The sea was calm, the wind was gentle, and the morning sun was still low on the horizon. A few rare clouds drifted across the sky. The iodine smell of the nearby sea, the sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the coolness of the Scottish summer morning was pleasant. Today would be the big day. Dady had spotted the Velonde shoal the day before and would take her to see the fish with him today.
Luna was happy to go on the sea with Dady, the morning was pleasant, the weather was good, Dady was humming a tune from the latest WeempyWonkyToads album, adjusting the sails of their little boat. Everything was fine, Dady had prepared everything, nothing to justify the strange bad feeling that had settled in the back of her throat. Maybe she didn't want to go to the Velondes as much as she thought... Maybe she just wanted to stay ashore and spend the day with her new friend. Her first real friend.
Ginny may have acted like her friend, they had played together since they were little as their houses were close enough together, but Luna had resigned herself long ago that Ginny would never be a real friend. Ginny always looked at her strangely when she talked about all the creatures she saw everywhere. She understood that Ginny would probably never believe it and that she only spent time with her because Molly told her to and that Luna was the only other witch in their neighbourhood anyway, as it was quite isolated.
A long time ago she had held out hope that Ginny would finally believe her, or at least accept her, and stop looking at her as if she were crazy. But Luna had given up that hope after the incident. She had saved Ginny from the hungry jaws of a great grey. It had been lurking in the depths of a pond near where they used to play. Hidden under the duckweed, buried in the silt. The creature had emerged from the murky waters and tried to grab Ginny's leg. Fortunately, she had managed to pull her towards herself quickly enough that the creature's jaws had only snapped at the air. They had both fallen backwards and then, Luna had to admit, she had panicked and dragged Ginny unceremoniously to the Burrow. She had hurt Ginny unintentionally, and Ginny had ignored her for months. None of Luna's excuses or explanations could make Ginny forgive her. She'd just refused the former and ignored the latter, before calling her a liar and a fool. She still remembered the hours she had spent crying in Mummy's arms after that day. It was only through Molly's intervention that Ginny had finally agreed to play with her again.
She turned her gaze to the tall tower perched on its stony promontory. From this distance she could only see the outline of the great dark stone building, towering over the ocean like a stern, immortal and impartial judge. An unchanging guardian of the land and the ocean since immemorial times. She couldn't help but be curious about the history of her first true friend's house. From here she could feel the tower's aura of light magic. She had asked Dady about the tower, but he had been unable to see it and said he had never heard of a tower in the area. At least none that wasn't an old ruin with nothing but red cap inhabitants. He'd looked thoughtful for a moment before assuring her that when he got home he'd do some research to see if there was any information about a tower of some sort in that area.
She would like Myo to take her into her house, show her her things and all the objects she had chosen to define herself. But Luna knew that Myo wasn't ready yet. Her bird friend was still too shy and reserved to show her, her room, or give her a hug. Luna loved cuddling, but Myo would need more time to get used to the idea that Luna would never hurt her and to discover the wonders of cuddling.
Now a touch of melancholy had been added to her strange apprehension... She just had to be patient with Myo, as Myo was with her. They were just both too different for their friendship to progress as quickly as Luna would like. A soft smile played on Luna's lips. But no matter how long it took, Myo was already great as it was. Gentle even without realising it, kind, protective at times, but above all, so accepting. Not for one second had she looked at Luna like she was crazy or stupid. How could she be so sweet after living with such awful, monstrous creatures as Dursleys? She'd have to talk to Dady about it eventually. Maybe the Dursleys were in cahoots with the rotfang conspiracy... She'd tell Myo before Dady published anything, of course, to find out if Myo was okay with the quibbler talking about the Dursleys, but it still seemed important.
She sighed, she would have liked Myo to join her and Dady to go and see the Velondes, but Myo was still too shy to show herself to Dady. Maybe soon... at least she hoped so. The awful monsters that were the Dursleys seemed to have had a terrible influence on poor Myo. Yes, she couldn't show herself to muggles because of the status. But to wizards and other beings, it would surely not be a problem.
Although... Luna suddenly remembered that she was in Britain. In fact perhaps it was wise of Myo not to show herself easily to any wizard, given the amount of specist wizards in Britain.
Suddenly she put her finger on one of the sources of her discomfort this morning. She just wanted to spend the day with Myo again. But Dady was so excited to show her the Velondes, and part of Luna wanted to see them too, but mostly to please Dady.
Tomorrow she would spend the day with Myo, she could please Dady today... And then maybe tomorrow Myo would let her stroke her feathers, they just looked so soft...
She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by Dady's voice. "My sweet. The boat is ready! We're leaving."
She looked away from the tower and then turned to Dady. He was standing on the deck of the boat, one foot on the rail, one hand holding one of the ropes, the other reaching out to help her up. A big, excited smile was plastered on his face, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He was always like that when it came to rare, or largely unknown creatures to watch.
At this sight, Luna's smile widened and her melancholy and the few wrackspurts that had approached them, surely attracted by her melancholy, flew away. She loved seeing Dady like this. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her aboard the boat.
