Chapter 5
Location: Nevarah, Red Reef Club, Maia, Maurice, Merrow Royalty
One Earth Day after vision, Three Nevarahian Days
Maia was nervous. Her stomach felt like it was trying to tie itself into notes. And how could she not be knowing what she had gotten herself into? Regardless of everything, the next few minutes were sure to be emotional with instincts riding at an all time high but for the betterment of Nevarah, and her fellow Nameless-affined, Maia just had to deal with it. And she wasn’t alone which also helped give her courage to follow this thru.
It wasn’t so much that those who inherited as a Nameless were mistreated in Nevarah but one could certainly say they were overlooked. The Nameless were almost always last to be helped in the courts, unless they were from a high noble family. Nameless Submissives and other ranks always had to swear to their Alpha’s Element or the next highest ranking circle member. They never had anyone to fight for them and their needs in Nevarah because the various other Elemental Clans and Courts cared more about those of their own element than those outside it, and that included the Nameless. Not necessarily mistreated, but yes, certainly overlooked. And that was why she was so happy to receive that vision from Lady Fate. To be the one who helped usher in the change Nevarah desperately needed.
Maia knew that the other Elemental Clans would not be happy when they heard word of what was being stirred up by the Immortals but in the end there would be nothing they could do so long as the Ferros Submissive made it to Nevarah using the World Tree. No one would be able to overturn the World Tree’s decision on a new royal, especially since that new royal would be taking a place that wasn’t currently occupied by any Crown Royals. And wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing to see? Even with the hardships it would bring about with the new royal being a non-Nevarahian native who was almost completely clueless about what he is, the Nameless fraction would finally have a royal to champion for them. The ferros submissive would have to learn what he is and what he will become, all the ins and outs of life in Nevarah and the courts, but he would be a light at the end of a tunnel no Nameless in Nevarah had seen coming. Maia was just hoping that Maurice would take the initial conversations explaining everything to him. That or the youngling’s family circle.
Maia’s head snapped up to look at the door as she felt, rather than saw, a whirlwind of air, heat and humidity suddenly enter the Red Reef Club. She, Oberon, and Maurice had been directed to a private room within the Merrow club, thankfully on dry land, but even from where they were they could feel the powerful distressed elemental auras as the group entered the club. Maia skillfully tracked the movement of those three knowing without a doubt that these three were the ferros submissive’s three parents. All of that magic put into one being… Yes there was no doubt in Maia’s mind that it was them.
And she was correct for not even a second later the door slammed open and Maia’s breath caught in her throat as a pale blue man walked in wearing a Full-Turn Out Gheyo armor in dark blues and blacks with hints of red. He was fitted with many sharp blades both on display, and Maia was sure there were many hidden as well. One of the blades was the trident in his hands as steel grey eyes met hers with a death glare. The Gheyo Joker’s hair was dark blue, almost black just like the ferros submissive she had seen in her vision, and it curled down his back in furious wild curls. The scales that highlighted the Joker's high haunting cheekbones were darker blue than his skin with the occasional red making what looked to be freckles on his skin.
“If you dared to call us for a meeting about our youngling and have lied, I will slay you were you sit.” The Joker snarled, twisting the silver and red trident in his hands causing the light in the room to glint on all the sharp edges. For a second, Maia wished she could have brought one of Gheyo as protection against the feral Joker.
Maia swallowed heavily as the Joker walked further into the room before leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Following after him were his soul bonded Pareya who both looked as angry and upset as their Joker, but with just a tiny bit of hope in their eyes. The Sire of the ferros submissive was a very handsome Air Dragel with Earth and Nameless talents. His black hair was messy, almost defying the laws of gravity type of mess, as was typical of the males who hailed from the Peverell Air Clan. Those hazel eyes shined with power, glowing lightly as he grumbled low in his throat, attempting to settle their female soul bonded whose hair was fully flamed up in a sickly green flame that Maia had never seen before on another fire dragel. The green flame that promised death and ruin on anyone who dared to cross her. The female Pareya, and the bearer of the ferros submissive, was just as beautiful as her soul bonded, with wild curly red hair, although it was currently a vibrant sickly flaming green, and even more vibrant green eyes that look exactly like her sons.
Seeing the three together destroyed any lingering doubts that Maia had that the ferros submissive from her vision was their son, and that helped her breath a little easier as several more Merrow Gheyo flooded the room before Queen Regent Esperanza walked in regally, with just the slightest hint of fierceness in her eyes. And after her a couple more Gheyo came in filling up the room to near capacity before the door was firmly shut and warded behind them.
Maia, Oberon, and Maurice all stood up and bowed to the Merrow Queen Regent who merely sneered at them in response as she sat down opposite of them but in front of her three bonded. “You will explain what you meant in the message you sent to my court and you will do so quickly, providing all the details you know, and if we find you to be lacking, you will deal with the harshness of the Merrow Courts without delay.” She ordered, her voice laced with so much danger and warning than even a deaf person would have been able to hear it. “The thing you dare to bring up, that you shouldn’t even know of in the first place, is a very touchy subject to my circle, and to all the Aqua-kin’e. So speak now or forfeit your life.”
