The Climb
18th of June, 2000.
"Well, that was less trouble than I had thought," Vatusia said. "You have good connections, Mr Potter." She looked around. They had received a portkey to Kirawira City the Magical centre of EWA the Eastern Wizardring Africa. From there they would catch a portkey to Mandara so they could apparate to the family home.
"Usually this takes hours," Tanya said. "Sometimes we even have to take into an Inn here between portkey's It is nice of the Clan to help."
"I informed them beforehand," Harry said. "It isn't that hard to make things happen if you give them enough time." He hoisted Keyara up.
They headed to the next counter where they were moved to the next outgoing portkey.
"Bibi!" Tanya exclaimed as they finally arrived. She ran up to an elderly woman with fierce eyes and black hair that only recently seemed to be turning grey. She was speaking quickly for a while as she pointed at Harry and Charlie as well as little Keyara.
The elderly woman walked forward slowly leaning on a cane as she went. "Welcome to Kinya Farm," she said. "I am Eidi. You may call me Bibi Eidi or just Bibi."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Harry said with a bow.
"Oh, such a polite young man," Eidi said. "Why don't you come inside, everyone." She headed towards the house slowly.
"Who is here already?" Tanya asked. She could tell that at least one cousin had arrived.
"Zet and Duni arrived a few days ago," Eidi said calmly. She looked at Harry and Charlie. "I hope you will be leaving the little one here."
"Probably not," Harry said. "She is quite dependent on us so she'll be coming along."
"It is rough to go up the mountain even with magic," Eidi said.
"I won't be my first time though I guess this one might be a bit higher," Harry said. "I know how to protect her." He let Keyara down on the floor. "You are free to explore," he said. "We'll be right here." He sat down by a low table and looked up at Charlie with a smile.
Charlie sat down by the table as well and thanked Eidi for the sweet drink she poured them. Harry leaned against Charlie as Tanya told her grandmother about the past year. Next year would be her last at Hogwarts and she was both excited and a little scared.
"Sounds like you have a lot of things on your plate dear," Eidi said calmly. "Just take it one thing at a time and you'll do fine."
"I know, bibi," Tanya said. She smiled. "I'm still better off than most since Master Harry has helped me learn so much."
"I did hear about that," Vatusia said. "You have taught her old magic." She looked at Harry.
"She was a natural. It felt silly not to teach her," Harry said.
"Heritage from her father," Vatusia said softly.
"Yes," Harry said. "Our ancestors come from the same lands. You do not share the gift." He looked between them.
"You really can tell so simply?" Vatusia asked.
"Yes," Harry said. He looked over at his daughter. "She has the gift. Charlie does not. It runs in the family just like any other blood gift. In Tanya's case, all people like her have the gift."
"Geeze they're poofs?"
"Shut it, Zet. You don't say that, it is mean."
"Tch, sure Duni it is also weird," Zet said.
Duni didn't look happy with her cousin as they walked into the house. She turned her back on him and smiled at everyone gathered by the table. "Hi everyone," she said. She turned to Harry and Charlie. "I'm Duni," she said.
"Hello Duni, I'm Harry and this is Charlie. Our daughter Keyara is diving into some basket of yarn over there," Harry said. He waved over at his daughter.
"You are Tanya's Master Harry?" Duni said. "She talks about you a lot. I thought she had a crush on you, but I guess not."
Tanya rolled her eyes. "I respect Harry and I care a lot about him but a crush is a bit unnecessary. He's had enough girls after him without me being an idiot too," she said.
"Really you know how to not be an idiot?" Zet asked.
"Oh har-har, Zet," Tanya said.
"So this is the guy who supposedly has dragons?" Zet said as he looked at Harry. "Don't look like much."
Harry looked over at Tanya. He shifted and Qozul moved out on his shoulder and ran down his arm before jumping down on the floor and growing in size.
"Looks like a dragon to me," Duni said.
"No way," Zet said. He moved back as Qozul walked closer to him.
"He is just curious," Harry said. "Qozul needs a good reason to hurt someone. He has travelled with me for a long time."
"Yeah sure," Zet said nervously.
"Qozul, don't scare him," Harry said.
"Silly human," Qozul said before shrinking again and flying over to Tanya so he could curl up in her lap. Duni sat down next to her and watched the dragon curiously.
