Chapter Eleven.
Warm amber light filtered through the leaded panels of the stained glass windows of the Twilight's Harvest, casting deep shadows into many of the secluded corners of the tavern's tap room. The feeble light of the shuttered lanterns hanging about the room did little to fight the darkness.
Yet the dim light could not hide the sight in front of him.
Callian stared across the table in horror as he watched Sirius Black shovel food into his mouth like a man possessed. The man had forgone any use of cutlery as he scooped at the bowl of porridge with his fingers, Callian could only grimace at the sight and knew it was just another reminder of the hell the man had experienced for the last decade.
Sirius seemed to catch the look on his face and hurriedly pushed the bowl away from him as he shot an embarrassed grin in his direction. "Sorry…Old habits."
Callian just shook his head at the man's half-hearted attempt at a joke as he gently pushed the bowl back towards the man.
"Don't be stupid, Black. Eat…just use a spoon before your face is completely covered. "
Callian summoned a flicker of power, the Weave pulling the tableware into the air to hover before the man.
Sirius's face darkened in embarrassment before a grin split the man's face as he took floating cutlery.
The results were somewhat horrific as they revealed rotten and broken teeth but Callian refused to let his revulsion show.
"You're good at that, aren't you?" Sirius waved his newly acquired spoon in the air. Callian could not help but smirk at the man as he waggled his eyebrows in time with the spoon.
"I've been able to use my Magic since I was very young, my grandfather and Jastor taught me the very basics of Spellweaving almost immediately. Although, I think it was more of a way to control my tendency to set the carpets on fire when I got angry. " Callian smiled at the memory of his flustered mother chasing him away after she had put out one of the smouldering carpets in her solar.
The man before him barked out a laugh that made Callian grin despite his wariness of the man. "Reminds me of when Reg would get upset when we were younger, and fire off little jets of sparks whenever he wanted to play with my father's broomsticks and the old man would shout us out of his study. Half the carpets and tapestries in Grimmauld Place had scorch marks that could never be repaired."
With another laugh the man went back to shovelling the thick gruel into his mouth, Callian could only watch as the man. He did not even seem to be tasting the food, as spoonful after spoonful found their way into his mouth.
Callian asked the man a few questions about the Black Family, his great-grandfather had not been very forthcoming with information on the few visits he had made to Castle Blackwood and Sirius proved a font of acerbic remarks on the few remaining members of their House. He spoke fondly of only one member of the Black family with any real joy and that was Andromeda Tonk, apparently the two of them had bonded quite closely over their spite of the rest of the members of House Black.
Eventually, the silence grew between them and he found himself studying the man as he waited for Black to finish with his meal. He reached out with delicate probing threads of power that revealed a host of troubling information.
The man's body was a ruin, he did not know how the man could even sit still without cringing in pain. He could see the multitudes of wounds, old and new alike that lingered upon the man's body. He knew that his mother, Tyrna and even Keeky had taken turns in healing the man, and they had done much to heal as much of the damage as they could but for whatever reason several of the man's many wounds refused to leave him.
He found Black's grey eyes watching him intently as he brought his probing Magic towards the man's head.
"You are just like your grandfather, he didn't bother with asking for my permission before he started casting spells either."
Callian had the decency to blush before he offered the man a muttered apology.
Sirius just waved his words away before he pushed away his now scraped-clean bowl.
"So what does your spell tell you? No one has told me much of anything recently."
Callian could hear the bitterness in the man's words, he could only guess what Sirius must be feeling after he had been used to tweak the Ministry's nose.
Callian hesitated for only a moment before he looked into Sirius's eyes and found the words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them.
"It looks like there's something wrong with your wounds from Azkaban, they seem to be… resistant to healing."
Sirius snorted at his words, "I'm not surprised, most of what's left is from the Dementors. They had almost free rein among the prisoners of my wing. We were all lifers, the Ministry didn't care what happened to us and the Dementors like their meals terrified."