Maia took in a deep breath to calm her nerves, steeling herself against the pressure of the Queen Regent’s icy glare. “Your Majesty, there will be things that I cannot discuss or explain, as is the nature of one who is sworn to the Ladies of Fate, but I have been informed by my Lady that I can share a memory of some of what I have seen. I believe it is best to have you look at that first before we continue so you know that I speak the truth.” Maia bowed her head in apology. If it was up to her, she would explain everything to Queen Esperanza and the submissive’s parents but it was simply too dangerous to do so. Speaking about the plans of Immortals could have adverse effects and when said Immortals bent time and space to give the new Omnis King the best chance at survival, Maia wasn’t willing to be the one who ruined it.
Esperanza did not look happy at her words at all, her lips pursing into a tight line. “You three will stand by that wall with my guards watching you.” Esperanza said effortlessly instead of what she wanted to say, with a pointed look that told the three at the other end of her gaze it wasn’t a request but an order. All three of them nodded as Maia moved the Kadel Clan’s personal pensive closer to the Queen Regent. The Gheyic Mage who stood at Esperanza’s back began to cast spell after spell on both the metal and the liquid of the pensive to make sure there was nothing harmful on it and once the Mage nodded, Maia carefully removed the memories of the vision she was allowed to share and placed them into the pensive before moving back with her Alpha and Maurice firmly against the wall. There was a flutter of movement as the Merrow Guards in the room moved, making a wall of armor, flesh and magic that blocked the three from even being able to see what was going on on the other side of the wall.
Maia stood there with a baited breath, hoping that all of this wasn’t about to explode in her face. If the Merrow Queen Regent, or even her bonded, the parents of the ferros submissive, didn’t believe in her memories of her vision, she knew that she, her Alpha and her beloved friend would more than likely be killed on the spot. But this was what needed to happen. Maia knew that she needed the parents of the ferros submissive on her side, not only to help her with everything but mostly to help him. Just from looking at the newly inherited submissive, she could tell that he hadn’t had the best life. He was very small. Much smaller than any other sixteen year old she had met, dragel or not. And although his inheritance had erased almost all of the physical scars on his body, leaving only the rough scarring on his forehead that went down his left eye in a burst-like pattern and a puncture wound on his right arm, it was obvious the boy hadn’t been fed properly his entire life with the way his bones stuck out. And the poor excuse of clothing he wore told more horrifying stories of his abuse and neglect at the hands of his bearer’s sister.
Almost as quickly as they had moved in front of them, the Merrow Gheyo moved off to the sides of the room. Maia blinked back her morose thoughts as she stared at the table where the parents were. The Joker was pacing back and forth behind the bearer and sire, tiny star-like bursts of magic coming out of the cracks in his skin, scales and armor, while the two Pareya were crying as they stared at the pensive in horror. Queen Regent Esperanza looked down right murderous as the air in the room grew more and more humid until it felt like Maia had been dragged underwater and was drowning. At least that was until the Mage behind her tapped her shoulder. The Queen Regent sat up straighter, closing her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath in and pull her magic back before her eyes snapped open staring directly at Maia with ill hidden contempt.
“We cannot send someone to Earth to collect the boy?” She asked in an anger hissed voice.
Maia instantly shook her head no. “He must get to Nevarah on his own with no outside help from us here.”
“And what if this plan the blonde Faeling has ends up failing? What if those after my son sink their nasty black claws into him?” The Joker snarled as he twisted to glare at the Seer submissive. Maia swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she stared at him. His eyes were completely blacked out showing he was moment away from dropping completely feral as larger star-like magic sparked from the cracks in his skin. The magic stars burned brightly and with a lot more power than before sizzling out in the humidity of the room, but the Joker, Sirius, didn’t seem at all bothered to try and suppress his magic.
“If your son does not get to Nevarah on his own accord with his soon-to-be circle, the world as we know it is forfeit. If the person pursuing your son gets his hands on him, the world as we know it is forfeit.” Maia told him, only barely able to keep her voice as steady as possible while leaning heavily into the steady, if unnerved, presence of her Alpha. She wasn’t lying. Maia had seen both scenarios, just as she had seen the one that Lady Fate wanted brought about with their son as the Omnis King. They were only slightly different in the ways of how the world ended but the end result was still the same. The world as they knew it would be destroyed and in its place a new world was built in the image of the monster who wanted to slaughter them all for some unknown reason.
Sirius stared at her for several long searching moments before he screamed loudly, and with a pop of sparks and stars he was gone, portaled back to the castle in the Merrow Waters. Lily and James looked even more shook as their soul bonded Joker left, but Lily sniffled as she slowly looked up from the pensive to stare at Maia with mournful eyes.