She walked around the boat until she reached the rail and watched the small waves lapping against the hull as Dady pulled up the anchor. She was about to settle in at the front of the boat when she heard her father calling her.
" Come here Sweety!
"Hm? What is it?" As she approached the back of the boat, near the rudder where her father was standing.
"Look on the floor."
Curious, Luna looked down at the floor of the boat where she saw a complex runic array carved. She crouched down and ran her fingers over the tangle of runes. Momy had already shown her several and even explained the basics of runes, but Luna had never seen this kind of runic array before.
"What's it supposed to do, Dady?" She said as she looked up at her father with a big loving smile.
"I got the instructions for tracing this array in a letter from Mom yesterday afternoon. And I managed to engrave the array. It will make it much easier to navigate."
"How?"
"It's atmospheric magic, the array will produce a wind that will push the boat. Don't tell anyone that Mom gave us this. Okay?" he said conspiratorially, before adding, rolling his eyes. "Otherwise the idiots in the ministry will go berserk again and start screaming about forbidden magic or whatever."
"Of course, Dady!" A big smile came over Luna's face. Mum really was the best. She hugged her daddy, holding him tightly around the waist for a few seconds before she broke off the hug and walked to the front of the boat.
She sat cross-legged and took out her notebook to eventually start drawing the sea. But when she opened it she came across the drawing Myo had given her on their afternoon at the river. The line was subtle, the lines and curves precise, the graphite water in the river almost seemed to flow. On the page, in the grey river, a representation of Luna with water up to her knees, staring at the waters with an air of intense concentration. Luna wondered how Myo managed to draw so well. Yes, it seemed to be one of Myo's favourite activities and she drew a lot. But from what she understood, in the Dursleys' den, Myo didn't have the opportunity to draw. So it hadn't been long since Myo had discovered her passion for drawing. Maybe a few months? A year at the most? She didn't really know when Myo had managed to escape from the Dursleys. The fact that Myo could draw almost as well as her after such a short time was impressive.
The first gift from a friend, a real friend. Not a present from Ginny, the kind Molly chose and only used to make herself look good. This simple drawing was dearer to her than she had expected.
The last few weeks had been wonderful. Who would have thought that she would find a friend, in the desolate plains of northern Scotland. Dady knew she had a new friend, she'd had to tell him not to publish the article on the legend of the bird child, but she hadn't really told him much. The opportunity hadn't really presented itself. She hoped that Myo would soon become a little less shy and that she could introduce her to Dady and Momy. Especially to Momy, something told her that Myo would get along well with Momy.
Luna was so caught up in looking at her first gift of friendship that she didn't hear Xeno's footsteps coming up behind her. She gasped when she heard Dady's voice just behind her ear. "What are you looking at so intently, my sweet? You didn't answer when I called you."
"A drawing from my new friend. She gave it to me the other day when we were playing at the river." She replied, pointing to the drawing.
Dady looked at it for a moment, raising an eyebrow, obviously surprised. "Your friend draws really well." He seemed to think for a moment before adding. "You're talking about the bird-child who said she didn't want an article on her?
"Yes. That's her."
Dady sat down next to her, remaining silent for a moment. Meanwhile Luna had looked up from her notebook, and glanced at the rest of the boat. Ropes were attached to the rudder, probably to hold it in place, and the magical breeze from Mum's array was swelling the boat's sails. The light had changed, clouds had begun to gather in the sky, covering the boat in a uniform whitish light with no shadows. Luna frowned. The weather would not be as nice as she had expected. At least it wasn't raining...
"You haven't told me much about her. Are you going to introduce me to her soon?"
"I don't know..."
Dady looked intrigued and a little worried. "What do you mean? She doesn't want to?
"No, it's not that. She's... very shy. And she's convinced that no one should see her..."
"Shy I understand. But why shouldn't anyone see her? Staying hidden from muggles is a given, and some wizards can be terribly speciesist, but hiding from absolutely everyone is an extreme behaviour. Do you know why she's like this?"
"Have you ever heard of creatures whose species are called Dursleys? The females are called Petunias and the males are called Vernons. The cubs are called Dudleys."
Dady frowned. "No, I've never heard of such a creature. There are Durleys... but they're a species of small, sociopathic rodents from the south-east of England. And the males are not called Vernons... I don't think that's what you're talking about."
"They are creatures who disguise themselves and infiltrate human societies for whatever hidden purpose. They are recognizable by their viciousness and fickle behavior. The males look like humans, but are pig-like, and are also very violent. The females have horse-like features and are more vicious and fickle than the males but less brutal.
Dady looked genuinely puzzled. "No, I've never heard of anything like that... I suppose it was your new friend who told you about these creatures?"
"Yes, it's because of them that she's afraid to show herself. She's been living with a family of Dursleys for several years, but luckily she managed to get away after a Vernon was more violent than usual. I think they have something to do with the rotfang conspiracy. You think the rotfang conspiracy is fighting bird people? Dursleys' family wasn't very nice to her..."
Dady looked deeply shocked. Luna didn't really understand why... Something was eluding her. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he let out a long, painful, jerky sigh as he closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Luna my dear. This is important, please answer the questions I'm going to ask you now as best you can Okay?"
