Hunter

Location: Silver Wisp Guild Hall: Kai, Hars, etc. 

The grand entrance to Silver Wisp's Guild Hall was a majestic structure. The ornate stone columns with finely carved tops encircled the three story tall building. Tall statues of Hunters and Guardians, who were legends from ages past, stood solemnly like they had been frozen in time forever. There were two in particular that Kai always admired- the Black Dracon Huntress, the Hunter Queen of Ullilan, Fayre, and her companion Kotori, a male Vefari who had been dragged into this Realm and gave up his life to close one of the two Black Egresses.

Fayre's statue stood on the left side of the double door entrance. The stone depiction of her long curly hair and strange armor that she had made herself was simply beautiful but it was the emblem of the Royal House Fayre's statue had as a necklace that always drew Kai's attention. Kotori's statue stood on the right side of the door. He had long braided hair, also wearing a unique set of armor with giant feathered wings that all Vefari had. There were many stories about these two Hunters, both who had lived by surviving in the Outworld. Both of them had lived back when the Egresses had first started to open, bringing about monsters to Ullilan, and both of them had died trying to shut the Egresses forever.

Kai paused for only a couple of seconds to admire the two statues before she headed into the building. Almost instantly a frown formed on her face as a girl with bright purple hair immediately skipped over to her. Kai seriously hated Ione, Hars stalker, and the last thing she wanted to do was have the stalker talk to her when she needed to meet back up with Hars and her fathers but obviously Ione had a different idea in mind. 

“Kai! Oh it’s so good to see you~ You and Hars never seem to visit much. It is so sad!” Ione exclaimed, her high pitched voice grating on Kai’s every nerve. Ione’s pink eyes stared at her with amusement. 

“Good to see me? You’ve seen me the last two days as you creepily followed me and my brother throughout Vosa. Everywhere we went.” Kai huffed, rolling her eyes. She honestly couldn’t understand why the other female couldn’t just leave Hars alone.

Ione giggled, twirling a strand of her purple hair around her finger. "Oh, Kai, you're so funny. It's not like I'm stalking you guys, I'm just... interested." She stated. "Such a great sense of humor you have, like always. You know that's what I really love about you, Kai. But really, I just wanted to check in. See if you and Hars wanted to come with me and my friends tonight. We're going to be hanging out at the new club in the city and it's going to be so much fun! You two are always in the Outworld so you could use some time to yourself just being normal people! It really is going to be a blast!"

Kai raised an eyebrow at that. The cutesy words and giggling that was so much like Ione somehow set all her instincts off in a way it normally didn't. Normally it just irritated her, annoyed her to the point where Kai was more than willing to punch the Guardian, but this was different. Kai just couldn't put her finger on why. "I appreciate the offer, but we already have plans tonight," Kai lied, trying to edge away from Ione. Well, technically speaking it might not end up being a lie. Depending on what she and Hars were told by their fathers, Marvolo, and Einar, they might actually end up having plans.

Ione pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. "Oh... Well that's too bad. Maybe next time then? You absolutely must go with us next time! I'll just be over here if you need anything!" Ione said with a wave before skipping away.

A full body shiver left Kai as she stared at the purple haired menace before she sighed in relief and headed towards the basement level of the Guild Hall where Marvolo's rooms were. She knew that was where they would be meeting. It was always where they met. Marvolo didn't leave his set of rooms in the Guild Hall all that often. 

The moment that Kai walked into Marvolo's rooms she could feel his magic wrap around her. Not only alerting him that she was here but also forcing her to keep whatever secrets that would be told. Ever since the first moment that Kai had met Marvolo, she had known that he was a very secretive person. Even more so than that, he was a very paranoid person. This paranoia and protection went into overdrive whenever they talked about things that others in Ullilan might not agree on. And his magic, heavy and heedy as it was, made sure that no one could break his spells and wards, meaning anything said within his rooms was kept a secret unless permission was given otherwise. 

“An hour, Kai? What exactly were you doing that took you an hour when you only asked for thirty minutes? I thought I raised you better than that.” Regulus questioned Kai immediately, raising a perfect black eyebrow up at her from where he leaned against the wall next to the door of the War Room, as Marvolo always called it.

