Chapter Fourteen

The following days brought about a drastic change in the Dwarves of Kar Zurant, many of the Clans had departed as soon as they had sobered from the celebrations that had followed the Divine visitation, each eager to return and spread word of what they had witnessed and to tell of the commandments given to their people by the Forge Fathers.

Callian only saw a small fraction of the frenzy that had consumed the city of Kar Zurant as his grandfather had escorted their contingent back to Castle Blackwood, he and his friends had been put to work helping his grandfather and his Apprentices restore the enchantments that had been dispelled following the cleansing of the castle, something that left them all exhausted yet content as they pushed the limits of their Magic.

He did feel a sliver of sympathy for Adria and Hermione, the bushy-haired girl had finally given her oath of fealty, and they were now being given a crash course in all the things a young noble lady was expected to know. His mother and Narcissa had jumped at the opportunity, and the two newly raised Ladies of their Houses were his mothers unofficial apprentices in all matters of court and Noble etiquette. He knew the experience was somewhat daunting for his friends, and it had only put more strain upon Hermione's relationship with her parents.

Her new fief of Amberbridge had done much to remove the sting of her fathers harsh words when she had told them she had given her Oath. It had surprised Callian just how much he had to resist the urge to blast the fool from his feet when Douglas Granger had berated her in front of everybody. His words had done much to spoil everyone's view of the muggles, and Callian felt his blood boil at the memory of them.

"I will not have my daughter learning anymore of this freakishness, I never wanted you to go to that ridiculous school in the first place. You had a place at Westmoors Academy, from there you could have gone anywhere! No more of this playing with frogspawn and waving that fucking stick around. Pack your bags, we're going home!"

Hermione had been distraught at her fathers words and had flinched away from the man as he had grabbed her arm to drag her back to her chambers, he had not been sure who had cast the first spell but by the time the air had cleared the man had been petrified, bound, dangling from one ankle and sporting an impressive array of boils.

His mother had all but thrown the senior Grangers from their family's lands after a teary eyed Hermione had told them she was not leaving the Magical World for any reason, she had quickly become a Ward of the Castle and between his mother and Beverly Clearwater and a somewhat reluctant Narcissa, the girl was certainly not lacking maternal support.

He expected there to be trouble in the future. Mr Granger did not seem to be someone that would give up easily, but he knew both the law and tradition favoured them heavily.

For now he pushed the thought from his mind, after everything that had transpired over the past week, he and his family were going on holiday. He felt giddy at the thought of venturing into the unknown, it felt like a lifetime since his grandfather had told him of the ancient temple of Leto the Centaurs had discovered and the thrill of excitement filled him as they would be among the first Magi in millennia to investigate.

They would not be going alone however and he watched as more and more Magi, many of them former apprentices or old travelling companions of his grandfather, flocked to the Castle. Each had been greeted fondly by the man, and his grandfather had seemed to be filled with a new vigour as he got back to doing what he loved best. It had been several years since the man had last set out to plumb some ancient ruin for lost arcane treasures and Callian could only laugh as his grandfather seemed to sweep everyone along in his wake.

Yet, more than the thought of exploring those ancient ruins was the fact that he was to see his Aunty Rahma, it had been far too long for his liking since he had seen her and he missed the powerful witch's chaotic and often life-threatening ideas for fun. He knew Harry was looking forward to getting away from the madness that had engulfed their life recently, the girls had jumped at the chance to join them when his grandfather had offered them an invitation and he knew his mother had escorted the Clearwater parents home to pack for their impending departure. Draco and Narcissa had been added to their party as well, the Lady Malfoy seemingly having become a permanent resident of the castle and a confidant of his mothers.

All told, nearly thirty individuals, each clad in well used, rugged outfits that seemed to be a blend of leather armour and sturdy work robes that looked as if they had seen much use, waited in the main courtyard before the doors of the Castle. To his eye, they looked more like a band of mercenary Warmagi than a group of would-be explorers off on an expedition. Callian watched as his grandfather made his way through the milling crowd, he was dressed in much the same as everyone else, and knew the man was heading straight to the temple site while his mother led the rest of them to their estates in Alexandria. He could not deny that a part of him wished he was staying with the man, to be among the first to step foot in a place that had not been touched by another in thousands of years filled him with a sense of wonder and adventure that was awe inspiring. He knew his friends were just as excited as he was and eagerly awaited the time that they could go and explore the ruins, but for now they would all have to be patient as he watched his mother open a portal and a wave of warm air and the salty tang of the ocean washed over him.