Surprised, Luna nodded. Her father almost never looked this serious with her. The last time had been when Luna had stolen Mum's wand to try and do what she did and create her own spells. Luna was alone in Mum's lab in the middle of the night and wanted to create her own spell to call the pretty butterflies of light that she sometimes saw on summer evenings, just as the sun was reaching the horizon. Without her knowing how, Dady had stormed into the laboratory and taken the wand from her hands. The next day she had a long and uncomfortable discussion with him and Mum about safety. Since then she had been allowed to go into the lab, but only with Mum, and only if Mum wasn't doing dangerous research. And right now, Dady had a very similar expression to that moment. Luna had the impression that there was something different, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was his intense but distant gaze. Or the fact that all the wrackspurts had flown away in a mad dash.
"How old is your friend?
"She'll be nine in a few days." Luna didn't really understand how important that could be, but given the way Dady's posture had stiffened, it had to be important somehow.
"When did she leave Dursleys' family?"
"She told me she's been living here since early last fall. I don't know how long she's been flying." Luna didn't understand the importance of this information either, but if Dady was asking it surely wasn't for nothing.
"She lives alone now?"
"Yes, she never talked to anyone else. I think she was very isolated, even in the Dursley family. As she was not to be seen she would only know them."
"Where does she live?"
Why was Dady suddenly so interested in Myo? Luna had told Dady that she had made a friend of the bird girl and didn't want to have an article about her, and Dady had agreed without question, just telling her to be careful and that he was glad she had made a new friend. But ever since Luna had explained her theories about the strange creatures that were the Dursleys he had been bombarding her with questions. What was going on? Dady gave the impression that it was something serious, but Luna didn't understand.
"She lives at the top of the big tower I told you about when we first arrived. She turned the pages of her sketchbook until she found the page where she had drawn the tower in question. The powerful, noble and mysterious aura of the ancient building had immediately attracted her. Immortalizing its sight on paper had seemed the obvious thing to do. She then turned the notebook so that Dady could see better. "Just below the roof, where the big windows are, that's where she lives. I've seen her several times fly up to the windows and enter through there."
Dady nodded, her features a little more relaxed. Nevertheless, a certain tension remained in his expression. Was he worried about Myo? "Did she let you into her tower yet?"
"No, we haven't really talked about it. I think she's still too shy for that."
"I see. No wonder..." muttered Dady thoughtfully. "Do you know how she lives? I mean, what does she eat? What does she drink? Where does she get her living?"
A small smile broke out on Luna's face. "She hunts, fishes and collects roots and other wild plants, she also collects shells. She tells me that some of the 'humans' have taken to making weird little wooden houses in which they put food that she collects. She cooks really well you know! Not as good as you but still. She can make flames you know! Beautiful blue and white flames. She cooks everything she does with it. She told me that she never eats anything that her flames haven't touched. Her grilled fish is delicious you know! She catches them with her talons as she flies over the water, above the sea."
Hearing this, Dady looked quite shocked, as if this was the last thing he would have expected. A little more tension left his shoulders. His lips, the moment before tightened into a worried frown, now forming a slight smile as he let out a small amused laugh. "You like her a lot, don't you? Your new friend."
Luna felt her cheeks flush. She nodded shyly. It was true, she just really liked spending her days with Myo. It had become her daily routine for a few weeks now and she could hardly imagine life without Myo, alone again.
Dady's eyes darkened for a moment. "Have you noticed anything odd about your friend physically?"
"Um, she has wings, feathers all over her, but that's normal for a bird thing like her."
"No, that's not what I meant. Does she look sick? Any scars, traces of old injuries?"
Luna thought for a moment before realizing she couldn't answer the question. She had never seen Myo naked, and she was always dressed in a dress that fell to the top of her knees. "I don't really know, the only thing I've noticed is that she can't run on the ground. Walking isn't a problem for her, but I've seen her try to run once before and she didn't succeed at all. I think it must be really difficult with her claws and the shape of her lower legs... I think that's normal. I didn't notice anything special about her other than that."
Dady simply nodded, relaxing almost completely, his gaze regaining its usual lightness and airiness. "I see." he sighed. He looked as if he was going to say something along the same lines, but then he thought better of it. After a short pause he finally said. "Luna, why do you say it's a bird thing? It's kind of... hard, calling a friend that."
Luna looked exasperated as she replied, "She's the one who says she's a 'bird thing', it's just that we don't know what kind of being she is. Besides, do you have any idea what she might be, Dady? I think she'd like to know. She asked me that once before, but I didn't know how to answer."
"I don't know, Luna. I could give you a guess now, but I could be wrong. I'd have to meet her to tell you. And even then I'm not sure I could give you a satisfactory answer."
"Please! At least tell me your theories! Even if you're not sure, it doesn't matter." Luna said in a pleading voice.
"Okay, I've always had a hard time saying no to you. But don't tell her okay? It would be wrong to give her false hope if we were wrong."
"Yes I promise." replied Luna, nodding fervently.
"Very well. So let's summarize. Claws, wings, lots of feathers, and can wield flames. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Anything to add? The more detail I have, the less chance I have of being wrong."