“What I needed to do took less than a half an hour like I asked, Father, but the Guardians at the Inner District Gate went to the extreme scrutinizing my Hunter’s Device and then I had a run in with Ione as soon as I got into the Guild Hall. She invited Hars and I to go clubbing with her.” Kai scoffed at the reminder of Ione’s invitation. Everyone knew that in Silver Wisp’s Guild that Kai and Hars weren’t ones who went out clubbing. Neither of them liked being around so many people. Harry’s empathy always fritzed up whenever he was surrounded and Kai’s perception always pinged everything around them to the point of being draining. 

And that wasn’t even counting how nauseating it could be whenever either of their mage sights decided to switch on without their permission. Clubs were notorious for being filled with magic. Unnecessary useless magic to create smoke, flashing lights, and loud music. Harry had much better luck when it came to his Mage Sight. He was a real master with it. And the way he was able to manipulate magic was just beautiful. But he had had a mentor before he was dragged into Ullilan’s Realm and Kai had not. Everything she had learned about her Omnis elemental abilities had been through harsh trial and error with Regulus and Arroyo doing the best they could to help her. It was honestly one of the main reasons why the small family had stayed in the Outworld when Kai was still young instead of her two adopted parents raising her inside the safety of Vosa City. 

“What did you do to get on the Gate Guardian’s shit list?” He questioned with narrow eyes. 

Kai couldn't help but laugh, a small chaotic smirk forming on her face. “It was Gerrald, Father, and you know that not only is he Ione’s big brother, but also what went down between the two of us when he thought it was okay to stalk me like Ione has been doing to Hars for years. Just because Hars is too soft to hit a girl doesn’t mean I was not going to put an asshole in his place.” Kai stated. And she certainly had. Between the physical fight that went down that had to be broken up by Einar and then the constant pranks Kai pulled any time Gerrald was around the male Guardian had learned his lesson and had immediately backed off. It was just too bad his younger sister wasn’t as smart as him. 

“Of course.” Regulus muttered, shaking his head. Even Regulus had no idea what was wrong with those two and their obsession with his adopted children. “You told her no about clubbing?” Kai stared at her father like he was stupid for a couple seconds before nodding. 

The two headed into the War Room after that. It was a giant circular room with thick stone walls that were covered in maps of the Ullilan Kingdom, and what once was the Sleopis Kingdom. There were diagrams of magic circles. Pictures of the various Egress Colors. And many other things. All of them had red thread weaving through them, connecting each one together in some haphazard way that she was sure only made sense to Marvolo. 

At the center of this room was a circular table that was covered in various papers and books stacked up randomly with multicolored notes sticking out of each one. Some only had one of two notes marking pages that were important to Marvolo but others had so many that the book was practically double in size that the original with broken spines from the book not being able to shut properly. It was obvious to Kai that Marvolo had been doing a lot of research. All of this probably amounted to years of research in fact. 

“You’re finally here.” Marvolo stated as he looked up from the parchment he was writing on, ignoring the chatter of Einar scolding Hars off to the side of the room. Marvolo was a very handsome man who never seemed to age. He still looked to be in his twenties but Kai knew that he was much older than that, even older than her father. He was tall but with muscles from training with Regulus and Arroyo. Long black hair fell down his back in waves and his eyes were a piercing red, the color of blood. The ever present red and black scales glimmered slightly on his face, enhancing his features. Those scales of his half-dragel, half-naga inheritance was the reason why he didn’t leave his rooms in the Silver Wisp Guild Hall often. And while Kai would never admit it outloud, especially not anywhere her father and papa were around, she had a huge crush on the Mage. 

“There was someone sick who needed medicine. I was lucky to get to them as soon as I could. They would have died if I didn’t.” Kai told him, using the loopholes around Mother Moira’s secrecy spell. 

“Someone in the city has magical wasting sickness?” Arroyo questioned, almost immediately jumping up from where he was watching the ping-pong type conversation between Einar and Hars. His words immediately stopped Einar mid-rant as the Guild Leader turned to look at Kai expectantly. 

Kai sighed as she plopped down on the nearest plush throne like chair leaning against the back heavily as she thought how to word it without the secrecy ward closing her throat. “It’s not a concern anymore. They are in good hands.” She finally settled on glancing at the books that were closest to her. Books that seemed to be on alchemy and other obscure magic texts, most of which looked to be centuries old if the worn and withering covers were any clue to their age. Kai glanced up and frowned when she saw the look of concern on Marvolo’s face. “I took one of the extra potions before I left where I was as a precaution, not that I think it was necessary.” 

“And where exactly were you?” He asked, eyes narrowed. 