"So you guys are coming with us up the mountain?" Zet said. "This will be my third time, but both Duni and Tanya are going for their first this year."
"We will be coming along," Harry said.
"At least you look fit enough to do it," Zet said with a shrug.
Tanya snorted. "Yeah, definitely fit enough," she said.
Keyara walked around the table and headed for Tanya. "No kitty?" she asked.
Tanya blinked. "Oh, I can take the glamour off," she said. She deactivated the glamour and her ears appeared.
"Oh great now she is a cat," Zet said.
"Khajiit," Harry corrected. "It is a pretty bad insult calling her a cat. You do that to other Khajiit they might just decide you don't need to continue living."
"Buhu I'm so scared," Zet said.
Harry shrugged. "Your funeral," he said.
"No matter, it is rude and you shouldn't be rude to your cousin, Zet," Eidi said.
"Yes, bibi," Zet said his eyes downcast.
"You will also refrain from being rude to our guests," Eidi said.
"Yes, bibi."
"Very well now how about you young ones get to know each other better," Eidi rose. "We shall start on food Vatusia."
"Yes mother," Vatusia said. She followed her mother to the kitchen. She was sure Zet would manage to calm down. He was always a little difficult to deal with before he got to know you. His father was the same. She wasn't sure why that was the case, but that was the way it was.
"Big brother has to get here before we can leave," Duni said. "He is our guide up the mountain. He travels several times a year. Please don't argue with him. He will not take you along unless you listen to what he says."
"Alright that's fine," Harry said.
Duni smiled at him.
They talked for a while longer about all kinds of things before heading outside so Duni and Tanya could show them around the farm. They spoke of their heritage and the history of the land as they pointed at many different things.
Harry was glad they had agreed to come along. Tanya was so happy and carefree here with her family. He had only seen her that way when they were training before.
21st of June, 2000.
Sarki brother of Duni walked up the road to the Kinya Farm slowly. He carried a heavy backpack despite the charms making it lighter. It was early in the morning. He didn't expect anyone but bibi Eidi to be up. As he rounded the house he stopped in his tracks. His eyes settled on two white men. They were fighting using firsts and magic he had never seen before. It was obviously just a sparing match; despite that they were both bleeding from minor scrapes. They wore clothes that covered as much as possible in an attempt to protect their fair skin against the sun.
The smaller of the two seemed to suddenly have enough as he moved forward and downed his opponent in one fell swoop.
"My turn!" Tanya exclaimed as she came rushing out of the house.
"Alright," the victor said. He moved into a stance facing her. Suddenly, his movements were far faster than the previous fight as Tanya bounced around like a ball of energy with no bounds.
"You fight harshly," Sarki said as he walked up to the white man who had lost the first fight.
"Harry was trained by Khajiit. He doesn't believe in being lenient, but he wants me to improve so he just makes it stupidly hard to beat him, not impossible," Charlie said. "I'm Charlie by the way. I'm guessing you are Sarki our guide up the mountain."
"True," Sarki said. He was still watching Tanya fight this Harry. "Khajiit what are they?" he asked.
"Tanya is a Khajiit," Charlie answered.
"So the best one to train her outside of her own people," Sarki said. "Her Master then. She speaks well of him. If you are joining us up the Umbwe trail I hope you have been acclimating yourselves."
"We are both fliers," Charlie said. "We have been working on getting used to the lack of oxygen. Though I'm unsure if Harry even needed it. He never seemed to react much."
"Some take it better than others," Sarki said.
"We both will be carrying potions that can help otherwise," Charlie said.
"Good," Sarki said. He watched as Tanya grabbed Harry's leg as he kicked for her and rolled over it. He could tell that these two had fought many times before. "She is a good fighter," he said.
"Don't I know," Charlie said. "She is fast enough that unless I get the drop on her I can't possibly beat her."
Harry grabbed Tanya and forced her down on the ground. "Enough," he said calmly.
"'Kay," Tanya said. She took his hand as he rose while pulling her with him.
Harry smirked. Magic pooled in his hands and he shot out a stream of lukewarm water at Tanya as she turned around. A big grin played on his face as he took off running with a pissed-off Tanya behind him.
"Good to know they had so much energy," Sarki said. "They might want to save that for the climb."
"We're leaving tomorrow right?" Charlie asked.
"Yes."