"Hmmm..." Luna thought for a moment. "She's very, very pretty. Distractingly pretty. Ah, yes! She has a bird's tail. She says it's very useful for balancing herself in flight and when landing or when she needs to make precise aerial movements. Apart from that…"
"I see. I have several hypotheses, but take them with a grain of salt, okay? I am an amateur magizoologist. Not a specialist in beings at all. I'd say she's either a herpy, a Veela, or a tengu. But it could be something else. My three hypotheses all have big weaknesses. From what I know, harpies are much more aggressive than what you described and are not known for their beauty. I don't know much about the Veela but it seems to me that even if some have wings their avian characteristics are much less developed than what you describe. And Tengu are endemic to Japan, so it would be really strange if this was the case. And she could be part of a species I simply don't know about."
Luna gave him a disappointed pout. "You don't really know, actually, Dady..."
"I told you I couldn't give you a straight answer, but you still wanted to know what I thought, little one." He said, ruffling her hair.
Luna muttered in a low voice. "Dady idiot." before lying back on the deck of the ship and letting her eyes drift over the belly of the clouds. The weather had darkened since their discussion began. The low, dark grey clouds gave the sea a graphite tint and promised rain.
"Dady?"
"Yes my moon?"
"Are we getting there soon where you saw the Velondes?"
"Yes, in half an hour I think. Why?"
"The weather has really darkened, I think it's going to rain soon. And if the wind picks up we'll have a storm."
"Indeed... But don't worry. If ever the weather starts to get really bad we'll cut short our observations and get home faster. And in the worst case, I can always get us to the shore by apparating. And this is the last day we can see the Velondes. They will soon start their migration south. It would be a shame to turn back now just because of the heavy clouds and a little bit of rain.
"If you're sure Dady..."
"By the way, I have good news, my Moon. Mum is going to cut her stay in Quebec short and come home earlier than expected."
A big smile appeared on Luna's face. "Really? What happened?"
"A change in the organization of the event. She will have finished all her lectures earlier than expected."
"When will she be home?"
"Next Saturday. We leave in three days. We'll have a little party for her when she gets back."
Luna's face darkened. She was glad Momy was coming home early. She was really starting to miss her. But it also meant that she would be leaving sooner than expected. That these next three days would be the last she would spend with Myo this summer. She really wanted to spend more time with her. Yes, she wanted to see Momy again, but she was already spending most of the year with her. Whereas Myo... She didn't know if she would ever see her again. She and Dady had only been to the north of Scotland this year for the Velondes and the rumoured bird child. If she asked Dady nicely, maybe she would let her see Myo from time to time... But it would be a rare occasion. Besides, Luna didn't really know how friendships worked. Would Myo still be her friend after months of not seeing each other? A lump had formed in her throat, tears threatening to escape. Her dark thoughts were interrupted by her father's soft, reassuring voice.
"Luna, dear, how would you like to invite your friend to come home with us? I'm sure it would please Mummy to meet her as much as it would please me. And if you like her so much she must be a nice girl."
Luna looked up at Dady, her big eyes wet with unshed tears, full of hope. "Really?"
"Yes. If you want I can even write an invitation letter. Can she read?"
"She can read very well. It's one of her favourite pastimes. She told me she loves Jules Verne."
"I'll write that to her tonight. By the way, you didn't tell me what her name was. Who should I address the letter to?"
"Myosotis Potter." Luna said, smiling innocently.
"Myosotis, then. Nice name." Suddenly, Dady's face froze. Then he turned completely to Luna, staring into her eyes. "My darling. Please. Can you repeat her name?"
"Myosotis Potter. What's wrong, Dady?"
"The one with the scar?"
"Um, she said she had a lightning bolt scar but it's gone now."
"The Girl who lived?"
"Um, yes. She thinks it's a silly and ugly nickname. She said she didn't understand, because all the girls alive now are by definition Girl who lived."
"She identifies herself as a bird thing, and with feathers and wings and so on?" Dady was shaking with tremors, he seemed to be struggling to speak.
"Yes, of course. I've told you this before, Dady. What's wrong with you? You're weird all of a sudden."
Suddenly he burst out laughing as he clutched his sides. It had been a long time since Luna had seen Dady find something funny enough to laugh so loudly and intensely. But more importantly, she didn't understand the source of his hilarity. Luna was really starting to worry about her poor father's mental health.
"Dady! What's wrong?" She said, shaking Dady by the shoulders.
His laughter ended in a coughing fit when he finally regained his composure. "I'm sorry I worried you, Little Moon. You're too young to understand. It's just that if your new friend is indeed Myosotis Potter, the future looks much more entertaining than I thought."
Luna was suddenly worried. Dady wouldn't want her to stop being friends with Myo, would he? "We can still invite her? She can still be my friend?"
"Of course, darling. Nothing changes. Don't worry about it. Of course she can still be your friend. What made you think otherwise? I'm more than happy that you finally have a good friend," he said, taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. Luna melted into the hug, leaning her head against Dady's chest, reassured.
"Thanks Dady."
