Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Magic Works in mysterious ways. Sometimes she cooperates, other times not so much. Forgive me, but I think you need to learn your manners.
-Author Unknown
3. Blood of Magic, Phoenix and Dragon
In Dumbledore's office, a vibrant fire-hued bird ruffled its wings before taking flight. In a flash of flame and smoke, the bird vanished, leaving the room dark and depressing. The silver objects loitering surfaces of the office gleamed in the dank moonlight.
Halfway across the world, a bird appeared in a ball of flames. Feathers adjusting slightly to the change in air pressure, the elegant avian swooped low to the ground in a graceful arch. The bird trilled, a musical sound, and vanished into the stone of a near by ledge. The last tail feather vanished, but not as before where the bird was consumed by flame.
Passing through the stone, the bird hovered before back-winging onto an ebony perch. There were six azure, crimson and sable perches, none of which were occupied. At the head of the arrangement were three sets of perches, in the hues of ivory, silver and copper.
Within seconds, more birds of similarities to the fire bird arrived, in exceedingly different methods. First came those of earth, who settled on the crimson perches. They traveled from the ground, their feathers slick, more like a cat's peltage than feathers. The Embassy of Terra was quite handsome, with emerald green feathers conjoined with brown and copper hued feathers. The avians' feathers were shorter than the first avian, but sharper than a dwarf's dagger.
The second to arrive was the Embassy of Fire. They arrived in through the stone that the original avian arrived through, flame still surrounding their rather long feathers. The back winged onto the azure perches as the next Embassy arrived.
The Water Embassy arrived in a sprinkling of mist, their rich sapphire feathers glittering with water. Unlike those of the other Embassies, their feathers were designed rather like fish fins, but obviously feathers. They landed on the sable hued perches, water surrounding their necks.
When the lower perches were filled, the Elders arrived. Of the Ice, Light and Shadow Embassies, they were the rarest of the six species. The two avian of Shadow arrived at the cover of darkness, landing on the pair of ivory perches on the far left. Black feathers intertwined with rich amethyst feathers. Their eyes were an occult hue, a pale pearly amethyst.
Next to them was the Ice Embassy. They were remarkable creatures, of silver-white feathers. One of the two ice avians had a pale gray under-wing pattern. They had pale blue eyes, reflecting their feathers within their pale depths. They perched on the two silver perches, resting in between the Shadows and the Lights.
The Light Embassy was of peculiar creation. They had pale yellow feathers laced with gold. Their eyes were a rainbow of colors, changing every couple of seconds or so.
The larger of the two from the Ice Embassy spoke first. "We are gathered here today under the will of the Father Air. Events have been occurring that must be handled in accordance."
The birds muttered, several showing a barely controlled anger. One of the Water females ruffled her feathers. Her voice rang out over the murmurs. "The wand-wielders have caused yet another unbalance within the flow of destined path of life." She narrowed her eyes. "It must be stopped!"
The Terra Embassy nodded in agreement as the meeting hall fell silent at her words. The male Ice bobbed agitatedly. "Daini, as you know, we all agree that it must be stopped, but are we willing to pay the price?" Daini narrowed her pearly eyes.
"Who are you," snapped Daini, "to question me about the costly price that I was willing to pay centuries ago?" The water phoenix lifted her head, ruffling her azure and turquoise feathers.
The ice phoenix clicked his beak. "Daini, do not speak ill of the Yatiel Accordance. It was and frankly still is the only thing that prevents the capture and destruction of our kindred and ash."
This aroused many clicking of beaks and a few muffled inappropriate choice of words. The female Light phoenix hummed a few notes and waited as the commotion died down. "Etiri," The phoenix gave the male Ice phoenix a sharp glare, "You know as well as any of us that the Accordance hinders us from completing Lady Mani's will."
The phoenixes shifted uneasily on their perches. Etiri clicked his beak sharply in annoyance. "Lady Mani created us to guide our world. Without us, the world would be locked within its own shackles, as it is now." The Light phoenix glanced from phoenix to phoenix before resting her gaze on one. "Fawkes is the only bond that keeps us from joining the Dark God's realm. Because he was tied by ancient magic, the Accordance could not recognize the bond."
Fawkes shifted uncertainly on his ebony perch. "Telkiení, as was argued at the last meeting, I can remember little from the times of the bonding. All I know is that I must find the one with the blood of the Griffin, yet for reasons I know not."
One of the Terra phoenixes cocked his head slightly and jeered at Fire phoenix. "If Laymon was here there wouldn't have been a problem with memory. He wouldn't have allowed this to have happened."
The Terra phoenix screeched indignantly as he was struck by the talons of the female Shadow phoenix. "Korida, restrain yourself. Laymon is honored for having sacrificed what he did for us. No shame may come upon Laymon or Fawkes for events that we had no hold over."
