In Marvolo
Viktor stared his mother down as she stood in the doorway. It had been days since the incident, and nothing else strange had happened. Honestly, he felt perfectly fine. The strain on his Dragonheart bond seemed to be gone, and it felt faint as if she was far away.
Perhaps she had always simply lived in another kingdom. Which meant their destiny was, for the most part, in fate's hands and, currently, the least of his worries.
Right now, he had bigger things to worry about. As the memorial ceremony approached, more messages came about activities in Marvolo including the severe reduction of the unicorn population. Unicorns had no natural predators which meant someone or something was hunting them, maybe for their hair to make wands or their blood.
Merlin, let it not be for their blood.
If it was for their blood, there was no telling what sort of half-crazed, mostly invulnerable army was being raised, or what would be necessary to deal with them. As he'd led the march into Marvolo, it was his duty to lead the excursion to figure out what was happening.
Ekaterina had been against it from the moment he said he was leaving.
“I have to go.”
“Someone else can go,” she said, “You've done enough.”
“If it's something that could be coming for that staff, I need to know,” he said buckling his armor, “I have to go.”
“But--”
“Let him go,” Stanislav said from down the hall, “He can't be cooped up in the palace waiting for you to feed him to the wolves.”
Ekaterina grit her teeth and glared at Stanislav as she laughed, “This is not a joke, Stanislav!”
“It isn’t, but he is right,” Stanislav approached him and put his hand on his shoulder, “You had better come home.”
He smiled and kissed Ekaterina’s cheek, “I promise.”
He arrived downstairs where his original battalion had gather prepared to fly now that they had access to brooms with his own broom and a heavy feeling in his chest.
“As usual, we'll fly as far as we can together before breaking up into three teams. Keep your wits about you. We have marched into Marvolo before, but the land has likely changed.”
They took off and the longer they flew the closer his Dragonheart felt. On the one hand, it was a good sign that she was indeed from another country, but if she was in Marvolo, there could be no future for them depending on why she was there.
Keep hope, Viktor, he thought.
There were a million and three reasons that she could be in Marvolo, or near it. She could be a knight of another crown and was surveying the issue. She could have been kidnapped. She could simply be near Marvolo’s border rather than in Marvolo itself, yet as they passed the border of Marvolo she did not seem to be getting farther away.
She was getting closer.
Merlin, help me.
“To the east, sir!”
He turned his attention to the swarming bodies along the bloody river. To the north, there were lights coming from the Morsemorde cliffs, a little flickering of activity.
“East flank, look into it. North with me to the lights.”
“What could it be?”
“I don’t know, but be prepared for anything--”
A screech filled the air making his head pound and his broom waver along with the rest of the troop.
“Harpies to the east, sir!” The leader of the east team said, “And I think we’ve caught their attention.”
“Sound barrier on the eastern flank, we’ll go wet until we’re out of their territory.”
They did as commanded and put up a large barrier so that the entire unit could fly unharmed away from harpy territory.
“I’ve never seen that many harpies,” Ivan said, “They couldn’t have bred that quickly.”
“Not unless someone is making them,” Viktor said.
Not much was known about harpies other than the fact that they were dark creatures and vaguely related to sirens. Thought Viktor once though that sirens were just a class of wizard, a look into the old, enchanted books int he Surtse library told him that sirens were another species all together like veelas or merfolk, but far more dangerous.
Most thought they’d receded into the sea mists or simply went extinct, but that wasn’t the case at all. He would take a harpy over a siren any day though if the books had any truth to them. Harpies were near mindless, territorial, feral, they would leave you alone, but sirens had the physicality and the intellect of a highly intelligent human with a knack for mind control that couldn’t be detected. They were far more connected to the magical world and creatures than wizards, much like merfolk, but they were nowhere near as benign. It was well known that they’d sided with Marvolo and lived somewhere in the territory, but no one knew where or why.