Kai could immediately feel the presence of Mother Moira’s magic wrap around her throat and could practically taste it. Mother’s Moira’s magic was heedy and filled with warning to completely destroy one’s destiny if they betrayed her. Strangely enough it tasted like green apples and caramel, more specifically like the caramel apples that Arroyo always made around the harvest season. 

“She can’t say. There must be secrecy wards where ever she went. Very interesting magic. Stronger even than yours, Marvolo.” Hars spoke up before Kai could figure out how to lie her way out of it. His green eyes glowed slightly as he stared directly at her throat where Mother Moira’s magic wrapped both threateningly and gently around her throat keeping her from breaking her vow of secrets. 

None of the adults looked particularly happy about that but there was nothing they could do. Einar and Marvolo in particular looked worried and concerned for the young Vefari. It was quiet for a couple tense minutes before Marvolo spoke. “I have a story to tell you two before we explain anything else. It is a story about my past. I will not lie and try to sugarcoat it. I was a bad guy. A complete villain. Both of my own making and as a puppet. And although I might have changed when I came here and regained my body with the help of Einar, the past, the lives I have taken in a quest for glory still remain.” Marvolo stared directly at Kai when he said this. 

Kai frowned, sharing a look with Hars as he moved to sit in the chair next to her. “And some of it might be especially hard for you to hear Hars.” He continued, a regretful look on his face. 

“Better rip it off like a bandaid then.” Hars huffed, eyes narrowed at Marvolo.

Marvolo sighed but nodded in agreement. “I was born on the Earth Realm. Raised in an orphanage that didn’t care about its children besides the fact that the government reimbursed them for taking care of us.” Marvolo started, drawing both Hars and Kai’s attention to him. “It wasn’t a magical orphanage, simply a muggle one. The story I had been told by the Matron was that my mother had given birth to me in the entrance hall of the orphanage and died soon after, and despite my mother, Merope Gaunt, telling the Matron that my father was Tom Riddle, he wanted nothing to do with me. Apparently, according to the man who told me about my family, my mother had fallen in love with Tom Riddle but she was a witch and he was a muggle. Her father and brother forbade her from being around him despite her love, but when they both went to jail, Merope was left on her own. She used a love potion on Tom Riddle and got pregnant with me.” 

“How is that possible? A dragel needs three magical parents to be born.” Hars interrupted, frowning harshly. It was a question that Kai also had but she wasn’t going to interrupt him since he was just beginning his story. 

“Yes, that is true. But as I said, this was what I was told, and it was what I grew up believing until I found my way here to Ullilan. I do have three parents, a naga bearer, a dragel sire, and a dragel third but I only learned that here, when Einar did the ritual to bring me back.” Marvolo answered, seemingly not bothered by Hars interruption. 

“Who told you that then?” Kai asked, curiously. 

Marvolo smiled slightly at her before that smile became bitter. “His name was Albus Dumbledore. I first met him when I turned eleven and he showed up at the orphanage to tell me that I was different from the other kids, a wizard. At that point, I had already known that I was different. I knew that I could do things that the other kids couldn’t and I used it quite often for my own good. You see, the other kids and I didn’t get along, and the Matron absolutely hated the very sight of me. Before I found out about my ability to do things the others couldn’t, I was constantly beaten and more than often I only got one meal a day. The kids would steal my stuff or break it, and I never got much stuff to begin with. But when I found I could do things with enough wishing… Things became different. I had the power and they didn’t. And I will admit that I used that power to inflict the same pain those children had on me back onto them. As for the Matron, there was nothing I could do to her. It was oddly enough like magic just rebounded off her.” 

“But then Albus Dumbledore showed up, and immediately something inside of me knew he was no good. At that time he was the Transfiguration Professor at a school called Hogwarts.” Marvolo went to continue but was once again cut off by Hars.

“Hogwarts? I know about Hogwarts! My parents went to school there.” Hars exclaimed, his green eyes gleaming at that piece of knowledge as he shared it. Hars had memory problems. Kai had figured that out once she had dragged him back to sanity after he had become completely feral when the Egress had dropped him into Ullilan. He had only known the name Har in regards to himself, so Kai had taken to calling him Hars and it had stuck. Sure he knew about Nevarah, and about dragels and magic, but anything personal to himself, Hars had forgotten. He couldn’t even remember his sire and bearer, or his third, though he was certain that they were very close. And that he was also close to the rest of the family circle his parents had bonded into. 