Callian watched as the man's eyes took on a haunted quality, his voice took on a hoarseness as the words began to tumble from his lips.
"If we slept for too long, they would come screeching up to the bars of our cells. Merlin…I can still hear them laughing."
The man stilled in his seat as he seemed to become lost in the nightmarish memory of his time in Azkaban, Callian did not know what to say as the man's eyes took on a desperate, panicked look. Suddenly Sirius reared back in his seat as if slapped, and his eyes darted about the room as if looking for the very creatures that had made his life a living hell.
Callian shot a look over his shoulder and could make out the hard eyes of the dwarves he had brought along as guards, they seemed to have realised that something was happening as more than one of the burly warriors was already out of their chairs and heading towards them.
They had reluctantly allowed him to leave The Pillar with Black, and only after Harl had ordered five of his best to escort them. Now as Callian sat in Twilight's Harvest, the dwarves' dark eyes never left the dishevelled and gaunt figure of Sirius Black sat opposite him.
Black seemed to have noticed their approach and lost as he was in the memories that haunted him he jumped to his feet, his hands desperately scrambling for the wand tucked into the leather sheath at his waist.
Before the guards had even crossed half the distance, Callian felt something rush past him and he only had time to blink in shock as Dellen, the owner of the Twilight's Harvest, appeared at Sirius's side in an instant. The Vampire's long fingers clamped about the man's wrist as he gently pulled the man's hand away from his wand with startling ease. Sirius's panicked movements only grew wilder, and Callian could only watch as he desperately fought to free himself. Dellen ignored the man's attempts, even when Sirius began to launch several desperate attacks at the Vampires face Dellen merely turned his head away with only the slightest wince of pain. The Vampire's free hand darted up to seize Black's chin and turned the man's face to stare directly at his own.
Callian felt something pass between the two of them. Insidious and slippery and altogether foreign to his senses, the strange powers of the Vampire quickly caused Sirius's attempts to escape to grow weaker and weaker. He could feel only the barest flicker of Magic at work as Dellen continued to hold Sirius until he hung limply in the Vampire's arms, yet whatever strange power he worked had Black as docile as a newborn pup.
Callian could only watch as Dellen moved his face towards Sirius's neck before he seemed to hover poised, he thought he caught the flash of long pale canines in the gloom cast by the Harvest's lanterns.
Callian found himself watching the tavern keeper with a newfound wariness, he had never seen the Vampire's powers at work before and he prayed he never found himself on the receiving end of them.
With an almost intimate gentleness, Dellen carefully eased the man back into his chair before he removed his fingers from their tight grip on Sirius's arm and chin. The man remained in whatever strange stupor the Vampire had enacted upon him, and Callian found himself flinching away from the piercing gaze of Dellen as he turned to face him.
A soft low chuckle issued from the Vampire as Dellen moved towards him with an unnatural fluid grace, and Callian was suddenly reminded of a hunting cat toying with its prey.
"You must be careful young Lord, there is an evil lingering upon Sirius Black's mind."
Callian found himself staring into the Vampire's eyes then, a score of questions into his mind as he processed what he had just been told.
"You can tell that he carries this…taint, just by looking at him?"
Dellen's eyes crinkled as a smile split his face, his long sharp teeth once more on display.
"My kind were designed to be the perfect hunter. We can sense the emotional weakness in humans, it allows us to choose the weakest among the populace to feed upon. To our senses, fear, self-loathing, even depression are like a sour bitterness that colours the scent of the prey."
Dellen eyes found their way back to Sirius's slumped form.
"He smells like rot to me, it's not an unknown among my kind just how damaging the touch of the Soulless can be. Their foul taint is not something that will ever leave him, but time and good company will help ease the pain of it."
Dellen fell silent as he turned back to stare at Callian, and despite his years of knowing the Vampire, Callian felt decidedly uncomfortable in his presence.
He had seen glimpses of the monster behind the genial facade of a man over the years, but to witness only a mere fraction of the vampire's power was daunting and he wanted nothing more than to leave the Twilight's Harvest.