His Dragonheart felt close enough to apparate to now, and it chilled his blood. He was curious, yearning but he couldn’t afford to find out if his Dragonheart was aligned with Marvolo. He had thought once that maybe she could be related to siren from the quality of her voice but had never given as much thought to it as he did now.
Focus, Viktor, he shuddered, No man can know his fate before his time.
Whether she would have to be tried for her involvement or this was just a large misunderstanding would have to wait. He offered up a prayer and drew his wand.
“To the lights gentlemen. Wands ready. If there are harpies, there are usually sirens not too far behind.”
Hermione shuddered as the unicorn continued to wade through the blood river. They had gotten out of the cave mostly intact. The sound of the creatures began to grow more distant as the darkness of the Dark Forest seemed to clear.
“Please, Merlin, I don’t think I can take any more surprises--”
A sound like the screeching of a bird filled the air and all of a sudden, she was surrounded. With a whisper, she cast the strongest shield spell she could and clung to the unicorn.
“A mage,” a voice hissed at her, “From where do you hail?”
Hermione remained frozen, calming her breathing as the unicorn whinnied.
“Hold,” the voice said softly, “This girl looks familiar…”
Someone approached her and forced her to lift her head. If the shock of the mercurial eyes looking at her wasn’t enough, then the fact that the woman had reached through her barrier with ease practically stopped her heart.
“Your people, child?” she said, “How did you get here? How did you enchant a unicorn to lead you here?”
Hermione frowned, something in her words, her tone pulled on part of her mind. She turned her head, resisting it before narrowing her eyes.
“You have siren blood,” the woman said, “Where did you come from?”
“Surtse,” she said hesitantly.
The woman’s eyes narrowed as a murmur flickered through the crowd, “Silence.”
Silence fell around them and the woman turned her eyes to the unicorn before returning to Hermione, “He trusts you, pray you worthy of that. Take down your shield. It will do you no good here.”
Hermione dispelled the shield and the woman stepped back, “Akara, take your unit and see that she wasn’t followed. Tara, head back and speed up preparations.”
The woman stroked the unicorn’s pelt and met his eyes, “You have taken care of him and for that I am thankful, but this is a strange time to come to Marvolo to look for a unicorn… You say you are from Surtse?”
“Yes…”
“You must be much older than I first thought.”
“I’m not yet eighteen.”
Her brow furrowed and she turned to the rest of the women, “Go ahead. I will speak with her alone.”
They hesitated but did as she commanded. They disappeared into the thickness of the forest leaving the two of them alone in the clearing.
“How long do you plan on staying on his back?”
“For as long as he allows it and I’m sure I won’t be killed.”
She snorted, “We do not kill our own if we can help it.”
The woman sat down on a stump and gestured to a large rock before her, “Sit with me for a moment. Tell me why you are here.”
She swallowed but slid off the unicorn’s back onto the ground. Cautiously, she crossed the clearing and sat down where directed. The woman across from her kept her gaze on her, more curious than malicious, and slowly, Hermione began to relax.
There was something about the woman that felt calming. Queenly, for sure, but something else that felt familiar.
Like family.
Didn’t it say somewhere…. she frowned trying to wrack her mind.
“What is it?”
Hermione hesitated but figured that since she was already this deep, she might as well dive. She opened her bag and drew out the book. The woman gasped, stiffening across from her before jumping to her feet. Before Hermione could breath, the woman called a trident to her hand and caged her neck with it.
Hermione froze looking at the trident that seemed to be only made of sea water and air.
“Where did you get that book?” the woman hissed.
“It was given--”
“Liar!” she hissed, “No bearer of my house would bequeath such a book onto anyone.”
“Y-Your house?” Hermione ventured.
She sneered, “What have you done with him?”
“Who?”
“My son, you prodotis!”
Oh shit, Hermione thought, Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more complicated.
“Answer me!” She screeched.
“Have you ever heard of a woman named Laki?” The woman’s brow furrowed, “Laki… of Espirit?”
“What of her?” she hissed, “What does she have to do with my son’s whereabouts? Have you killed her? Taken her hostage? What have you--”
“She’s my grandmother.”