"Then they'll be fine," Charlie said. "I better get cleaned up before Keyara wakes up."
Harry and Tanya walked into the house sometime later in clean dry clothes somehow. Harry sat down next to Charlie and leaned his head on his husband's shoulder. He listened as Sarki told them what the rules were. They were heading up a steep route in less than ideal conditions as was the tradition in their family. There would be no tourists right now as it was a rainy season.
"It will get cold so I hope you packed for that," Sarki said.
"Not a problem," Charlie said calmly. "Tanya shared the recommendations you sent her so we packed accordingly."
"Good, then I expect that we will be alright. We will all be sharing a tent since the best heat source is body heat."
"They're fairies though," Zet whined.
"I highly doubt they are going to do anything with all the rest of us in the tent," Tanya said. "So why does it matter?"
Zet grumbled but he didn't say anything else.
"We will be leaving tomorrow. I will take us to the start of the trail," Sarki said. "We will leave early. This is a rough trail to go up, but I don't doubt we can do it."
Duni smiled at her big brother. She had been looking forward to this. For some reason, their family always did the hardest trek up the mountain first and they weren't allowed to go until they had turned seventeen. She wasn't sure why, but she guessed she would find out.
22nd of June, 2000.
Sarki was looking Harry straight in the eye. "You are bringing a four-year-old?" he said. He wasn't sure he had heard the man the first time.
"Yes," Harry said. "We're not leaving her." He strapped on a carrier and waited for Charlie to lift Keyara into it. He carried a bag with food and other necessities as well, but Charlie had most of their things.
Serki looked at the two fathers he wasn't quite sure what to say. They had never brought such a young child with them before, but he couldn't really tell them that she wasn't allowed to come along.
They walked outside.
"Good luck now," Eidi said calmly.
"Listen to Serki," Vatusia said.
"Will do and bye Bibi," Tanya said. "Bye, mom."
The portkey went off. It took them all to a small camp.
"Bringing white men up the Umbwe route, Serki?" someone asked.
"Is that a child?" someone else said.
"Please sign your names at the registry," Serki said. "I'll go make sure I have everything I need."
Harry was smiling as he looked up the path. His smile grew as rain started falling gently. "It isn't the start of a journey without rain," he said.
"You are crazy," Zet said.
"Have been called worse," Harry said. Keyara's carrier guarded her against the rain. It would also protect her from the low oxygen. Harry had made sure that she was as safe as possible before they had left Britain. He wasn't one for putting children in danger.
Serki returned a moment later. "Let's get going," he said.
"I had hoped it wouldn't rain," Zet said. "It didn't rain last year."
"We can't decide the weather," Serki said shortly. "Single file after me. Zet you have been along for two of these treks already you will walk last."
Zet sighed.
Harry walked up behind Serki with Tanya right behind him. He could feel how Keyara played with his hair. She seemed happy enough to be watching the forest for now. Serki seemed happy enough telling them about the forest and the path they were walking.
"Cat," Keyara said softly in Harry's ear.
Harry smiled. "It is a serval cat," he said. He met Serki's eyes for just a moment as the man looked back.
"They are beautiful," Tanya said.
"Like you," Harry said. "Small and nibble but fierce hunters."
Tanya chuckled. "I guess," she said.
They settled down to eat for a bit around noon before continuing until they reached the Umbwe camp. They had managed the first and easiest day.
They gathered in a tent that evening. The rain had gotten worse.
"We might have to stay for a bit f it doesn't calm down," Serki said calmly.
"How long is tomorrow's trek?" Harry asked.
"Four maybe five hours," Serki said. "If it rains this much it will take a lot longer."
"So we could wait a couple of hours, but we have to leave by what ten maybe?" Harry said.
Serki nodded. "Something like that," he said.
Zet glared at Harry. How this guy seemed so calm about this climb was beyond him. He had been nervous as hell the first time he was going up the mountain. He laid down and sighed as long as the kid didn't start crying he guessed he'd be fine.
23rd of June, 2000.
The forest gave way to more rocky terrain. They could see further now even through the coat of rain that was still falling. The rock was slippery and they had to walk carefully. Harry was walking further back now. He guessed they were better off switching off every once in a while. Qozul and Kaanaaz were flying ahead of them. Both wore thin chains that hid them from non-magical eyes even if it was unlikely they would meet anyone.
