As they're getting ready to return to Midgard, Vör approaches Harry, "Danannson, may I ask a question?"
Harry looks up from packing some of his new clothes in his trunk, "Sure, what do you need?"
"How do you handle being Ergi?"
Harry sighs and closes his trunks so that he can sit on it, "In my culture, it was uncommon but accepted for people to take the oaths of the warrior or women's court even though they were not born to it. They were highly encouraged to forsake the oaths they were born into, but it was not a requirement." A dual timbre seems to fill Harry's voice, "That was something the Christians brought with them, and one of the reasons why we fought back against it so hard. Don't get me wrong, compared to modern society there was an awful lot wrong with mine. Least of which was the divide between farmers and warriors or hunters. For many of the kings, the farmers were a renewable resource, so as long at the cattle were well kept and what grains were farmed rolled in, they were happy. Even the, all menfolk were expected to know how to defend themselves and their families. My sister often forgets the farmers, as she was always more interested in the comings and goings of the warriors and answering the call to battle. An aspect that [I/Brigid] neglected, and [Harry/I] [is/am] correcting. Vör, you should be aware that trying to tie people to the circumstances of their birth will lead to resentment, which is why your prophecy of Ragnarok was doomed to come to pass. First, you didn't trust Loki when he learnt the ways of magic, and then you bound one of his children out of fear of something he might do. Finally, you bound Loki and subjected them to torture."
Vör retorts, "You have no idea of what you speak. Those things were done justly."
Harry nods, and in the same double timbre, responds, "Indeed, the writings that were left behind show that you believe that. Though Harry does not yet understand all that [he/I] [had/have] read. When you come to earth you will see many things that seem wrong. Remember this feeling when you feel like questioning their reasons and methods. For what is right and moral is not a certitude, but a reflection of our societies. Also, ask yourself this, if my [sister/mother] was mortal, would you respect her for being a warrior and also a woman?"
As Vör looks at him strangely, Harry jumps off his trunk and runs off to find Marianne and some of the other children to practice his sword work.
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Dora steps out of the mist next to Mihaela for the 3rd time since Morgana went on holiday, a bullet catches her in the leg before she's able to raise the bulwark that she's been using, at the same time she staggers backwards as a large calibre bullet slams into her upraised shield. Around her, the sounds of gunfire and artillery are loud, as the UN unit that Mihaela part of is being overwhelmed. As she ducks down, a mortar lands beside their armoured vehicle, spraying dirt and rocks everywhere, while also overturning the vehicle.
Bringing up a muffling barrier, Dora shouts, "What in Morganas name is going on?"
"The British announced that they would be sending troops to the region because of the widescale conflicts that are going on, so the Serbians seem to have decided that this is their last chance at a soft target."
A lull in the shooting sees the rest of Mihaela's unit hurry into the cover that she's provided, along with a reporter and a cameraman. Dora stares at the camera for a long moment, before a tank round slams into the shell she raised, leaving hairline cracks visible on the safe side of the granite. After repairing the wall, Dora repeats her tactic of raising the golems, before looking for the tanks. Where before, they've been easy to see, the Serbians have instead raised large plywood screens in front of them. Which means that while she knows they're there, she can't just change the barrels to snakes. As they open fire at her again, she ducks back, only to hear a metallic crunch of steel on stone. As she's about to poke her head around again, one of the soldiers hands her a mirror. Through the mirror she can see a massive armoured vehicle with thick, spinning chains along the front of it. Though most of the vehicle is surrounded by plywood, obscuring it from view.
Not even noticing that she's started using Celtic, she calls "What on earth is that?"
After Mihaela translates the question, a soldier looks at the mirror before saying, "Demining vehicle."
"What?"
"Mine Sweeper!"
"Right, fine, no more Miss nice witch, I've tried to be nice and they're just doubling down."
Dora releases her magic from the mist, and idly notes as she destroys the spell that Morgana put on her last year. Wracking her brain for something suitably terrifying to use against the soldiers, she discards the wizarding dragons as too small for her needs, as they're only barely bigger than a couple of tanks. Then she remembers a poster she saw in Cockburn Street, Edinburgh and a smile stretches wide across her face. Raising her hand, without her shield, she pushes her magic out as an invisible shield as she stands up and walks around the barrier, already starting to grow in stature.