“I know they did.” Marvolo stated with a frown. “But we will get to that part later.” He quickly told Hars who had opened his mouth to ask several questions. Hars growled, scales rippling over his skin as he leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. Kai gently placed her hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring smile while projecting her emotions to calm him down. 

“Equally, Dumbledore saw something inside of me as well. Something he obviously didn’t like. And his dislike for me only grew more when I was sorted into Slytherin. I didn’t know it back then, but I wasn’t following the plans for me that he wanted me to follow. I was a lot darker than he thought I would be. A failed experiment, but all the while everyone around me didn’t see that. I was a straight O's student. I played by the rules whenever anyone was around to see, but within the safety of the Slytherin Common Room, I made my plans. And I had many plans.” Marvolo’s eyes darkened as he stared off into the distance, lost in his memories. "My obsession with power grew and grew until I became the leader of a group of Slytherins who not only wanted control of the Wixen World, but also wanted to bring about change."

"I am not going to sit here and lie to you two. I was a horrible person and all I wanted to do wasn't for the good of the Wixen World, it was for the good of myself. Self-serving as I was, I didn't see the plot against me, crafted by Dumbledore." He sighed heavily. "Back when I was still a student at Hogwarts there was a Dark Wizard gaining followers. His name was Gellert Grindelwald and he herald a warning to the Wixen World about muggles and how dangerous they were. He wanted to enslave them all and bring about peace to Earth. He was a Seer who had seen the devastation that muggles would bring about to the world and had wanted to stop it. Grindelwald was so powerful and manipulative that many people flocked to him, wanted him to rule the Wixen World. And I wanted to be just like him. I wanted people to eat out of the palm of my hand. I wanted to hold that power, and I would kill to do so."

It was silent for several minutes as Marvolo stared Kai and Hars down. Goosebumps broke out on the two of them as they listened in horrified fascination to the Mage's story.

"At first, I suppose my followers at Hogwarts had a somewhat noble goal, even if not for noble reasons. Magic over the years had been limited. Magical creatures were being destroyed as Wixen believed themselves to be the better species who should rule over all. I personally just wanted everyone to be ruled under me and to be able to pursue any and every type of magic I pleased. Most of which I will admit was dark magic, Grey Magic, Black Magic. Nothing that was legally allowed to be learned in Britain. But the tragic flaw in my plan was my fear of death." Marvolo stated with a hum, his eyes darting over to look at Hars for several long seconds. "I didn't see it but Dumbledore had decided since I wasn't willing to be a good pawn for him to use to make himself look better, I would be better as his villain. I didn't even question when a book about horcruxes ended up mixed in with the books that I had checked out of the library."

"Horcruxes are horrible, Black Soul Magic, but it would have given me a way to... Let's just say cheat Lady Death. And by that time the Black Magic that I had been using along with my friends without the proper precautions had begun to farther taint my mind. Or perhaps Dumbledore had something to do with that too, I'm not sure. But I am sure I had no issue with murdering another student to create my very first horcrux within Hogwarts supposedly safe walls. Splitting my very soul into a diary so that Lady Death couldn't reap me if I died before accomplishing my goals."

Kai and Hars gasped, eyes widened with shock and horror, their hands moving to grasp one another in quiet comfort. Still Marvolo didn't pause to let that information sink in. "And once I did it once, it was basically hook line and sinker. I did it again. And again. And again. And at some point, unbeknownst to me, Dumbledore had managed to create a connection between the two of us that he used to control me. Don't get me wrong, I know that I was, and still am a terrible person for everything I had done, but Dumbledore had forced me to commit acts of violence even I wouldn't have. Murdering so many magical Wixen and creatures, spilling all that magical blood was a waste and very contrary to my plans but between his puppeteering and the madness that had set in and grew with every horcrux I created, there was no stopping and I didn't even think anything of what I was doing."

Marvolo grimaced, his face pale and his voice filled with regret and tight as if it took everything in him to spill what he had done in the past. "And then I graduated and took my war head on. Grindelwald had been defeated when I was taking my NEWTs, so there was a place missing. Dumbledore controlled me to keep me from doing anything until his plans were in place. Plans that involved your parents, Hars."

Hars immediately tensed up at the contemplating look in Marvolo's eyes. "I certainly wasn't Dumbledore's only puppet. The only one that he had pulled onto Earth to do his bidding, to be his marionette dolls to dance for him and create the world he wanted made in his image. Your parents were also ones, though they obviously weren't so tightly under his control as they betrayed him in the end once you were born."