Korida ruffled his feathers before glaring at the female Shadow. Etiri clicked his talons irritably against his perch. "Farli," he directed towards the Shadow, "what do you suggest we do?"
Farli clicked her beak. "Fawkes should be allowed twelve winters to find the one of Griffin blood before we take action. The world is in turmoil around us, times are changing. We must remember the old ways, strengthen ourselves for battle, and learn the forbidden arts." Her voice rang through out the hollowed hall.
"Farli, you have been graced with the sight by Magic herself. Do you see this happening?" One of the Terra phoenixes murmured softly. Farli narrowed her amethyst eyes. "The future can never be accurate until it has happened. There is no more truth in what I say than what is false. Every move, every word, every thought changes the path of future into a labyrinth of roads, undecipherable and incomprehensible."
A silence fell over the assembly. The phoenix, Farli, closed her eyes for a few moments. "What I said is true, but most paths that I see lead to a battle of change. We must be prepared." Her sharp, yet beautiful voice cut off sharply.
Etiri clicked his beak. "We shall adjourn and prepare. We meet again in twelve winters to decide the course of action best taken."
The phoenixes, some smug, others irate, left the hall in a flurry of mist, fire and light. Fawkes remained still, pondering on the events to come.
Solemnly shaking his plumed head, he pushed off the perch and flame-flashed away.
Fawkes flame-flashed back to Dumbledore's office, slightly depressed. The old man was not what he seemed, and his sense of coy assurance. He hated the way the old man's magic washed over him, making his feathers feel gritty and used. He sometimes feared that the man rather siphoned off his aura, as he felt weaker after these sessions. If only he was not bound by magic to stay with Headmaster until he found the one of Griffin blood.
Fawkes shrugged and landed on his perch. He picked at his feathers with his beak, revealing a molted feather. Slightly abolished, he burst into flame, a scalding fire so hot that the very bones within his body were consummated to ash. It was perhaps two seconds after the flame died down that he reemerged from the ash refreshed and thinking anew.
He tested his new feathers and decided that they were strong enough to bear weight. With six upward strokes of young wings, he managed to rest on his perch, his youngling body stretching, becoming accustomed to the air pressure.
He had never had to be re-born so often that he could remember. He had just flamed two months previous. Fawkes snapped his beak, eager the day would come when the Griffin blood heir came.
All across the world, dragons began to fall into a slumber. They became a mere husk of themselves, not even waking when Dragon Handlers came and rolled the females' eggs away for 'proper' hatching. It was a world-wide phenomena and had many scholars tugging at their beards and glasses in a perplexed state.
The wild dragons of Russia, Africa, North and South America and Asia began to find themselves in a hibernating state, one not felt for at least a century. The magic they caused, what little they could use at this time of age, became stilted, as if it had no life.
The meeting of phoenixes caused their larger cousins to project themselves into a spirit plane, one where dragons have conversed and fought for thousands of years.
The elders began to arrived slowly, the confined dragons first, the free spirit dragons after. They argued for days, over things that had happened over the past century. It took a solid three weeks to arrive at the current problem of the world, and the meeting delicately turned to a dance of wit and word.
Tempers were raised, and a few egos were charred. None the less, they agreed with the Phoenix Assembly, to prepare for battle and war, and learn the ancient ways, or what was left of it.
A month and a half after All Hollow's Eve, the dragons returned from their hibernation, determined and focused.
One dragon in particular, by the name of Horaniou became rather disturbed, for the stone he had created nearly a million years previous became active. He shuddered at the thought of his magic in the hands of another. Yet he knew that it would be in safe hands until his soul-bond found it in his hands.
Out of a disagreement with the Dwarfs, he was conned into making the Dragon Solo. It contained his soul and his magic, forcing him to live beyond his years. He never aged, never wilted, he only waited.
He was foolish to have been tricked into making it, but he was wiser now. He had hundreds of thousands of years to learn and that was what he did. He was not bound by the Yatiel Accordance, which bound his kin's magic. He learned, practiced and now began teaching the magic and history needed by the dragons.
The Dragon Solo was a beautiful gem, an elegant sapphire colour. It was bound by silver clasps, of Dwarfish make. Once in the hands of his soul-bond, it would activate fully, and then they would be whole.
The side effects of the Dragon Solo had also yet to be determined, but the after effect should be magnificent.
Horaniou felt feeling of anticipation around his seven hearts. He soon would be complete.
A/N: Well, another chapter. I found this chapter lacking, and I wish I had further embellished on the Elder Dragon Council.
I am not particular to this chapter, although, Horaniou is new to the plotline I have embedded in my head. I rather like him and the phoenix Farli.
-Hand Steroids