"You don't have to thank me for something so normal and obvious, you know. Oh! I see them!" He said as he stood up and held out his hand to help Luna to her feet. "Look down there. Do you see the shapes just below the surface of the water? Those are the Velondes! Look at them and try to draw them, please. I'll get the camera."
Indeed, about twenty metres in front of the boat, dozens of smooth, shiny shapes were swimming. Large fish with silver scales and large eyes glowing with a bluish light swam peacefully a few centimetres below the surface of the water. Luna didn't regret coming. They were huge. And really beautiful. The biggest of them must have been a bit bigger than herself. She opened her sketchbook to a blank page and began to draw one of the beautiful fish.
Dady had returned, and was leaning over the rail to take pictures. Despite the grey and increasingly oppressive clouds the water was clear enough to allow a detailed observation of the Velondes. As usual when it came to rare magical creatures, Dady began to discuss their specificities. Apparently Velondes were the magical cousins of flying fish. They could be found all over the globe but large shoals like this one were exceedingly rare. They were also called storm fish and before the statute sailors used their strange and beautiful behaviour as a warning for excessively violent storms."
Dady was explaining the migration system of the Velondes. (They would migrate up to northern waters in the summer to lay eggs near the coasts of the Nordic countries, Scotland, Iceland, Alaska and Greenland before returning to the warm equatorial waters in the autumn, winter and spring. The eggs would remain pregnant until the Velondes returned early the following summer, before the babies joined the group). When she witnessed a magnificent sight.
From the dark depths of the cold ocean waters sprang a Velonde. The fish rose higher and higher into the air, surrounded by a magical glow. The water droplets below it glowed with a thousand golden and diamond reflections. To Luna, time seemed to slow down as the Velonde rose higher and higher into the air. Its silver body undulated gracefully in the air, until it reached twenty meters above the water. Then she fell elegantly back into the dark water without a splash.
Luna was speechless at the breathtaking sight. She was about to immortalize what she had just seen in her sketchbook when two more Velondes rose from the water again, soaring through the air with magical suppleness and grace. "Dady, look." She managed to say, patting his shoulder. He looked up from his shots of the Velondes swimming against the hull of the boat just in time to see five Velondes bursting from the waves in a thousand silver droplets.
He stood mute for a few moments, his eyes riveted to the breathtaking sight before running to the helm. "Dady? What's going on?" Luna asked. Dady's behaviour was most unusual. He was used to observing such phenomena with pleasure and fascination. It didn't make sense. Why did he look so panicked? She joined him at the helm, as more and more of the Velonde rose from the dark waters to the sky.
"I'll give the runic array more magic. Let's get out of here! A big storm is coming! What you see is the storm dance of the Velonde. And from the height they're jumping out of the water, something big is coming."
Luna looked up at the sky. It was getting darker by the minute. Heavy, dark grey clouds were approaching. Although it was still daylight, it was dark enough to give the ocean a crepuscular atmosphere. In the distance a dull roar could be heard. Luna hadn't paid any attention to it, but the air was heavy, strangely warm, especially for a summer in the north of Scotland. A shiver ran down Luna's spine. Distracted by her long discussion with her father and the beauty of the vélondes, she had completely forgotten about the bad feeling that had come over her the day before and the morning before they left. Now it was back stronger than ever. Dady, too, looked particularly serious and focused. He had removed the ropes that held the helm in place, and had taken out his compass to steer the boat towards the coast. He was also muttering something in a low voice, making momy's runic array glow brighter than ever. The magical wind had risen again, swelling the sails of the boat, pushing it towards the shore.
The grey cliffs of Scotland's jagged coastline were too far away to see, would they have time to get home before the storm broke? The Velondes were becoming more and more active, they were now leaping out of the water by the dozen, dancing in the air, feeling the storm approaching as Dady had said.
A brief glimmer of light drew Luna's gaze to the huge dark cloud colossi approaching. She stared at their shifting, esoteric forms for a few seconds, then a huge crack ripped through the air. The vibration ran through her body, making her tremble. Instinctively she buried her face in Dady's shirt, hugging his waist with all her might as waves of age-old terror threatened to overwhelm her mind.
"It's going to be okay, sweetheart." Dady said, stroking her upper back. "We're going to take shelter on the coast. We should be there in an hour. And if the sailing gets too dangerous, I'll just apparate us to the tent."
Terrified, Luna couldn't find the strength to respond verbally and merely nodded against Dady's shirt.
The clouds were now so dark that Luna felt as if the sun had gone down. The continuous roll of thunder grew louder and louder as the blinding flashes of powerful lightning multiplied. The wind had risen, stronger and stronger gusts of wind were stirring up the waters with force and rage. Stronger and stronger waves were crashing against the hull of their little boat
The Velondes had ceased their dance announcing a storm. The last one to jump out of the water was sinking into the black water towards the abyss.
Lune felt a wet spot against her neck, then another and another, as the sound of raindrops hitting the planks of the boat grew louder. Dady had taken out his wand and was muttering an incantation. A dome of faintly glowing bluish light covered them both now, repelling the raindrops, and insulating them from the howling wind.