One by one they all made their way through the portal, a babble of excited chatter flowing from the girls as they took their first step in a country half a world away. They arrived upon a stone dias that sat upon the very edge of a sheer drop to the tumbling waters of a waterfall that issued from beneath the stone they now stood upon, a quick glance about revealed they were within a sprawling ornate garden that rose in three great tiers to the white marble walls of the Palace of El Sherif. A colonnaded front, built of a deep red marble veined with dark blues and purples stood in stark contrast to the rest of the palace. It reminded him of the Parthenon of ancient Greece as the building seemed to glow brightly in the light of the midday sun, yet the attention of his companions was drawn to the scene below them as they quickly fell silent. Callian smiled widely at their stunned expressions, as they stared in awe at the bustling port city far below that seemed to have been lifted from the pages of the history books.

Huge, three masted Galleys jostled for space alongside single masted Carracks and a host of other ships of every shape and size that seemed to fill the bay, a chorus of cries and cheers erupted from the docks filling the air with a constant buzz of noise. He could see several Magi hard at work, calling out to each other, their voices nearly lost alongside the blaring roars of a small gang of giants that seemed to be hauling on thick chains to pull what looked like a sunken wreck from the sea floor. The sounds and smells of it all washed over them and Callian smiled widely, in a way it was like coming home again.

It had been several years since he had last been here and there was a sense of the unknown that always attracted him to the splendours of the city.

An array of pale blossoms scented the air with a perfume that was almost intoxicating, and provided a subtle mask to the less than pleasant smells of a busy city that was home to tens of thousands. Human, nonhuman and everything in between called this city home, and it showed in the sprawling chaos of the Magical city of Alexandria.

He took a deep breath as he caught the tantalising scent of a multitude of spices that hinted at a world of wonders and delicacies that lay waiting within the city below.

A gasp behind him had him looking over his shoulder at Hermione as the girl pointed towards a towering structure in the distance that sat alone atop its own isle. He smiled as he looked at the monolithic lighthouse, the looming structure alight with the eternal blue flames of Gubraithian fire. It sat over two hundred feet from the rest of the city with only a narrow bridge sprouting from its base that spanned the distance back to the city proper.

"But the lighthouse is gone! There's nothing of it left." Hermione stared at the towering edifice as if she could not believe her eyes.

Amerytha smiled as she wrapped her arm about the girl's shoulders, turning her about as she pointed out across the sea, where the dark shadow of land could be seen far in the distance.

"Look there. Do you see the shadow on the horizon? That is the mainland, the muggle city of Alexandria lies there. This Alexandria was built by our kind as a mirror to that which was created by Alexander the Great. We stand on what our ancestors called the Isle of Knowledge, Nisí tis Máthisis, it is hidden by the strongest muggle repelling wards known to our kind and is home to one of the greatest bastions of Magical knowledge in the old world."

Everyone laughed at Hermione, as the girl's eyes seemed to glow with an almost maniacal light at his mothers words.

"If the history books are to be believed it was Alexander that ordered the founding of this City, a place of refuge and learning for Aristotle and his growing number of Magical apprentices hidden away from the world of men-"

"A dream that I endeavour to continue."

Callian spun at the sound of the voice, a smile blooming across his face as he looked upon the woman before them. Raheema El Sherif was a petite woman, dressed in an elegant dress of white acromantula silks that clung to her hourglass figure. Callian could not help but grin as he saw Sirius eyeing the women from where he stood near the front of the crowd. A few of the other males in their group were doing the same and Callian knew why.

Raheem was beautiful. She was beautiful in a way few women were. Her skin was a light bronze that shone in the afternoon sun and almond eyes the colour of warm honey flecked with gold took in everything about her. She accented them with kohl that captured your attention and the sheer presence that radiated from the woman made it difficult to look away from her. She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer as she walked towards them, and radiated a strength, both arcane and physical, that drew the eye like a lodestone. Full, plump lips pulled back in a smile, that had more than one among their party smiling stupidly in return. He knew many had been beguiled by her striking good looks, seeing only a beautiful woman and not the skilled and deadly Mage that had fought and killed to restore her family and now held a vast swathe of the Magical world under her control.