Dellen offered him a sad, forlorn smile and Callian was reminded of the Vampire's words only a moment ago and knew that he could sense Callian's growing discomfort.
Raising a placating hand Dellen spoke into the tense atmosphere that had filled the room, he could see the Dwarven guards off to the side eyeing the man with weary expressions.
"Rest easy, Lord Blackwood. Your mother, nor Lord Belor, would not look favourably on me or my establishment if you were to become injured under my roof."
Despite the vampire's words, Callian still felt incredibly uncomfortable and vulnerable at that moment. He shot another glance towards the guards only a few paces away, he knew they would be of little aid should the Vampire decide that he would rather enjoy an afternoon snack upon his throat despite the threat of retaliation from his family.
Despite the sudden urge to run and hide from the monster in the shape of a man before him, he refused to give in to the urge and as had become common practice for him submerged his mind in the emptiness of the Void of Thought.
Immediately the familiar calm settled over him and he found himself able to meet the Vampire's gaze without flinching, he noted the slight frown that twisted Dellen's brow the longer the Vampire stared at him and Callian wondered what the man's senses were telling him now.
A startled grunt pulled their attention towards the now stirring Sirius Black, and Callian watched as the man jolted to his feet as he searched the room for any threats, his wide-eyed panic quickly faded as he found Callian and Dellen staring at him with blank, expressionless faces.
"What happened?!" The man's words still held a quivering note as he was torn between running away from the Vampire only a few feet away from his son or moving to stand between them.
Dellen took a step away from them all as he turned to face Sirius directly. "You were consumed by the Shadow of the Soulless. I apologise, Lord Black, I had to disarm you so that you did not harm those under the protection of my hospitality."
Sirius's gaze snapped up to pin the Vampire with a look of such burning hatred that had it not been for the Void that wrapped him in a blanket of calm emptiness Callian would have turned tail and run.
It was a primal hatred that bubbled up from the very core of the man before them. Even Dellen seemed momentarily surprised by the sudden shift in the man's emotions and a new wariness entered into the Vampire's gaze.
"Will I never be free of them!"
The words were a harsh whisper but they seemed to linger in the air between them.
Callian felt the man's magic surge about him in a wild maelstrom of Arcane eddies. A clattering clamour suddenly filled the air about them as those tables and chairs nearest them began to shake and rattle as the man's emotions gave free rein to his Magic. Fearing just how damaging the man's wild emotions could be, Callian reached out with his power putting it in direct contention with the man's own.
There was no skill or delicate Weaves involved as he began to push against the limits of Sirius' chaotic magic, he recoiled slightly as it felt as if he was dunking his mind in an inferno before he gritted his teeth and began pushing back at Sirius' Magic.
He knew under normal circumstances he would have never stood a chance against a wizard fully grown into their power, but the man before him from far from the pinnacle of health or sanity and with an effort he began to force the turbulent wild magic the man was spewing into the environment about them back on itself.
Sirius recoiled as if slapped and his eyes darted to stare at Callian in shock before he quickly came to his senses and took control of himself. There was a look of terror in his eyes that had nothing to do with the horrors that plagued the man's waking mind, and Callian knew the man held a new profound fear that he had hurt Callian.
He found himself quickly growing uncomfortable under Sirius's gaze, he quickly offered the man a curt nod of his head as the man dropped back into his chair.
Callian, desiring to look anywhere but at the man, found his eyes focusing on the Vampire once more. Dellen's face looked as if it was carved from stone as he stared at the escaped convict, "The touch of something truly Evil leaves a stain that never fades, Lord Black. My kind know this only too well, for it lingers at the very heart of our beings."
Dellen's eyes seemed to become haunted by things that only he could see as he began to speak.
"I am old, my Lords. Sometimes I fear to old. I have lived for more centuries than I care to remember. Even your grandfather, Lord Blackwood often feels like a toddling child to me. I have seen much of the world, both its beauty and its darkness, but few things can compare to the vile magic that went into the creation of the Dementors."