Stepping out, she is met by a hail of gunfire that impacts her shield as she pulls deeply on the mist while holding the image of the dragon in her mind. As she walks towards the troops, she drops to all fours and the gunfire slows as the ground drops away below her and wings spread from her back. Behind her, her tail lashes the ground, scouring it of trees, vehicles, and other debris before skittering over the well anchored granite shield she left, as though it is a pebble. In front of her, the soldiers now scurry around like ants as they rout and run as fast as they can away from her.
Finally, the mist stops filling her as she now matches the body she was picturing. Flapping her new wings raises up clouds of plants and dirt, as well as sending the nearer troops cartwheeling to the floor. That done, her wings settle comfortably over the barrel of her body.
In front of her the tanks have started to reverse course, and are firing shells as fast as they can, and they feel like hard peas against her hide. Pulling in a deep breath, she leans forward, her neck easily closing the gap that the tanks built up as she breaths out a gout of fire in a wide arc that leaves her feeling lightheaded, like she's used too much magic. For nearly 100m, in a wide cone, in front of her the ground has turned to liquid, and everything caught in it has either melted, or is in the process of melting. Beyond the direct fire, explosions go off inside the tanks as the heat has cooked off the fuel and ammunition. In all, for nearly 250m everything is dead or dying from the heat.
With a tired nod, Dora slips into the mist and allows the glamour to fade away as she makes her way home.
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A rainbow of scintillating light appears over Björkö island and shoots down to the same place that Morgana and family left from.
"See I told you Luna, I detected the nesting place of the crumple-horned snorkack. And my device has just gone off again, we must be close."
A girl's voice responds, "Yes Father."
Harry and Marianne both look up at Kate and Morgana in surprise, and Morgana can only shrug as two hippies with long blond hair, obviously a father and daughter, come around a tree. The man is holding a pendulum that is starting to swing in a circle, though pointed more towards the group. Golden sparkles spitting off it occasionally.
The girl stops for a moment, before walking towards the group cautiously, "Hello, I'm Luna."
Harry smiles, "Hello, I'm known as Harry."
Luna claps her hands, "Oh goodie, you speak English. Did you know you have a lightning bolt shaped scar on your forehead? Oh, of course you do, silly me, it's your forehead after all. Though, I thought that only Harry Potter had a scar like that."
Vör shrugs, "I thought it was a rune when I saw it."
Harry blinks as Luna tilts her head to one side, "I see. It could be. Though whether it's a sōwlō or a backwards jēra I'm not sure."
"It would be sōwlō, as there's no thickening in the middle where the gap would have been if it was jēra. My name is Vör."
The man looks up sharply from where he's been circling the group with his pendulum, "Oh, how fascinating. I'm Xenophilius Lovegood, but call me Xeno, everyone that isn't Greek does. Are you named after the mythological Norse Goddess?"
Vör makes a face, "I am not, I am an Æsir not a goddess."
Kate stands on her tiptoes to whisper in Vör's ear, "Goddess is the English term for a female deity regardless of faction."
Xeno looks excited, "Oh, how fascinating, I'm the owner and editor of the Quibbler, we're currently looking for crumple-horned snorkacks, but when we've finished would you be willing to give an interview?" As he bounces up and down, Kate shrinks back behind Morgana.
Vör looks pointedly down below Xeno's waistband, "And do you let Luna find it?"
Xeno colours, coughs, and says, "Luna, would you take the other children and go play so that we can have an adult conversation?"
Luna smiles brightly before taking Harry and Marianne's hands, and skipping off out of the wood.
Once they're out of sight, Xeno looks at the two angry women, "That's what my wife used to call me when we went camping. After she died a couple of years ago, Luna… Luna asked me what a crumple-horned snorkack is, so I showed her a picture of a hare with horns and the wings and tail of a grouse. She's my precious daughter, and I would never do what you were thinking of to her. Since then, we have hunted crumple-horned snorkack whenever I have time. Though I suppose, with my little moon going to school this year, it will need to be restricted to the summer holidays in future."