"What is it like?" Zet asked.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Being with another man?"
"Do you really want to know?"
Zet shrugged. "Not like I have ever talked to anyone about it," he said.
"It depends on which role you take," Harry said. He rubbed the back of his head.
"So is taking the guy role the same as with a woman?" Zet asked.
Harry grimaced. "It is different in a similar way to how being with different women is different," he said.
"And the girl role?" Zet asked.
"Is different," Harry said.
"How do you know that?" Zet asked amused.
"I have taken potions that have turned me into a woman," Harry said.
Zet coughed on the water he had been about to drink. "Are you serious?" he asked.
"Yeah why wouldn't I be," Harry said.
"Why would you want to turn into a woman?" Zet asked.
"You make that sound like being a woman is a bad thing," Harry said. "I just don't really care about gender in other people or myself for that matter. Do I think of myself as a guy, yes. If I take the potion I don't though. I shift with what I looked like."
"You are strange," Zet said.
"I guess," Harry said.
Duni looked back at them. "Nice to hear that someone has an open mind," she said.
Harry shrugged. "It just doesn't matter in the end, does it? People can love whoever they want to love," he said. "It doesn't matter to anyone else. All of these people who want to tell others who they can and can't love are just very focused on things they have no business dealing with."
"I guess that is true," Zet said.
"Why is it worse if two guys or two girls are holding hands or kissing in public than when a man and a woman do it?" Harry said. "I agree that it is unseemly to be physical in public but that applies to everyone no matter who their partner is."
"Well yeah," Zet said.
"So what does it matter what Charlie and I do in our home? In our bedroom?" Harry said.
"I guess it doesn't matter," Zet said.
Duni rolled her eyes. Harry seemed like a nice guy. She certainly could see herself getting along with him. Not that it had been hard the couple of days they had been in the same house, but she had spent most of that time with Tanya.
Charlie looked back at Harry once they reached the campground. He obviously wasn't having any issues despite the slippery terrain. Charlie took his hand as he reached him. "Having fun?" he asked Keyara.
Keyara pointed up. "Clouds," she said.
"Tomorrow we'll be moving above them," Serki said. "How is everyone feeling?"
"Good," Tanya said. She had worked on her altitude training too. She hadn't wanted to disappoint everyone. The air was thinner, but she wasn't affected. She looked around. The rain had finally let up for a bit. It was gloomy but they could see quite far.
"It's beautiful," Duni said.
"Yeah," Tanya said.
Sarki put their tent up and Harry got a fire started so they could make some food. They were a well-rounded group. Neither Harry nor Charlie was a problem to work with. Sarki had experienced more issues with family members in the past than he was with them. They listened when he spoke and helped where they could. It was clear that at least Harry had done something similar before. He pointed that out as he sat down to eat.
"I have climbed Mont Blanc," Harry said. He had looked around at mountains similar to the Throat of the World. That was the one mountain that seemed to add up for him in terms of how long it took to climb. He didn't know how high above sea level the Troat of the World reached. But the climb was harsh at times and was done in two days if you walked for up to eight hours a day. That had sounded similar to Mont Blanc.
"Thought so," Sarki said.
24th of June, 2000.
Clouds rolled beneath them. The air was crisp and cold.
"Shame we can't see the view," Zet said.
Tanya nodded. She had liked to look down on the lowlands. She guessed she would get the chance some other time.
Harry walked up next to her. "What do you say love?" he said as he looked back at Charlie.
"Why not," Charlie said. "It is only temporary after all." He took Harry's hand and they took a collective breath. "Lok Vah Koor," they shouted.
Beneath them, the clouds parted for a moment showing the Tanzanian plains spreading out before them. A glimpse of sunlight spread over the ground before disappearing once more.
"We're not even at the top yet," Duni said. "This is so awesome." She bounced over to her brother and hugged him. "This is great," she said.
Sarki chuckled. He hugged her back. "Time to set up camp," he said. "Come on now."
It was still early in the day but they had moved up in altitude a lot so they were better off waiting. Charlie walked up to Harry and helped him let Keyara down. They placed an amulet around her neck before they set her down on the ground so she could run around a bit. She couldn't go far from them just so she wouldn't be able to fall down somewhere. "High up," she said.
Harry laughed. "Yes, sweetheart," he said. "We are high up."
"Evrythin so small," Keyara said.