Callian eyed the delicate golden circlet that held back her inky black tresses, and could not help but note that she wore it like a crown upon her brow. He wasted no time in throwing himself into her open arms as his mother quickly joined them in the embrace.

"It's good to see you Rytha, it's been far too long since I have seen either of you!"

Her last words were directed at Callian as she held him at arms length as she looked him over with a critical eye, her eyes seeming to bore into him with an intensity that felt as if it was scouring every fibre of his being.

He felt the faintest flicker of a mental probe from the woman as she held his gaze for heartbeat longer.

We will talk later. It seems your mother has not told me everything that has happened to you recently.

Before he could even return the contact, Raheema's metal presence pulled away as she glided towards the others in their party and greeted them warmly. In short order they were being escorted towards the great palace upon its high perch, where his friends and their parents could only look on in open mouth shock as they witnessed the wondrous extravagance of the Palace of El Sheif for the first time.

The Palace was a sprawling wonder of architectural design; it mantled the rising hill line like a crown of white marble that shone in the light of the midday sun. Its many columned facades a contrast of dark reds, and rising above it all a great dome of green stone with its centre capped in bronze.

He knew that the palace had been built upon the crumbling ruins of a temple complex for the priesthood of Isis, he could see why the ancient Greek wizards had claimed this place for themselves, as the Palace loomed over the city and could be seen for miles around. What had become of the mage-priests that had called the temple home had long since been lost to the sands of time, but Callian could guess that they had been absorbed into the folds of the new era of Magi that was being created at that time. He shot a look towards the woman at the fore of their party, a dark mirror to his mother as they walked side by side.

He recalled the rumours of the House of El Sherif descending from those very priests. Mayhaps some remnant of them still remained to rule what had once been theirs, he doubted if he would ever learn the truth.

It appeared as if she had already beguiled his friend's parents, as she engaged them all in conversations about her home as she guided them through the sprawling gardens of the palace. He caught a few snippets of her conversation with the Clearwater parents and unlike many within the Magical world seemed to know a great deal about the goings on in the wider world. It was clear she was showing a keen interest in their lives and had taken a particular interest in Beverly Clearwater and her apparent background in horses.

He watched as the two spoke briefly about visiting the island's Pegasus reserve in the coming days, and he knew that his friends would have an interest in tagging along.

He leaned in close to whisper in Adria's ear about it and she was quick to reply. "My mother has been about horses all her life, she's in the saddle most days if she can get away with it. My Dad sent me a letter near the start of school that she had taken to riding more and more recently, he thinks it's because she's missing me for most of the year."

Adria smiled at her mothers back as the woman laughed at something that Amerytha had said.

"There's a livery yard not far from my house that runs a pony club, and she trains their yearlings and helps to break in their older horses."

Callian shot the small woman's back with an appreciative look, breaking in a horse was never easy and took a lot of skill and knowledge to do. His mother was fond of riding and had tried to get him into the saddle many times, he much preferred the terrifying, death defying speeds of a broom but it was not uncommon for the two of them to ride together. The castle's large stable was home to a number of horses, many purchased from the Van's about his fathers hold.

For such a small race, the Dwarf's of Kar Zurant certainly bred some truly gargantuan work horses.

In short order they were walking between the red marble columns of the entryway and could only marvel at the carved motifs that had been artfully etched into the stones thirty feet above their heads, gold gilt had been placed within many of the frescos making the light of the sun ripple like a sheet of liquid fire throughout the beautiful depictions of ancient wizards battling what looked like towering figures that seemed to blaze in the light of the sun.

Statues of rearing serpents stood as silent sentinels to their passing, and Callian could not help but note the delicate thrum of power that was wrapped about each and every one of them. He could only hazard a guess at what the enchantments were, but knew that they would certainly not be the simple parlour tricks many of the British Magi preferred.

The further they travelled into the palace, the greater the displays of wealth and majesty became. The palace was truly ridiculous in size and could easily rival Hogwarts, yet there was something elegant about its beauty that put you at ease.

Raheema finally came to a halt within a large open air courtyard, the gently falling waters of a dozen fountains filling the air about them with their cool spray as they tumbled into several large pools that ran in a winding course throughout the courtyard.

Raheema smiled at them all, her eyes alighting upon him and his friends with a particular mischief that he was all too familiar with.

"Rytha has told me that you all are to stay at her family's estates just east of the city, but I would like to offer you each a gift."