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As they reach an open field on the island, Luna touches Harry before saying, "Your it!" and running off. After 20 minutes of running around, Luna collapses on the floor, exhausted and Harry and Marianne play for a couple more minutes before they notice, and come over to sit down with her.
Lying back, Luna looks up at the clouds before saying, "Did you know your cloak keeps trying to hide?"
Marianne startles, "You can see it?"
Luna laughs, "Not at the moment, I'm looking at the clouds. That one looks like a bunny. Do either of you know how to play find the snitch?"
Harry looks confused as he says, "No?"
"Oh, that's a shame, Mum and Dad used to play it and it sounded like fun. But they'd never let me join in."
"It's probably an adults only game then. A bit like some of the books my mum buys."
Luna frowns, "There's adults only books?"
Marianne shudders remembering the couple of times she's walked in on Morgana's reading time, "Oh, yes, there are adult only books. Mum2 just isn't very good at caring about it."
Harry nods vehemently.
Luna smiles, "I see. So do you two go to Hogwarts?"
Marianne nods, "We do, though I don't do any wanded subjects as I can't use a wand yet. Oh, I'm known as Mari."
"Pleased to meet you Mari."
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General Walters stops the tape and turns back to the room, "Well gentlemen, what do you think?"
One of the analysists sitting around the table shakes his head, "That is terrifying. What about the soldier that prayed for her to arrive?"
The general looks over to one side, "Colonel?"
"The UN has recalled Lieutenant Lacobescu to Geneva for her promotion and an award for bravery. At the same time she will be debriefed by NATO members with 20,000 feet clearence."
"Thank you." He turns back to the room, "Any other questions?"
Another analyst scribbles something before speaking up, "Do we know why she's not using the same prayer format as the people in The Sanctuary?"
"No, but we will ask her during the debrief. Anyone else have any questions, remembering that we are not at 20,000 feet."
When no answers are forthcoming, the General sighs, "Very well. Have we found out anything about these people?"
An analyst opens his folder, "We know that the first one sighted was called The Morrigan, and had contact with then Private Lacobescu, as well as Private Thomson, deceased."
"Cause of death?"
"Gunfire in east Bosnia, he was in the act of praying when he was killed. His unit retrieved his holy symbol and have been passing it around to try to find someone who can use it. The second god to appear was Airmed, who was later filmed healing the leg of a girl with her daughter watching. Another daughter has appeared since then, who seems to be more focused on clearing rubble and construction. We are unsure if she is a god in her own right, as she has yet to answer any prayers, however we are not ruling it out. From recordings, it appears like these gods have civilian lives, as the woman in the video is reported to have said that The Morrigan is on holiday. Based on the fact that he has markings on his hands, we believe that this man works for Airmed in the same way the other woman works for The Morrigan."
"Thank you, do we have any leads on who these people are?"
The 4th analyst nods, "The British have confirmed their identities, and are ready to approach them if there are any problems. They have also identified a professor who may have accidentally discovered a way to track them when their active. Finally, they have reported that there may be a 3rd god from the same pantheon. They have refused to divulge the details of who they are, citing not wanting to trigger the 20,000 feet clause, or cause them to become upset with their government."
Walters nods, "Understandable, we would do the same if they were American. Still, try to find out so that we can do something about it if they go rogue. I've heard whispers from India, is there anything to that?"
The third analyst nods, "Yes sir, it appears that the goddess Kali has taken a child to train."
"Very well, get people digging up the myths and legends surrounding her pantheon, how are we doing with digging up information about the other European myths?"
The first analyst sighs, "We are running into difficulties caused by the church changing the stories so long ago. Combined with the rise of neo-paganism and it is hard to tell what is what outside the Celtic Pantheon. Permission to speak freely."
"Go ahead."
"This is bullshit sir, when did we start needing to worry about myths and legends just appearing out of nowhere?"
"Are you an atheist?"
"No sir, Christian, though I'm starting to reconsider that sir."
"This has always been a concern for those with 20,000 feet clearance. Thank you for coming to the emergency briefing, we will be holding a full 20,000 feet briefing on the way to Geneva tomorrow. Dismissed."