The trident vanished as her eyes widened and she stepped back. Hermione waited with bated breath before the woman was on her again. She grabbed Hermione by the wrist and tore her sleeve.
Something cool slipped around her forearm and light surfaced beneath her skin. The woman looked up at her in shock and horror.
“G-Grandmother?”
Hermione nodded, “Grandmother.”
“And… my son?”
Hermione swallowed, “I think… we should actually talk.”
The closed her eyes and a brief flash of pain crossed her face before she pulled Hermione to her feet, “My name is Selene, come with me.”
Selene? Hermione let the woman pull her along at a rushed pace through the forest.
“My mother’s name was Selena,” Hermione said quickly.
“Was she killed as well?”
“She died of an illness--”
“Siren blood does not fall to illness, no matter how diluted,” she said curtly, “Quickly. I have to get you to our healer.”
“I promise I’m fine--”
“Laki is your grandmother. Was she not at least half time-turner?”
“She is, my grandmother, Hermiona is a time-turner.”
“He tried to kill someone, didn’t he?” she asked, “Foolish boy.”
“Are you going to explain anything to--”
“Watch your step.”
Hermione looked down, just in time to avoid tripping over a large tree root. She looked back at the unicorn that was following them to wherever Selene was taking her.
“Could you just slow down--”
“There’s no time,” she said, “They’ll be here soon and we have to be gone before then.”
“Who? Gone where?”
“Soldiers of the kingdoms,” she said.
“Are you aligned with Voldemort?”
Selene stopped dead in her tracks and looked back at her. Her mercurial eyes were as hard as steel and glowed dimly in the dark, “I trust no wizard and neither should you.”
Hermione gasped and Selene turned back around and continued pulling her along. Too many questions were raised by that statement, and in the distance, she heard an explosion. Selene cursed and whistled into the air.
“We’ll have to take another path,” Selene said and turned swiftly.
“What about the others?”
“If they did as I said they are already cast off and looking for us on the shoreline.”
Cast off to where?
“I will explain everything in due time, but--”
Selene pulled her forward and threw her into the dirt as her trident materialized with a low whistle. She thrust up and tumbled the creature behind her. It landed and screeched before turning on them.
Selene lifted her trident, “Damn. How did you get here?”
“We went through the river,” Hermione huffed and got to her feet.
“You came through the Serpent’s Cave?” Selene hissed, “You must have the luck of the winds. Get on.”
Hermione scrambled onto the unicorn’s back as another creature screeched from far away. Selene climbed on behind her.
“To the shore as fast as you can, Aegeus!”
The unicorn neighed and broke into a run as more creatures began to chase them.
“How do you know his name?”
“He told me,” she said, “You may look like a wizard, but you are not. You come from two strong lines of magic.”
She swung through the air and sent a creature flying behind them before whistling again.
A whistle came back loud and haunting. Trees swung their branches behind them like a gate.
“You can control trees?”
“There is a lot for you to learn, little one,” she said, “Faster, Aegeus, we may still catch the last boat.”
He ran faster leaving nothing but the sound of the wind in her ears. Another explosion sounded, much closer than the last and suddenly they broke through the forest that had lost all its darkness. There was sun beyond and a great gleaming city.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s home,” Selene said, “And it will not be here when those pillagers come.”
“Pillagers?”
“In time,” she said, “Left, Aegeus!”
He turned hard to the left out of the way of another creature.
“The Serpent’s Cave is the last barrier we had to keep them out.”
“Them?” Hermione looked back, “Who’s them?”
“They were once sirens,” she said, “A long time ago.”
They charged down the shoreline away from the city. Aegeus skidded to a halt on the sand and Selene hopped off.
“Come with me,” she said.
Hermione jumped off and followed her to a large rock formation.
“Place your hand here,” she said and Hermione placed it on the circle as Selene placed her hand on the other and began to whistle a tune that made her dizzy. Slowly, the rock surrounding the city began to grow and encapsulate it. Mists moved in from the shoreline and covered the area.