Dellen's haunted features twisted then, the cold planes of his face twisting into something less than human for the first time that Callian could ever remember. This he knew was the true face of the Vampire, as dark eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the tavern.
Lips pulled back in a snarl that displayed the large incisors of the Vampire, Dellen's soft voice became harsh and sibilant.
"I named them Soulless because that is what they are. Their origins are a story of woe and it is a mercy to put an end to their suffering."
Callian felt the Void slip away as his interest was piqued by the Vampire's words and he could not help but ask.
"What are they?"
The words tumbled from his lips and he found the vampire's eyes snapping up to pierce him in place.
Dellen was silent for several long heartbeats and Callian found himself sharing a concerned look with Black as the two of them watched the Vampire warily. Eventually, Dellen spoke, his sibilant voice still burning with rage, but the face of the monster seemed to recede and what was left in its wake was a creature of utter sadness that pulled at Callian's heart.
"They were living souls once. Men, women and even children…"
Dellen's voice faded away and Callian thought that he would not say anything more, but the words began to fall from the vampire's lips as if he could no longer bear to keep them contained.
"The Dark Lord Ekrizdis, for he was a Dark Lord regardless of what is said about him now, took them and stripped away all that made them human. He started with his own acolytes, those fools who had sworn to serve him in the hopes of gaining some scraps of the powers he was delving into. He took them into the depths of the fortress he had fashioned far into the North Sea and there he began his dark work in earnest. The things he did to those poor souls were inconceivable to a normal mind, and should never have been attempted-"
The Vampire snarled suddenly as his fingers gripped the back of the chair Callian had vacated, his long fingers digging a sizable chunk out of the wood. Dellen was quick to continue his tale, seemingly unable to stop now that he had begun.
"Yet his foul work was not complete, despite the horrors that he had orchestrated in the depths of his fortress he sought out new souls for his experiments. He and the first of his abominations began to attack shipping lanes, stealing away sailors and their unfortunate passengers without a care. He took them down into the darkest depths of what you now call Azkaban and stripped away all that made them human until only their rotting husks remained."
Dellen's haunted gaze flickered towards Callian, his eyes revealing more than words could ever say.
"Pray you never descend into those depths. There are things in that dark place that should never have been created, nameless horrors that will drive you to madness and do worse than steal your very soul."
Callian glanced at Sirius, still sitting in his chair. The man's eyes held a similar look to that of the Vampire.
"You were there."
Dellen nodded at his words and closed his eyes against the pain of his memories.
"My Coven was overwhelmed by Ekrizdis and his acolytes during the beginning years of his rise to power." Callian watched the Vampire swallow past the pain that twisted his face.
"I have never been fond of siring more of my kind and our numbers were few, we were barely a handful when they came for us. They decimated the manor I had claimed as my own during the day, and with the power of the sun overhead, we were powerless to reach them. I lost two of my children to the searing light of the sun before I surrendered to the Dark Lord and his followers. I found out soon enough why he had attacked my home and was forced to watch as he cut my children apart before my eyes. He found it amusing to hold conversations with me as he worked and it was how I learned of his desire to understand what fuelled our undead existence. I was there when he began to experiment upon his acolytes and was forced to watch as created the first of his Soulless…"
Callian watched as the Vampire fell silent and could not help but feel pity for what had transpired centuries ago.
He had no idea what to say to the Vampire, what words could he offer to ease Dellen's centuries-old pains.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words issued forth and he found Dellen snorting.
"I do not ask for your sympathies, Lord Blackwood. The curse of undeath means the memories of what transpired will stay with me forever, but I have learned to live with the pain of them and have found a peace here that I cherish more than mortal men will ever know. Now I believe that you and Lord Black should return to The Pillar, he is weak and the excitement of this afternoon will lay heavy upon him."