“You will have to… forgive Sirius. He was the one holding onto our son, Harry, when the portal broke. He shattered when the Gheyos returned from Earth without him, and our strong Alpha turned into a Joker.” Lily stated, reaching up to brush the tears out of her green eyes that reminded Maia so much of the ferros submissive she had seen. The heartbreak and sorrow Lily felt suddenly erased from her eyes, and in its place was the enraged determination of a mera dragel who would do anything to protect her youngling. Maia couldn’t help the small smile that slipped out at the sight. Harry certainly needed and deserved parents who cared about him after all that he had gone through, whatever that was. “Is there anything we can do to help prepare for his arrival?”
“There is a lot that needs to be prepared, but first I think introductions are needed as we will be in each other's lives with our destiny tied to Harry’s. I am Maia Kadel, and this is my Alpha Oberon.” Maia said as she moved to sit back down at the table across from them, Oberon moving with her. She looked to Maurice who didn’t look at all phased by Sirius’s outburst and the Joker leaving. Maia supposed she shouldn’t be surprised considering how the majority of his circle, Ryker’s Bane was made of Gheyos or had Gheyic nature. Quite a few of them were Jokers as well, having either shifted before or after the training incident. “And this is Maurice Elsewood of Ryker’s Bane. He is Harry’s mentor.”
“I am Lily Evanson, Harry’s bearer, and this is my soul bonded, James Peverell, his sire. Sirius is Harry’s Third. And I am assuming you know the Merrow Queen Regent, Esperanza, our bonded royal.” Lily introduced them with a small smile.
Maia smiled back, nodding.” At the moment Harry is currently separated from his future bonded, but while his bonded know what they are and about dragel culture, even his Faeling Seer, Harry is very much in the dark about it all. He is currently reading a book that his Faeling told him would explain some things but we all know reading from a book isn’t the best way to learn everything. Maurice as his mentor will be a lot of help, especially as Harry is very powerful. Once the… seals… on his magic are gone he will inherit as an Empath but that isn’t his main Nameless ability, nor the reason why he is to be the Omnis or Nameless King.”
“How can he become the King of an Element that has never had one?” Esperanza questioned, a bite to her tone.
“I am assuming that everyone here are people you trust not to let this information out?” Maia asked, looking at the various Gheyo and other ranks questioningly. The Queen Regent pursed her lips at the question but nodded harshly. “Good. The World Tree has chosen Harry as the Omnis King, Nevarah herself has chosen him, and we will all have to deal with the upsets within the various Elemental Clans with this shift the Immortals have brought us. However, Harry does not have any knowledge about our culture or its courts or how to rule. That is why he needs help. That is why I have contacted you all now instead of waiting until he is in Nevarah. From what I have seen the boy is pretty headstrong so he’s not going to let anyone push him around, but we have to make sure that he can see what is going on around him so people can’t manipulate him. He will need the support of his family, emotionally and physically. I, myself, will be informing prominent Nameless Clans about this, while making sure they cannot speak about it in the hopes of gaining Harry political allies to start growing his courts. I would also suggest doing the same, and possibly getting a place set up for Harry and his soon-to-be circle to live. It will need to be a place where all elements can coexist peacefully as I foresee Harry having a large circle with every element in it.”
“And how do we know you aren’t planning on using our son for your own sick gain?” James snapped, glowering at Maia.
The Seer sighed heavily. “I am sworn to my Lady, Lady Fate. Whatever she wants is what I want, and that is peace. True peace. Lady Fate might be a cruel mistress but she does want what is best for the people, even if what is best for them lies at the end of a painful miserable tunnel that is life. I wish no ill-will on your son. From what I have seen, he is a remarkable young man who has gone through all he has and still has a kind heart that wants to help everyone he can. I do not wish to ruin that, though he must grow an armor around that heart of his because he will have to make tough decisions that will affect the lives of everyone in Nevarah.” Maia answered being completely truthful in her words. As the Omnis King, Harry wouldn’t be able to continue sacrificing himself for everyone around him. At least, not in the ways he had at Hogwarts. Maia hadn’t given his parents the visions she had seen of him killing a man in his first year at Hogwarts who had tried to kill him or killing a fifty foot basilisk in self defense, or any of the other terrible things that had happened to the boy in that unsafe school, each one somehow getting worse than the previous year. She knew if she had, they wouldn’t have listened to reason and would have left for Earth’s Realm immediately. And then there truly would have been nothing to stop the Headmaster of the school from destroying everything. There wouldn’t have even been the slightest sliver of a chance to save Nevarah which was why Lady Fate only allowed her to show them some of her visions.
“We will trust you for now but if I ever get an inkling that you are using my son, I will be the one to kill you.” Lily promised darkly. And Maia certainly couldn’t blame her for protecting her son if she tried.