"There was a prophecy made about the two of us, you know? Perhaps it was a fake prophecy or maybe it was a real one, I have no way of knowing, but it was prophesized that you would be the death of me and I was so far gone. So beyond reason that I went to kill you when you were just a baby. Your parents, James and Lily Potter, knew about my plans though and obviously they had left for Nevarah with you before I even stepped foot in Godric's Hallow that night to kill you." Marvolo continued with a frown. "Your mother left a nasty runic surprise so the moment I blasted the front door down and stepped in with intent to murder you all, I was killed. I'm still not sure how she did it but a part of my soul survived and an Egress opened up and I was spirited away quite literally to Ullilan where Einar found me as a wandering wraith. Whatever she had did though had changed me. It was like she had killed everything evil within me and found the tiniest sliver of my soul that hadn't been tainted by all the Black Magic I was so obsessed with and that was what was sent here."

Kai and Hars sat in stunned silence, their minds reeling with the weight of Marvolo's words. The revelation of his past deeds that left them shaken to the core. Kai had known that whatever Marvolo's past was, it wasn't good. Regulus had told her and Hars as such, but this was completely different. And yet, staring into those red eyes that looked so haunted by what he had done, Kai couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

"How... How can you live with yourself, knowing what you've done?" Hars spoke up, his voice shaking with emotion.

Marvolo's expression softened slightly, and he regarded Hars with a sad look in his eyes. Obviously he wasn't expecting Hars to understand, or even to forgive him for his past actions against Hars and his family. "I cannot undo what I have done, young one. But I can live with the knowledge that I have done everything in my power to make amends for my past deeds."

Kai frowned, still grappling with the enormity of the situation. "What do you mean by that?"

Marvolo gave a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "When I was being transferred here, to Ullilan, and when Einar brought me back, giving me a body of my own again, I remembered things I had forgotten. Things about Dumbledore and his plans that I had not quite realized had slipped to me when he was sending me orders. Dumbledore isn't who he says he is. In fact... He is much more dangerous than I could ever had imagined when I had first met him. He truly wants to remake everything in his image. He wants to become a God, or I suppose an Immortal. And I wasn't the only one who split my soul to gain Immortality to hide away from Lady Death. He had done it too. But unlike me, as I am cut off from my horcruxes, Dumbledore's are like... Alternate versions of himself who are living lives all across multiple Realms. All of them plotting for the same thing."

"Destroying the world?" Kai questioned, her hand tightening in Hars grasp.

Marvolo nodded solemnly. "He needs keys to do this. And one key is here in Ullilan. Dumbledore, or at least the part of his soul that is here, is responsible for the Egresses. All the way back to when they first started to appear. He's been pulling in Immortals to power the Egresses, and since they are almost all supposed to be asleep at the moment, no one has realized in the other Realms. And I have been doing my best to figure out what this key is to keep him from gaining one, and where the Immortals are being held to release them, while also trying to find a way out of Ullilan so I can go back to Earth and destroy my horcruxes that are probably being used as puppets by the soul piece that I met."

Once again silence descended upon the room as Kai and Hars tried to process everything they had just heard. Marvolo's past deeds were gruesome and horrifying. And what they knew about this Dumbledore person was even more so. Neither of them could fathom someone like him as Marvolo described it, but between Hars empathy and Kai's perception, both of them knew he wasn't lying. Everything that Marvolo had told them was the truth. Everything including all that he had done, both willingly and unwillingly.

"So if the Dumbledore that is here controls the Egresses, that means that he purposely pulled you to Ullilan. How are we certain that you aren't still being used as a puppet to him?" Hars asked the moment the questioned popped into his head. He stood up quickly, forcing Kai to stand up as well and moved the two of them farther away from Marvolo and the others in the room. Eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"The ritual that I used to give Marvolo a body broke any connections that he had to Dumbledore and made it impossible for anyone else to manipulate him. He also swore an oath to me that makes it impossible for him to betray us. If you no longer trust him, I would hope you can trust me?" Einar spoke up, standing up as well with his hands held up in surrender.

Hars and Kai looked between the four of them. Marvolo looked disheartened and regretful, though Kai knew the regret was for his past actions and not for telling the two of them about them. Regulus looked torn and pleading. Arroyo looked like he didn't know what to feel. And Einar looked hopeful. The two Hunters turned to look at each other, silently communicating for several minutes before Kai nodded, looking back at them.

"How can we help?" She asked firmly.