Callian wasted no time in helping Srirus from his chair, he recognised the dismissal in the vampire's words and desired nothing more than to comply. A quick glance behind him, as he hauled Sirius to his feet, sent a disquieting shiver down his spine. Dellen had disappeared without a sound and even the Dwarves sent to guard him were looking about in alarm.
One of them shot him a wide-eyed look, "He just stepped back into the shadows and vanished."
Callian shot the gloom about him a wary glance as they quickly fled the Twilight Harvest, the name of the tavern now taking on a darker meaning to his young mind.
They quickly returned to his family, his mother was less than pleased that he had gone off alone with Sirius and Belor's face had seemed carved from granite as he had glared at the man and they had been quick to return him to his chambers. Normally he would have been annoyed at their actions, yet the story Vampire's tale lingered at the fore of his mind.
He was content to spend the rest of the day with his friends as they had joined soon after his return, but still, his mind occasionally returned to Dellen and his story of woe.
The days following the Ministry's flights from his family's lands were chaotic. He often felt lost amidst the maelstrom of frantic activity that seemed to have consumed his mother and grandfather, even his Dagün seemed to become lost in the furore that had followed in the wake of the Dark Lord's return. He had dutifully followed after Belor, as his father had dragged him from one meeting of Clan leaders to another as the Hold of Kar Zurant seemed to swell with new arrivals. He had been paraded in front of a dozen Dwarf Lords until their bearded faces had started to blend together.
They had each questioned him about his conversation with one of their Gods and he could see in their faces the disbelief they held that a mere human child would be the one chosen above his devoted disciples among the Dwarven people.
Many had even given voice to their disbelief, something that had kindled a fire in Belor that had only grown as others had begun to voice their doubts over their words until the fiery fury within his father had threatened to spill beyond the Dwarf's control.
Callian desired nothing more than to flee the brewing confrontations that had been developing in the heart of Kar Zurant, he knew that he was in part responsible for what was happening below but right now he desired nothing more than to be out under the open sky. He loved the strength and safety that his father's hold represented, but as much as he loved his father and the Dwarven people he was not content to spend all of his days buried in their great underground halls. He needed to run free in the forests of his home, to be under the open sky with the sun upon his face and right now that was all that occupied his mind. So he had begged his Dagün to spare him from another meeting, and his father had reluctantly agreed. He too was growing weary of the endless meetings, yet the constant bickering of his fellow Dwarf Lords and their seemingly never-ending trains of retainers that were filling every manse, hall and Inn within the city. He had heard gossip among his father's councillors that guarded camps had been spotted within the Deep Roads as room within the city became sparse. He knew that many of the smaller surface settlements within his father's territory had swelled with visiting dignitaries. Belor had dragged him to several of the smaller Vans, a dwarven term for small holdings that sprouted about larger Kar's, to meet one Dwarf Lord or another that had found no room within the city.
With his father's permission, he had left the gloom of the undercity with his friends at his side. They too longed to be out under the open sky and while they were far removed from the politics of the Dwarven court they could sense the tensions brewing within the city.
At his urging, they had each taken brooms to the very peak of the Horncrags and gladly taken to the air, it had taken a little cajoling to get Hermione onto a broom but she soon found herself racing after the rest of them as they tore through the skies above Kar Zurant.
Slowly the mounting pressures that had weighed so heavily upon him in the cavernous halls of his father fell away from him as he, Harry Draco and Adria played a thrilling game of aerial tag as they shot colour-changing spells at each other until they were a horrifying kaleidoscope of riotous colours. Hermione acted as their referee and was far from partial as she gave Adria her support, something that the blonde girl used to her full advantage as she peppered both the rest with the most vibrant colours she could think of.
As the day wore on Callian led them on a gentle flight across the forest before eventually bringing them to land on the gently sloping banks of the winding river that ran throughout his family's lands. The clear waters ran from the foot of the Horn Crags, winding down through the granite hills until it wound its way through the heart of the forest and beneath the narrow bridge of Castle Blackwood and then eastwards towards the Sea.
