold as ice.
"My name is Doyenne Dalvia" The woman said with a courteous bow "It's a pleasure doing business with you".
XXX
Soon.
He was coming.
Soon.
He would arrive.
Soon.
It was innevitable.
From Shyish to Chamon. From Chamon to Aqshy. From Aqshy to His destination.
Traversing the Realms at the speed of a comet, the God of Death was coming to claim His price.