"True," Charlie said. "The world looks really small from high up." He followed her around as she explored curiously. Her eyes roamed the mountainside. "Higher?" she said.
"Tomorrow," Charlie said. "We'll go higher tomorrow."
Keyara nodded slowly. "Arlie fly like Qozul," she said.
Charlie chuckled. "No I don't think so," he said. He looked over at the small dragons. It was cold for them too, but Harry had made sure they had warming charms on them. Kaanaaz landed on Charlie's shoulder. "The view is quite wonderful from up here," she said.
"Geh zu, yes I agree," Charlie said.
"Krilotkrein is happy to come with you," Kaanaaz said.
"Mu nis vodrun ek, we wouldn't leave her behind," Charlie said. "She is our little one and she needs us."
"Krinahkro arkh Yolfronin kos pruzah tah," Kaanaaz said. "Qozul and Kaanaaz are glad to be part of the pack."
"We are glad you are a part too," Charlie said. He took Keyara's hand and led her back to the others so they could grab some food.
26th of June, 2000.
The last little bit before they reached the summit was rough on the legs. They had started at midnight. The sun stood high in the sky The clouds had finally departed on the lowlands. The view was magical.
Duni laughed happily. She grabbed Tanya's hand and they ran ahead of the rest. Harry moved away from the group and up to a ward that seemed old. He placed his hand against it. It gave way to him and he stepped inside. A dragon wall stood before him as if taken straight out of Skyrim and just placed on top of this mountain. He avoided the ritual circle on the ground as he walked up to the wall. Dragon-tongue was carved into the black rock.
Het praan Alura se Klo.
Kiir do Dovah.
Hun se Tah arkh aan jun ko fin Vul.
Vokiir nuz Monah wah Pah.
Harry backed away from the stone.
"It is old," Sarki said. "Many of our tribe still come here to pray. No one remembers exactly who rests here just that they were important to the tribe once. Some claim they had magic much like you or Tanya. Others say that is just a myth. No one really knows. "We come here praying to the great dragon and the one buried here."
"He must have been a great leader," Zet said. "To get a grave like this."
"She," Harry said calmly. "She probably was a great leader. He pointed to the stone wall. "Here rests Alura of the Sand. Child of Dragons. Hero of the Pack and a light in the Dark. Childless but Mother to All," he translated. "It is dragon-tongue. Both Charlie and I can read it."
"What does being a Child of Dragons mean?" Zet said.
"She might have been Dragonborn like me," Harry said. "Born human with the soul of a dragon or she might have been a dragon priest. Knowing of dragons and capable of using their powers but not born of them really."
"You know an awful lot about these things," Zet said.
"I have seen many graves similar to this one," Harry said. "I would travel with my sister and find places like these when I was younger. We never came here though."
"So there are more places like these?" Sarki asked.
Harry nodded slowly. "There are many places like this. Most are graves of some sort," he said. "I have recorded every single one I have been to."
"Cool," Duni said. "What do we do now."
"Offer our prayers," Sarki said. "The tourists are led down after a few hours. We will stay behind the wards for today and start heading back tomorrow."
"The wind blows less within the wards," Charlie noted. "It is still cold, but not as cold as out there. I guess the prayers help keep the wards up."
"I am expecting another group to join us before nightfall," Sarki said. "They take a much more perilous route to get to the top. I never understood why, but it is their way so I won't argue."
Harry nodded slowly. "Are words spoken?" he asked.
"Passed down," Sarki said.
"I will offer to look that over but you do not need to take me up on that offer," Harry said.
"We'll have to ask Adla," Sarki said. "She leads the other group."
Harry nodded slowly. He didn't want to intrude, but if the prayer was in jumbled dragon-tongue he would rather clear it up for them so they didn't say anything they would rather not.
Adla was a stern older woman who wanted to hear nothing of what some outsider white man had to say about their ancient burial grounds. "They may participate. They may not ruin our ancient traditions. White man comes here and says many things all the time. This is our home, not theirs."
"But Harry understands the words on the grave," Tanya said. "Isn't it wise to listen to someone who knows the language?"
"Hush child. This prayer has been told for generations," Adla said.
"But!"
"Tanya that is enough," Harry said sternly. "I appreciate you defending your Master honour, but she is right. Charlie and I are guests here. It is not for us to dictate how an old ritual should be done."