Harry was the first to land beside him, his cousin shooting a curious look towards the surrounding trees.
"Where are we?" He asked with a raised brow, as Callian waited for the other three to land.
"This is something I wished for you all to see, especially you two." He nodded towards Hermione and Adria as he led them along an ancient paved road that was so overgrown it was nearly lost amid the waist-high swaying grasses.
He ignored their questions as he led them along the road until they reached the crest of a low hill and before them spread the ruins of a small village, the road they were currently walking cut straight through the ruins until it came to the walls of what looked like a small fortified manor house.
Callian raised his hand and he pointed towards the crumbling ruins of the village. "This was once a small community of men and dwarves, before the statute of secrecy even a few muggles lived here and worked the land. It was once called Savin's Mill and provided grain and flour for the castle in simpler times, it's been over a century since anyone has lived here but my grandfather sends his apprentices to maintain the charms and wards about the Manor."
Harry hopped onto one of the crumbling walls that poked through the long, swaying grass, pulling Adria up beside him.
"I take it there's a reason you brought us here?" Harry asked him as he looked out across the crumbling ruins before them.
Callian nodded his head as he looked intently at all of them. "This is just one of many small fiefs that my House holds. I have spoken with Adria about this at Christmas and I know you were willing to give your Oath, should you go through with it then this holding would become yours to do with as you will. I know Mother has already spoken to your parents about helping with the management of the fief until you come of age, but I thought I would show you just what you would become the Lady of."
Adria stared at him in pure open-mouthed shock, she stayed that way for several long moments and she struggled to find the words that seemed to have become stuck in her throat. Eventually, Harry reached out and gently prodded the girl's chin upwards eliciting a laugh from Callian and Draco as Adria jerked backwards, disrupting her balance and causing her arms to wheel wildly in the air as she stumbled backwards off the low wall.
"What the hell are you on about?! You can't just give me a house!"
Adria stared at him in wide-eyed shock as she tried to wrap her head around what he had just told her.
Callian only grinned at her as he gave a genial shrug of his shoulders before Draco chimed in helpfully "Technically, it is your grandfather granting them land and title. You're just the heir until you gain the Lordship."
Callian nodded at the blonde's words as Adria continued to stare at him as he had suddenly grown two heads but before she could say anything further, Callian smiled happily and began walking down the road towards the manor hall.
"And you are being granted far more than just a house, the lands, a small grove of trees behind the manor and even a portion of the river will become yours once you swear yourself to my family. I believe my mother told me the revenues generated by the village in its prime totalled just shy of a thousand galleons a year after taxes."
He could feel three pairs of eyes boring into his back as he slowed to a halt and turned to look at them with a grin. Draco seemed unfazed by the conversation and he knew the Malfoy's would have similar fiefs within their lands.
Adria's face was flushed with shock as she slowly walked towards him, "Cal, this is too much…you can't just give me a village as if it's nothing-"
Callian placed his hand on Adria's shoulder as she reached him, his face was suddenly serious as his eyes seemed to pin her to the spot.
"Adria, I need you to understand something." His eyes flicked up to pin Hermione in place. "And you, Hermione. You will be given land and title, and it is not something that my grandfather is taking lightly. He will hold you to the highest of standards, if you swear to my House then you will be given the responsibility of not just this domain but all those who will come to dwell here. It will not be easy, and there will be many who will look to target you. To make an example of any mishaps or failures that befall you purely because you are muggle-born."
Callian watched as both of the girls bristled at his words, the prejudice of the Magical World was something they were both quickly coming to despise.
"My House will lose some standing in certain circles within our world for elevating you to a higher social class, but my family has never cared for what others have thought of us and as far as I am concerned what we do with our lands is of no business to them. This is the only way that I know of that will offer you the most protection, until you come of age my grandfather can accept you as his wards, which means your education and well-being will be his responsibility and few will dare to cross him."
He watched as the two girls shared a brief look, something that seemed to speak volumes before they both seemed to stand straighter as they each gave him a firm nod at his words.