By some unseen signal several House Elves, each clad in a a tunic and short breeches of a sturdy white cotton emblazoned with the crest of El Sherif upon their breasts. They silently walked into the room carrying silver trays upon which sat a small collection of burnished bronze rings. To his mind he could detect only the faintest traces of enchantments about them. They were very similar in design to his own family signet, and he recognised the El Sherif crest that had been worked into each. Looking closely he could see twin lions as they sat facing away from each other, each with a paw raised. The left lion held an Eye of Horus its is upraised right paw while its brother held an ankh in its left. Between them a serpent circled within an inverted triangle, devouring its own tail as a wand and khopesh lay crossed within.

"These will allow you safe passage within the city, all will know you as a friend of my House and that they will invoke my displeasure should any harm befall you."

Callian could not help but think that she spoke all the authority of a Queen, as if her word was law and that all would obey it without question. It was very different from the warm and friendly tones she normally used around him, but then they had been away from Alexandria and in places where she could let her guard down and simply relax away from the pressures of the wider world.

"I have no doubt that Callian will be leading his friends on many adventures into the city while you are here, and this will ensure they are not harassed during your stay. That being said, I have heard the reports of your Dark Lord's return and have instructed the city watch to be vigilant within those areas of the city that those of a less than appealing disposition tend to frequent. I would ask that you take a chaperone into the city should you choose to visit,"

At her words two men made themselves known as they joined Raheema, stepping from the shadows of the columns. One was a pale man, with skin the colour of snow and eyes that were of such a pale blue they appeared to be almost white, yet they glowed with an inner light that seemed to a baleful, sinister red. Callian was immediately reminded of the burning embers of the Dark Lord's gaze, and he saw several others among his group stiffen at the sight. The other was a man in his middle years, with a neatly trimmed black goatee adorning a handsome face that seemed made to have been carved by the gods themselves.

Callian found himself shaking his head as both Hermione and Adria seemed unable to take their eyes off the man.

Yet it was nothing compared to his mothers reaction.

With a shout of glee his mother ran towards the man, throwing her arms about him as the two men laughed at her actions. The sound of her laughter was light and carefree, and something he had rarely heard from her in recent months. The handsome man gave a laugh as he swept his mother into his arms, lifting her from the floor as he spun her round. Raheema laughed at the sight and Callian moved to join her as she wrapped an arm about his shoulders.

"Delist! I thought you were still in Peru, when did you return?"

His mothers words pulled his attention back to two men, as the now named Delist finally let go of his mother as she turned to the pale mage and wrapped her arms about him in turn.

"My dear Rytha, I have missed you." His face took on a dark look that he shared with the other man. "Our expedition ended rather abruptly, unfortunately only Toris and I managed to get out of the jungle intact…We nearly lost little Cathy to a nest of Lethifolds, the rest of our number were not so lucky. We managed to pull her free from one of the beasts, but she was torn up pretty badly. We brought her here as Alexandria has some of the best healers in the world, it was there that Lady Raheema sent us a message."

His mother's face fell at that, and she turned to stare at Raheema.

"I have sent my own Healers to take care of her. They have assured me that she will make a full recovery with only a few scars for her efforts, she should be released in a few days and will join you at your estates when she is able."

He watched as his mother sagged with relief and he did not miss the whispered thank you that passed between the two women.

Their names were familiar to Callian, even if he had never met them. These were men and women that his mother had fought and bled beside over the years. He found the pale man's eyes watching him, and Callian could not help but think the man's face held an almost sickly cast to it. There was a gauntness to the man's cheeks that spoke of starvation, yet he instinctively knew it would be a mistake to think of this man weak in any way, as he suddenly felt like the proverbial mouse before the cat.

"This is your son, Lady Amerytha."

The words were little more than a whisper, but they seemed to carry to his ears and Callian felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle at the hoarseness of the man's voice. It was a voice that sounded raw and pained, yet filled with a quiet coldness that put Callian immediately on edge.

It was not a question and Callian saw his mother nod at the man's words as she turned to look at him with a wide smile, he found himself smiling weakly at her at the sheer joy that seemed to radiate from her now that she was back among her former comrades.

"Toris, Delist. This is my son, Callian Blackwood."

The handsome Delist offered him an elegant bow as the man's warm brown eyes seemed to dance with the light of mischief and Callian immediately felt put at ease. It was a stark contrast to the pale gaze of Toris as the man's eyes bored into him and he felt the telltale tingle of Magic creeping over his skin as the man employed some spellwork against him.