Tanya stepped down and looked at her Master disappointedly. He knew so much they could learn if they could just listen to him. She knew he understood the words on the grave. What if the words of the prayer were a mess?
"If that is settled," Adla said. "We shall prepare and the ritual will be held at midnight." At least the white man understood when it was appropriate for him to back down. She guessed she could understand the young woman. If he was her Master then her reaction was understandable if inappropriate. She led her group over to a good spot and they set up their tent.
Most people went to rest for a while since they needed to get up in the middle of the night again.
Keyara ran around for a good while that evening before she was laid to rest in her furs and blankets. She wouldn't be able to leave the tent once they went to pray.
Harry and Charlie kept to the background at first. Many things were said and done that they were not a part of. They were not part of the tribe. They could watch but not speak. Most of this part was done in languages spoken by the tribe. Maybe Harry's fears were for nothing. He would have to apologise profoundly if he was incorrect about the prayer itself. He had no problem doing so. As a matter of fact, he would prefer that to his fears. He walked forward with Charlie and sat down in a circle with the rest as they were invited in. This part they could join in on.
Alda was standing in the centre of the circle. She moved around in a dance as old as the words she was about to speak. "Lok Dovah, hun daal zun," she said as she moved.
Harry tilted his head. He wasn't sure where this was going, but so far he saw no problems.
"Mun oblaan hind aam. Mun oblaan hind mu laat," Alda chanted.
Harry tapped Charlie's leg. They were not joining in this chant. He met Tanya's eyes and shook his head very carefully. She nodded just as carefully. She wouldn't speak either.
"Mun daal fin slen ek oblaan akraan orin aam ahst laat," Alda chanted. She repeated herself several more times before the rest of the people joined after her. The chant repeated and repeated.
Harry looked at the wards around them. They did react to the chant. It was good they weren't strong enough to truly activate the words. Or maybe the circle knew their words were wrong and protected them. He wasn't sure what stopped the words, but he was glad he had not joined because his voice speaking those words would have broken that seal. Both Charlie and Tanya might have had a greater impact than the rest.
The prayer ended and they bowed in silence for a moment before people rose and headed back to their tents.
27th of June, 2000.
Sarki rose from his bedroll slowly. He looked around. Something was wrong. Why was he missing three of his climbers? Little Keyara still lay rolled in her furs with the dragons guarding her so her fathers couldn't be far away. He pulled on a heavy robe and walked outside.
The sun was just about to rise.
Strange sounds reached Sarki's ears and he walked around the tent. He froze as he saw Tanya, Harry and Charlie. They were barely dressed. Glowing marks shone from the men's bodies, matching but not the same. They were dancing a dance similar to the one Alda had been dancing at midnight. He moved closer slowly and he could hear them chanting as they moved. "Lot Dovah, hon daar zulle," Harry said and the other two repeated. "Mu ofan hi Lah. Mu ofan hi Mulaag. Mu draal fin suleyk ofan ahkrin, onikaan arkh laas."
The words were similar to the words spoken by Alda earlier, but Sarki could hear the differences all the same. As they sped up and their chanting became louder, magic swirled out around them. The runes on the ground lit up. The wards reacted. They stopped dancing holding each other's arms firmly and chanted louder one last time. The wards solidified for a moment before shimmering back to normal. The very air seemed full of magic. Sarki walked forward again slowly. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Harry was right all along," Tanya said. "If the prayer Miss Alda used actually worked or if Harry and Charlie had joined we would all be dead now. The ritual would have used our bodies to power the wards." She had her arms folded over her chest.
"Calm Tanya," Harry said. "Your cousin is not to blame, nor is Alda. She is simply protecting her heritage."
"But they will kill themselves one day," Tanya said. "That is so stupid."
"But there is nothing we can do unless you wish to challenge the tribe," Harry said. He looked over at Sarki. "We powered your wards. It should hold for many years to come."
"Has our prayer done nothing?" Sarki asked.
"It works but only faintly," Harry said. "Your intentions are still true so the words try to hold to that. Some day someone who is powerful enough to activate the words might join. If that happens a lot of people will die as long as you speak those words."
"What is Alda saying?" Sarki asked.
"Sky dragon, hero return weapon. Man end hope serve. Man end hope we last. Man return the flesh her end wound even serve at last," Harry said calmly. "That is a direct translation. Basically, it means that those in the circle are willing to give their body and flesh to serve the dragon power that rests in this place."