Finally, Adria began walking towards him as her gaze remained fixed on the walled manor hall behind him, with her back straight and her head held high she reached out and pulled him into an embrace. "Thank you, Cal. And not just for this, but everything you are doing for us."
Callian felt himself blushing at Adria's words, and he could see the same sense of gratefulness in Hermione's gaze.
He gently pushed Adria back as he looked her in the eye once more, "You know you do not have to thank me, not for any of this. You are my friends, and I will not see any of you come to harm if I can help it."
Harry hopped from his place upon the wall then as he looked on with an easy grin, "So do I get a fancy new estate to call my own? I am after all your favourite cousin."
Without missing a beat, Draco reached out and swatted at the back of Harry's head. "I swear, these Rural Lords are always demanding more from their betters."
Callian could only laugh at the two boys as they began to rough house, once they had set aside their differences they had become fast friends. Harry's often laid-back approach to life and his noble status was a near-perfect opposite of Dracos's portrayal of the perfect and poised heir of an ancient and powerful family. It was a testament to just how far they had come, only a few short months ago the two could barely tolerate being in the same room as each other. Now, the two bickered like lifelong friends, Callian knew that Harry's view of the boy had been changed after his beating after the event of the Yule holidays.
With a laugh at his two cousins continuing to try and put each other on the floor, Callian held out his arms towards Adria and Hermione.
"Let us explore your new hall Lady Adria, while these brutes tussle away in the mud."
His words were light and both of the girls smiled at him as they threaded their arms with his as he led them down the road into the village, behind them they could hear an indignant squawk as one of their companions succeeded in toppling the other. Harry quickly raced after them, a pleased grin plastered upon his face. Draco was not far behind, dust-stained and covered in dry grass but smiling widely as they stopped before the stout oaken gate.
Silvered with age, the gate loomed over them. Nearly fifteen feet of spell-hardened timber was set within a wall that was over a yard thick, it may have looked like a substantial defence but it paled in comparison to the wards and enchantments that had been imbued into it all. To his Arcane sight, the walls seemed almost alive with the rippling effect of countless interwoven Weaves, he could recognise a few of the more recent spells as having been created by Jastor and Gravius and could not help but wonder at what workings the two powerful Magi had devised. Callian watched as Adria ran her hand over the ancient wood, at her touch the door emitted a low hum and somewhere beyond the wall, they could hear a soft chiming.
Callian smiled as his friend snatched her hand away with a panicked look and quickly informed the worried girl that it was just a minor enchantment to let those within know they had visitors. Not wasting any time he shot a quick spell toward the great gates that opened them with only the slightest squeak of protest from the stout black iron hinges.
Before them lay the Hall of Savin's Mill.
A long, two-storied building made of local limestone rose before them as they stepped into the large paved courtyard, the grounds were overgrown with weeds with only the barest attention having been given to maintaining a solitary path towards the peaked double doors of the entrance. Callian could not help but grimace at the state of the courtyard and prayed that the interior was in better shape. He turned to look at Adria as he watched the girl's eyes track across every inch of their surroundings.
Slowly a smile bloomed across the girl's face as she slowly began walking along the narrow path, he felt the barest flickering touch of her Magic as she haltingly reached out to explore her surroundings just as he had shown her. He ignored the three behind him as he followed after the girl, drawing forth his magic he reached out and intertwined Adria's questing threads with his own as he sent their combined magics into the well of power at the heart of the hall. He had such a sense of his friend's emotions that he could not help but feel his eyes moisten with tears, as Adria marvelled at the beauty of the complicated knot of arcane energies that made up her potential new home.
It's beautiful…
The words drifted through his mind and Callian smiled as he felt Adria pulling at his control of the threads to delve deeper into the knot of power, he gladly let her do so as felt her clumsily pull them deeper.
This house is old, older than even the castle. It was where my forefather laid the foundation for his first home after he had been given these lands.