He immediately began to push back against the near invisible threads of power that poked and prodded him without his permission and he noted with pale man's eyes widened in surprise before Callian watched as the spell faded away.

What followed after was a quick round of introductions before they made their way via portal to his family's estate, but not before Raheema had promised to visit as soon as she was able.

Callian could only sigh as he relaxed into the warm waters of the shallow, secluded beach, he floated without a care as for the first time in a very long time as he felt the tension ease from his body. Even the spell scars that had left their silvery rents in his body no longer tingled with the residual magics, they had been a constant reminder of how close he had come to a very gruesome end and he was grateful they no longer bothered him.

He was content to float upon the surface of the water, his mind was blissfully free as he listened to the happy babble of voices coming from the beach. For the first time in a long time he let go of the tight control he held over his magic, letting the eddies of his power touch the world about him without a care. He was content to stay that way forever, just floating as he lost himself in the feel of his magic.

A sharp, booming bark broke through the light trance he found himself in, and he spun about in the water as he heard the delighted shouts from behind him. He could not help but laugh as the huge canine form of Padfoot, Sirius's animagus transformation, bounded after Harry and Draco as Hermione and Adria cheered on from the sidelines. He watched as the huge wolfhound nipped playfully at the backs of his cousin's heels, as the two of them ran from one end of the small beach to the other. There was something light and free about the sight and he knew that it had to do with the fact that Sirius had been deemed a free and innocent man by every Ministry within the African continent after he had been given a very public trial the day after they had arrived. No expense had been spared as Sirius's testimony under Veritaserum had been broadcast across the Wizarding Wireless, while the courtroom had been nearly blinded by the bright flashes of cameras as the sea of journalists had hung on the man's every word.

What was more, every ambassador and envoy that was currently present in Alexandria had been bidden to attend. In particular the British Ambassador, Lord Augustus Marton, a small, portly man that was a prominent figure on the international stage had looked as if he had swallowed a mouthful of troll excrement as the British Ministry's misdeeds were aired to the world. The outcry that had been stirred up by Sirius's testimony had seen the ambassador flee from the courtroom under a hailstorm of shouted questions and cries for formal investigations into the British courts. It had quickly become clear to him that his mother and Raheema had been planning this for a while, but he could not fault their efforts as for the first time in over a decade Sirius Black was deemed a free man.

The man had taken to collecting newspapers from every corner of the world that deemed him to be free over the past few days, it had quickly grown to a substantial number and each one had seemed to ease some of the pains that haunted his once handsome features.

Callian could not help himself as he reached out with his magic, sending it into the very waters about him as he smiled widely to himself.

It was hard to focus as he worked to keep himself aloft, but he painstakingly wove a spell that began to draw a frothing ball of water to the surface as he began to layer spell after spell into his growing construct.

Holding an image of what he desired in his mind, he bound his Weaves together with an animation spell.

Suddenly the ball of water began to change shape, elongating and sprouting a number of waving tendrils of water. It looked like an upside down octopus, as a bubbling rent of a mouth appeared at its apex, he could only grin like a madman as he sent his pseudo-water elemental towards the shore. The animation spells would not last long, and he could already feel the magic leaching back into the ocean as the construct began to speed its way towards his friends.

"Oi, Padfoot! My turn!"

His shout caused a startled gasp to issue from nearly everyone on the beach as the water construct reached the shoreline, before the huge wolfhound gave a panicked whine before he ran in the opposite direction. Harry and Draco laughed at the now running dog, not realising they were in the way of the onrushing water.

The two boys were soaked as they bowled over by his creation, and Callian wasted no time in returning to the shore as his cousins spluttered in shock. They two shared a brief look with each other, before they seemed to come to some unspoken agreement as the two jumped up and charged him with a roar.

He laughed as his friends tackled him back into the water, before they were joined by a soaking wet wolfhound being chased by the wildly pulsating elemental that suddenly exploded in a spray of frigid water as soon as it reached them.

It was a day of simple joys, all of them content just spending time together without any of the cares or duties that had hounded them in recent months.

Tomorrow would bring new adventures as they were finally getting the chance to join his grandfather and the rest of the expedition.

For now they were content just to be irresponsible children as they played without a care, their laughter flowing freely in the warm air of the Mediterranean afternoon.