“Retreated into the sea mists,” Hermione said, “You have to tell me how that works.”
Selene laughed, “One day--”
Selene went down under a filthy figure with a cry of panic and Hermione blasted it back with a shout. The body flew across the area and Selene sat up and looked at Hermione who seemed shocked.
“Did I kill it?”
“Her,” Selene corrected, “And no, you didn’t.”
The sound of spellwork drifted through the trees and from above men in Surtse came flying towards them.
“Halt in the name of Surtse.”
‘Fuck off!” Selene yelled and kicked a spike of sand at them before turning and grabbing Hermione’s hand. She pulled her up onto Aegeus and bade him run down the shoreline toward the second dock, but there was no ship as far as she could tell.
“Halt!”
Stunning jinxes rained down and Aegeus dodged around them as best as he could. Sand exploded and sent them flying across the ground. Her bag tumbled away from her as she rolled and the small battalion of people from earlier reappeared from the end of the dock.
Selene shook herself free of the pain and clutched her shoulder. Hermione worried her lip and stood up.
“Archigos!”
Hermione drew her wand and cast a shield over Selene Aegeus and shifted the sands so they met the oncoming group of women before they had gotten too far from the docks. She sent her bag flying towards them and took off running after casting a spell at the two soldiers and drawing their attention back toward the forest.
“After her!”
“Get going!” Hermione yelled over her shoulder.
She saw them vanish beyond the veil and heard Selene call out for her.
“We’ll find you!” Selene said, “Just call!”
Hermione tumbled over the bank as a soldier cast another spell and exploded the ground behind her.
It’s like they’re trying to kill me!
She chuckled. They probably were.
Tumbling forward she rolled into a patch of mud and narrowly dodged a screeching body from above.
“Halt!”
She heard the screeching behind her and watched the knights drawing closer. Quickly, she took off her shoes and tucked them under her feet before calling the earth up to obscure their view. The creatures screeched as they were thrown away. The knights fired spell after spell. One caught her in the shoulder, but by then, she had a clear picture of the clearing she’d first entered in Marvolo and sent her self there.
She tumbled out of apparation still hissing at the pain in her shoulder. It was quiet around her except for her pain until she heard a sound like the rustle of leaves and an inquisitive sound.
From a few feet away from her, a small body with dark eyes crept out. There was no mistaking the fact that it was a harpy, a former siren. What could have changed a siren into a harpy, she couldn’t understand, but it sniffed and crept towards her. She could barely pull herself away before it was on her, sniffing at her wound and then looking at her.
It gave her a crooked, maddened smile. In its eyes, she could almost make out a glimmer of intellect before it backed off and scurried back into the forest.
The sky was as dark as it was when she arrived, the chill in the air was no different, yet she stood up and began the long walk towards the barrier.
When she broke through, she fell into the dirt with a sigh of relief and fear.
“Mom,” she said softly, “I really could have used a little more preparation for all of this.”
Narcissa cackled a deep set joy flooded her as she laughed.
“You’re certain of this?”
“I wouldn’t mistake such a thing,” he said with a sneer.
His armor gleamed dimly in the lowlight.
“Merlin’s beard, there is such a thing as loyalty in men still!” Narcissa said, “Well, we’ll have to make the proper arrangments for her return, won’t we? My, my in league with sirens? In Marvolo? It’s as if Merlin himself is smiling down at me.”
She stood up from her chair and pressed a kiss to the knight’s cheek, “You, my love, are irreplaceable.”
He flushed as she passed and walked out the door.
She took the carriage to the courthouse. The attendant looked up with a smile.
“How may I help you Lady Malfoy?”
“How would I go about filing a charge for blood treason?”
The woman’s eyes widened. She set aside her paperwork and stood, “Just a moment, ma’am. I’ll get a magistrate for you.”
“Splendid. No hurry, truly. I don’t imagine she’ll slink back into Surtse so soon.”