As if summoned by his words, the well of power about them seemed to unfurl and at its heart lay a faded web of Arcane energies. Despite their age, the magic was still strong and Callian could feel Adria's amazement as they got the faintest sense of the Wizard who had created it.
This is amazing.
Adria's hold upon their Weave slipped as she lost herself in the delicate play of energies about them, and Callian quickly regained control of their probe. He made to pull away when he felt the minutest surge of power from the heart of the Weave at the core of the nexus of energy.
A sudden draw of power, so small it nearly slipped his notice, seemed to rejuvenate the magic before him and he watched in fascination as the magic of the Founder of his House seemed to swell about him.
He felt a sense of welcoming wash over him and a longing to have someone of his blood within its walls. He could not help but chuckle at the thought that this was just another building that his family owned that seemed keen to have someone of his blood walk its halls, it was common knowledge among his people that the more Magic cast within a particular home or building began to bleed into the very foundations and in turn, gave it a rudimentary sentience. Many of the oldest magical buildings in the wizarding world could occasionally act of their own accord, often in defence of those that lived within its walls. The building itself became bound to that family and many of its protections were reserved solely for them. There were even claims that some buildings could rearrange themselves to suit the desires of their owners, a few extreme cases claimed that entire buildings could up and move of their own accord.
Hogwarts itself was a prime example of this, he still remembered the touch of the Castle greeting him like an expectant mother upon his first day at the school. It had taken him a while to grow used to the bright well of power below his feet that would occasionally reach out to fuss over the students and teachers within its walls. More than one of the older students had come across rooms or hallways that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, often if they needed a private moment just to get away from the mania of their impending exams. There was even a rumour of a chamber somewhere in the upper floors that was filled with nothing but mountains of refuse and broken things.
He sensed Adria's mental presence focused on him and a sudden giddy anticipation swept over him as his friend's excitement flowed along their intertwined Magic. Before he could question her he felt Adria's magic pull away from him and he was startled out of his examination of the Magic of the hall as he was suddenly pulled back to the material world. He was left momentarily stumbling as he shot a look towards his friends. He could make out the backs of their heads as Harry, Hermione and Draco continued to explore the courtyard; it seemed his and Adria's Delving had not lasted long as their friends had not moved far. However, his attention was gripped by Adria as the girl stood staring at him, her eyes wide but filled with a determination that he had rarely seen in her.
"You have it, Cal. My Oath. My loyalty. Whatever you want to call it, it's yours." Her eyes closed as she cocked her head as if listening to something far away. "This place feels alive, it's like I can hear a whisper of all those that have lived here. They were all loyal to your family, protected under your House and proud to serve. It's something that I already feel about our friendship, but this…"
Callian watched as she dropped to one knee before him, her eyes still closed, her voice took on a strange huskier quality.
He felt the amulet about his neck grow warm as his vision suddenly distorted as his Second sight snapped into being.
His mind screamed as his sight continued to twist as his mind became aware of newer, richer impressions of the world than ever before.
A chaotic swirl of colours, some beyond naming by mortal minds, swam about him. Each dancing upon unseen winds that ebbed and flowed in a furious blur. As he watched a figure began to take shape within the swirling colours, someone who was becoming far too familiar.
Delvaryn appeared at his side while another figure formed behind the kneeling Adria, the Dwarven God stood silently as he watched on with a wary look as the stranger, clad in robes that fluttered like shadowy mists about their form as they clutched a large iron staff in one hand while the other rested upon Adria's head. Callian stared at the stranger in concern, Delvaryn's wariness putting him on edge as this newcomer stared at him with eyes like blazing orbs that peered out from beneath that shadowy hood.
As if pulled to the stranger's presence, hundreds of eddies converged upon the two as Adria spoke her Oath of Fealty there and then. Her words seemed to vibrate with an intensity that made his new view of the world shake and churn in ever-new and unexpected ways.
As he heard the last syllable leave Adria's mouth he watched the stranger give a slight mocking bow in his direction as words drifted upon the very winds of Magic.
I will be watching.