The storm was upon them, countless flashes of lightning briefly illuminating the sky. The glow of the lightning gave a glimpse of mystical and terrifying forms between the clouds, unspeakable and indescribable. Creatures and titans battling in the depths of the dark clouds.
The sound of the curtains of rain crashing against the planks of their little boat was nothing compared to the continuous crash of thunder rumbling above them. Divine drums of war accompanying the immense arcs of lightning bluing the sea and sky. Two powers becoming one, linked by their infinite fury.
Luna was terrified, clutching at Dady's waist with all her might. She had never felt so insignificant. Fragile, less than a speck of dust beneath powers beyond her, beyond her comprehension. She could not look away from the spectacle of savage, destructive fury unfolding above her. Was what she was seeing only what her terror-transient little girl imagination was creating? Or was it an inconceivable and superior reality, like so many of the things that only she seemed able to see? These questions were foreign to her. All that mattered was the warmth of Dady's body, the determination in his gaze as he held the helm firmly in one hand and clutched his wand with the other to maintain the shield protecting them from the fury of the elements.
The waves grew larger and larger, hills turning into mountains of water. Their boat straddled the crests of these saltwater monsters. She heard her father yell something, but in the thunder and fear that tore at her mind she could not understand his words. He repeated again, it took all her concentration to understand, but she did. Dady's words made her blood run cold, and she began to sob uncontrollably. The storm was magic. Its presence so overwhelming that Dady was unable to apparate them to the tent. They could only continue by boat. Dady's reassuring words could no longer reach her, nothing could calm her. Like the black water, despair would engulf her. She could already see herself dead, drowned, devoured by the wrath of the ocean, punishing those who dared to brave it. Momy's face, in tears, twisted with pain as she learned of her and Dady's disappearance. Myo, alone again, abandoned to the world. Her tears flowed down her cheeks before falling into the salt water of the ocean, dissolving in the cold and unforgiving immensity.
The boat was climbing one of the gigantic waves when the wave collapsed. The boat, Luna, and Dady were engulfed for a moment by the water before they re-emerged at the top of the wave. Dady's forehead was sweaty, his eyes wide, his knuckles white from the force of his grip on the rudder. If he had held on any looser, the waves would have swept them away, Luna thought, shaking. A new wave of terror swept through her body.
She didn't know how long ago the storm had started. She was too busy fighting alongside Dady in this final, desperate battle against the elements to realize how much time passed. The pain and exhaustion throughout her body told her that it must have been a long time, but she was unable to really realize it. The sky, the sea, the clouds, the thunder, all became one. A discordant symphony crushing them, mere insects adrift, clinging to their miserable piece of wood. She no longer knew which way the coast was. She could only think of Momy's face, the one for whom she would hold on until the end.
Dady seemed to be at his wits' end, struggling, wave after wave, gust after gust, to keep control of the boat. His shield had long since given way. Both were now soaked to the bone. The pain of the bite of the cold and salt added to the other difficulties. But Dady had to conserve his energy to keep the helm. Maybe soon the storm would pass, or they would reach the shore. Luna relied on the only thing she had left, in her fear-ridden mind, a grain of hope. Hope that they would make it and that she would see the sun again one day.
A new light caught Luna's eye. A crackling, ghostly glow atop the boat's mast. She could feel the ozone in the air, the tension building up by the second. She shouted to try to warn Dady that something strange was happening, but he was too focused on sailing to hear her. In the light of the flashes she could see his sweaty face, an expression of intense exhaustion and determination she had never seen before. She tugged at his sleeve, pointing to the light at the top of the mast, but by the time he looked up it was too late. An expression of unspeakable terror contorted Dady's features. He let go of the helm, crouched down and took Luna in his arms before holding on to the rail. Putting his body between her and the mast. The smell of ozone intensified, as other similar, ominous glows multiplied in the air around the ship.
Suddenly, an unearthly silence engulfed the boat. The lights converged simultaneously on the top of the mast. The clouds, the air, the wind, the rain, the sea, all shattered. A blinding light engulfed the boat. Everything turned white, brighter than the sun. Luna closed her eyes just in time. Hiding her face in the crook of Dady's neck.
The thunder cracked.
A crack more powerful and terrible than any Luna had heard before. The high-pitched whistle in her ears didn't stop her from hearing the sound of the ship's wood being torn apart by the force of the lightning. The mast exploding, Dady's muffled scream, as the magic shield he had hastily erected gave way under the force of the wooden shrapnel.
Luna opened her eyes again. The afterglow of the lightning gave her vision a bluish aura. She heard Dady mutter a spell, and saw the wood around her change shape and detach from the rest of the boat to become a frail, distorted shell. She felt Dady's muscles relax, his breathing was ragged. She could shout his name over the din of the storm, but he would not open his eyes. The exhaustion of the last few hours had overcome him. Luna didn't have enough tears left to cry. She would be holding Dady in her arms, hoping that the warmth of her small body would be enough to keep the cold from taking him away. She looked around frantically, searching for some kind of salvation. But nothing but the raging sea, the furious wind and the remains of their burning boat remained.
This was the end.
She would hold Dady's unconscious body against her. Waiting for the next giant wave to overwhelm and send them into the cold darkness of the deep.