"You thought those words were wrong," Sarki asked. He doubted their ancestors wanted them to sacrifice themselves, but how was he supposed to know if what these people were saying was the truth?
"I can see words in the circle," Harry said. "None of those match with the prayer. I used those words and the prayer Alda spoke to rework it into what I believe was the original prayer. I cannot force you to use it. I can just give it to you. You have seen that it works." he walked up to Sarki with a roll of parchment.
"What does this mean," Sarki asked.
"The translation is further down," Harry said. "But it reads, 'Great dragon, hear these voices. We give you magic. We give you strength. We pray the power gives courage, wisdom and life to all.'"
Sarki looked at the parchment. That certainly sounded like a better prayer. He rolled the parchment up. There was no way Alda would change her chant. It was similar though. Maybe he could guide his group to say it differently. "If some did this," he said. "And some did the other… Would it be dangerous?"
"No," Harry said. "It might even save lives in the end."
"If they have someone powerful that says it wrong… us saying it right might save people?" Sarki asked.
Harry nodded. "That is very possible," he said. He followed Charlie and Tanya back to the tent. They had done the best they could. It was up to other people to do the rest. The chances that any of them ever returned were small.
Later as they were about to leave, Tanya stood looking out to the west. Her gaze was longing. She could feel someone walking up next to her. A warm hand sent heat through her body. "I still don't know why I want to go," she said. She looked up at Harry. "Will you come with me?"
"We will," Harry said. "We'll help you figure things out. Don't worry about it."
"Thank you, Harry," Tanya said. "I know mom will feel better knowing you are there too. She likes you."
"Well that is good for us isn't it?" Harry said. "Come on it's time to head back down. I think Sarki said we were taking the Machame Route back."
"As long as we get away from Alda and her people," Tanya said.
3rd of July, 2000.
Vatusia heard them before they walked in. The children were back. Keyara was first in the door and she ran straight up to Eidi and hugged her. "We back, bibi," she said.
"I see that," Eidi asked. "Did you have fun?"
Keyara nodded. "We went high up over clouds," she said. "We could see welly welly faw."
An angry shout sounded from outside followed by a scream.
Eidi huddled over to a window and rolled her eyes. The children were shooting water at each other and running around. She smiled. "Looks like everything went well," she said. "Maybe the tribe will calm down a bit now. Inviting guests isn't that bad. It irritates me how against them they were."
"Was it a lot of trouble?" Vatusia asked.
"Oh, don't you worry," Eidi said. "I used to lead these treks once upon a time. They know to listen to me and I wasn't wrong."
Harry pulled his wet shirt off and ran after Tanya. "I'll get you," he shouted. He ran after her and shot water at her. A spray of ice-cold water hit him from the side and he threw water back at Duni.
Sarki summoned a wave and sent it towards Charlie who split it at the last second and sent the halves back at him. Sarki moved the water and Harry was drenched through. He threw an ice spear and flung a fireball at it so icy water rained down over Sarki.
A bell rang.
"Dry up before you come to sit down," Vatusia called.
Charlie rolled his sleeves up and lifted his daughter onto a chair. He sat down himself and smiled at Eidi as food was served.
"What are those marks?" Zet asked as he pointed at Charlie's arms. "Harry has them too. Do they mean something?"
"They are bonding marks," Eidi said. "They were bonded with a goblin ceremony and granted the honour of a goblin binding. That is a true honour to gain."
Charlie lowered his head in a small bow her way. "I had to fight for my right to bond with Harry," he said. "Tanya was one of those who tested me."
"Isn't that kind of barbaric?" Duni asked.
"We didn't have to do it," Charlie said. "We chose to. I had to prove my worth to the clan just like anyone else entering the clan. Harry was already a member."
"It was amazing," Tanya said. "I'm so glad I was allowed to join. Humans usually aren't invited at all, but since Harry and Charlie were humans they made some changes so it would make sense."
Harry joined them having put on a new shirt. "Thank you, bibi," he said as he was served. "What are we talking about?" he asked.
"Our bonding," Charlie said.
"Oh, okay," Harry said. He didn't mind explaining things if anyone had questions. He smiled as Zet threw out one question after another. They had gotten far with just a single climb.