...
She saw a light in the sky. A blue and white light contrasting against the dark clouds. Was it again one of those ghostly fires that heralded lightning? Would she die from the wrath of the sky rather than the sea? At least this death would be quicker, she thought bitterly.
She blinked, the blue light had not disappeared, it was growing. It didn't look like one of those cursed glows that heralded death. It was something different. More stable, just by looking at it a feeling of warmth was growing inside her. She had seen this light somewhere before. The flaming figure was approaching faster and faster, it was going down towards the sea. What was only a blue dot in the distance became recognizable. A large flame bird was approaching.
It split the air in their direction. The hiss of water evaporating on contact with the flames became louder and louder. It was only a few metres above their poor transfigured boat, in danger of breaking up with each new wave. The bird had a wingspan of about twenty metres, a large ethereal corvid of flames. Luna knew its flames, she knew that soft reassuring warmth. Myo, she whispered as the bird's forehead came close to hers. Their foreheads finally joined and Luna felt a wave of calm come over her as her tears evaporated. She reached out and caressed the bird's cheek. Its flames, an inferno of bluish fire, were just a gentle warmth against her skin. She looked into Myo's wells of white light of her eyes. "Take us." She whispered to the bird.
The bird moved back a few feet before reaching for them with its talons. It carefully grabbed Luna and Dady by the waist, lifting them gently into the air. With a mighty sweep of its wings the flaming bird soared into the sky. Flying just below the cloud layer. The rain did not reach them, the wind itself seemed to be consumed by the gentle protective flames. Luna could even hear Dady's breathing becoming calmer. More even. His features relaxing in his unconsciousness.
Far below her, Luna could see the remains of their boat sinking into the waves, the last red flames of the lightning-triggered fire dying out. Myo was taking them further and further away, faster and faster. Her flames splitting the wind, the rain and the clouds. Luna couldn't help but feel soothed. Safe in the flames. She was safe.
Soon she saw the coast. Black cliffs, obscured by dark clouds, and beyond them, the tower. Luna realized at that moment where Myo was taking them. It should have been obvious from the start, but Luna was still far too overwhelmed to think clearly. Her state of absolute terror of the last few hours was still clouding her mind, and the reassuring warmth of Myo's flames was not enough to clear her mind sufficiently.
In the other flame talons of Myo's flame bird form, Dady was trembling slightly. A huge smile spread across Luna's face as Dady's eyes blinked open slowly. He looked lost, unable to understand what was happening to him.
Less than a minute later the flame bird flew in through one of the tower's large windows. Its vast wings of flame licked the edges of the window without burning anything. The bird hung in the air in the middle of the large room, its blue flames lighting up the interior of what Luna guessed was Myo's room. Its flaming talons relaxed and she and Dady were gently deposited on the floor.
The bird's flames grew suddenly, engulfing the entire room, before they suddenly disappeared, leaving Myo's form falling to the floor. By reflex, Luna managed to catch her. Myo was sweating, her eyes closed, her breathing rapid and irregular. Luna had to do something. A few feet away from her Dady was kneeling on the ground, one hand leaning against the floor, the other holding his head. He clearly didn't seem to be in any condition to help. Fortunately, Luna quickly spotted a large pile of pillows and blankets forming a kind of nest near a wall. She stood up on shaky legs, trying to lift Myo's thin, unconscious body with her. Surprisingly, it was quite easy. Myo was much lighter than she had expected. The volume of the wings and all the feathers had misled her, she felt so thin, so fragile in her arms. She laid her gently in the blanket nest, careful not to ruffle her wings or damage her feathers before she too collapsed to the ground.
The effect of the adrenaline leaving her system was instantaneous, a wave of intense fatigue hit her. But it wasn't time to relax yet, Dady had been in a lot of pain earlier protecting her from the lightning, she had to see how he was holding up.
Luna sat cross-legged for a moment, not yet having enough strength in her trembling legs to stand up. She wished that the first time Myo took her to her room was under better circumstances, but if it meant escaping the horror of the sea's fury, Luna didn't mind.
In this moment of calm, when she could not yet stand up, Luna decided to observe the room until she regained enough strength to go and look after Dady and help him as best she could. The room was large, the ceiling high, and numerous large windows, closed only by heavy curtains of cloth, no doubt enchanted, gave access to the outside. On the other side of the room, not far from a dark woodwork desk, was what appeared to be a large pile of ash. Myo had mentioned that she loved taking ash baths, she remembered, slightly amused. She wouldn't have believed that Myo liked it enough to have a pile of ash right inside her room. When she saw the desk she suddenly remembered her beloved drawing book. With joy and relief she felt it again against her skin under her clothes. She took it out and placed it on the floor beside her. It was dry, courtesy of Myo's flames. The rest of the furniture, still beautiful, old and of excellent workmanship, consisted of a large open wardrobe, overlooking a set of dresses amateurishly shortened surely by Myo's care. Several shelves were also present. Some were full of books, others covered with various objects, all shiny or beautiful in one way or another. But what struck Luna was the presence of countless skulls of various sizes displayed throughout the room. Some hung from the ceiling, some from the shelves, some even on the floor for the larger ones.
Someone other than Luna would have been scared, but Luna was simply intrigued. It reminded her of the hare's skull that Myo constantly wore around her neck. Were they just hunting trophies? Or something more?
Next to the nest of cushions and blankets where Myo lay was a nice little closed chest. Knowing Myo, surely another place to put more things. Finally, a closed trap door was on the floor, slightly off-centre from the middle of the room.
Luna was drawn from her observations by a grunt of discomfort from Dady. He was struggling to sit up. Luna winced, even in the darkness she could see the few pieces of wood stuck in Dady's back through his shirt. In blowing up the mast, the lightning had been anything but gentle. Feeling able to move again she walked on all fours towards Dady, before sitting down against him and leaning her head against his shoulder. She was still dizzy and lightheaded. She felt a wave of warmth and reassuring affection wash over her as she heard Dady's voice. They were alive, safe and sound, safe from the storm. A tear of relief rolled down her cheek as she tried to control her emotions and not burst into tears.
"My darling, are you all right?" Dady said as she put a trembling arm around her waist. "You're not hurt?"
"No Dady, just exhausted." Luna wanted to say something more, to offer her help, but she didn't know what to do, Dady was hurt, Myo was passed out, and Luna felt helpless.
"Where are we?" Dady asked.
"At Myosotis, on top of the tower."
"I see, she's the one who saved us."
"Yes."
"Where is she now?"
"On the pile of cushion and blanket, she fainted as she entered the tower, after putting us down."
"She managed to lift us both up to the shore just by the power of her wings?" Dady asked, looking impressed.
"No, well, not really. I don't know what she did, but she was like a big flame bird at the time."
Dady seemed to understand something elusive if his grim expression was any indication. He drew his wand before summoning a lumos, then conjuring two mirrors to check his back. A few spells later and all the pieces of wood and splinters stuck in his skin were removed and his wounds closed, leaving only very reddish patches where the wounds were most severe. Then he got up and walked over to the pile of blankets and pillows where Myo's inert form lay.
Concerned, Luna followed suit. In the light of Dady's Lumos, she realized how sickly pale Myo was. Large rings were visible under her eyes and she was badly shivering. With a wave of his wand Dady levitated her and a blanket seemed to come to life and envelop her. He then whispered the incantation for a warming spell before gently placing her back on the cushions and casting other spells that Luna didn't recognise.
"Dady, what's going on?" Luna asked, growing increasingly concerned.
Dady's lips were thin, and he frowned with concentration. "Some form of severe magical exhaustion. We need to get your friend to a healer as soon as possible. You know that beings are inherently magical?"
Luna nodded, her throat knotted, she was beginning to see what Dady was getting at.
"Unlike for humans, magical exaution is many time more dangerous to magical beings. And your friend is far too close to not having enough magic left in her. I don't know what she did to come looking for us, but the cost to her magic was far greater than a young Veela of her age can bear."
Luna nodded again. "How do we get her to the healer? The storm is still raging outside, and which healer would agree to heal a being? Here in Britain?" She decided to ignore the new information that Myo was a Veela for the moment as apparently Dady now had enough information to be sure about Myo nature.
Dady walked over to one of the windows and leaned out for a few seconds before pulling his head in. "The rain and wind have calmed down a bit. I can levitate us to the ground and then have a portkey to the healer's house. I'm sure Mrs. Tonks will agree to treat her distant cousin discreetly."
"Myosotis Potter and Mrs. Tonks are cousins?" Dady and Mrs. Tonks were longtime acquaintances, and though Mrs. Tonks no longer practiced directly after becoming Potions Mistress, Dady still took Luna to see her for her medical appointments.
"I'm a journalist, dear. It is well known, especially among people of my age, that Dorotea Black was married to Fleamont Potter, Miss Myosotis' paternal grandfather. Well, let's not waste time, Miss Myosotis is in a pretty bad state. At these words he picked up a pretty amber stone from a shelf and touched it with his wand, whispering, "Portus". He put it in his pocket, then held out his hand to Luna. "Hold on tightly to my waist, my dear." Without discussion, Luna complied. Then he reappeared his rain shield and whispered "Pluma rore," pointing his wand at himself. With a wave of his wand, Myo's unconscious body flew towards them and Dady took her in his arms to carry her princess-style. Finally, without any hesitation, he jumped out of the tower window.
Luna yelped with fear and closed her eyes, waiting for the painful impact of the ground. But it never came. Instead, her feet touched the ground gently. She opened her eyes again, realizing that she had just reached the base of the tower. "You can let go now, sweetheart." Dady said with a touch of amusement in his voice. Luna obeyed, and they both began to walk with haste. "We need to get out of the ruins so we can activate the portkey. I don't know what the wards are like from here, but they are extremely impressive. No space distortion not related to the wards is possible in this place."
Soon they passed the last ruins and reached the plain. "The portkey in my pocket, take it and press the stone between your hand and my arm, make sure it makes contact." Luna took out the pretty stone and hurried to follow the instructions. "Tonks," said Dady, then they disappeared in a flash of light and a crackle.