Chapter 11: Chapter 9 - Burning day
***** A/N: Regularly scheduled release. So I kinda hinted at it in the last chapter, but I'm going to have the MC deal with some emotional issues. I never really lliked how nice and polite the MC is in the game. Even choosing the evil/rude options, the MC is way too nice about it. I'm chalking that up to his pure-blooded etiquette during the game, but as a result of the 'red-emotion-based' ancient magic, being absorbed from the repository at the end of the prologue, we're gonna liven things up a bit and have some other consequences as well, one of them being a lack of emotional control. Side note, if we hit top 10 again for 'monthly' power stone rankings, il release another bonus chapter friday! We hit 9th this week, I can't believe it! Kind reminder that regular releases will be Sundays and Wednesdays while my stockpile is building up. Anyways, Hope you all enjoy! *****
Continuing to speak to the house-elves, Khan excitedly asked them. "Can you show me where Sol's nest is? I would like to be there for her burning day!"
"Of course, Great Khan!" Squeaked out Zeke in equal excitement. "Please grab Zeke's hand!"
Reaching out, Khan grabbed the Elf's hand, and with a snap of Zeke's fingers, they both disappeared with a loud *POP*.
Teek followed shortly after, and disappeared with his own loud *POP*, whereas Yama and Silverwing took off in flight, heading for the tallest mountain in the region.
Lord of the Shore and Prince however, appeared to have been forgotten. Having no way to get up to the tallest mountain quickly, they settled in for a nap, simply feeling happy their friend was back.
***********
Zeke and Khan appeared in a giant cave structure with a loud *POP*.
Looking around, Khan was surprised at how open this cave was.
Taking it all in, Khan saw a large open cavern, with sunlight streaming in through the broken cave sections in the ceiling, allowing various plant life to not only grow, but thrive, in this environment.
Various magical plants and potion ingredients, were all growing in harmony.
'A potion master's dream.' Khan comments to himself, as he makes his way around the cave, harvesting the various plants and ingredients. Shivelfigs, Leaping toadstool caps, knotgrass, lacewing flies, Fluxweed stems, horklump juice; he harvested them all, and stored them in his storage for later.
His task done quickly, he began to make his way upwards towards a lone tree growing on a raised cave platform in the center of the cavern. Figuring this to be where Sol was hiding out during her burning day, he carefully made his way over, climbing over some rubble and stone, keeping his eyes on the tree.
Getting closer, He finally spotted Sol on a large nest located on a few middle branches of the tree, in quite the pitiful state. Resembling a 'half-plucked' turkey, Khan thought she appeared quite 'decrepit looking'. Having read up on phoenixes quite extensively after having rescued Sol, he knew on their burning day, they looked quite pathetic.
But reading about it, and experiencing/seeing it with his own two eyes; well there was no comparing the difference. He felt quite bad for Sol, who he knew, prided herself on her beautiful red and yellow plumage.
"Hey girl!" Khan greeted her happily, moving closer.
"cooo!" She trilled quite pathetically in response.
Khan could feel that she was happy to see him through his bond, but was feeling weak. Attempting to greet him, she tried to move closer, but was struggling to get to her feet.
"Its ok!" Khan attempted to comfort his friend. "We can catch up later. You focus on your burning day. I won't go anywhere this time. I'll stay right here."
Khan watched as Sol suddenly burst into flames with his statement of comfort.
The timing astounded Khan. It was like she was waiting for him to wake up from his coma and find her, before before finally letting herself go through her burning day.
Khan was never that gifted in Divination, but him waking up the day of Sol's burning day seemed a bit too coincidental to be simply happenstance.
Flames slowly dying out, Khan watched as a pile of ashes formed, before a tiny baby phoenix emerged from said ashes.
What Khan thought was a baby phoenix anyways.
Appearing to look move like a tiny featherless chicken, if Khan hadn't witnessed the birth from a pile of ashes, perhaps he would've mistaken Sol with some other creature.
'I wonder if baby phoenixes look like this when they are born from eggs?' Khan muses to himself, as he watches Sol get her bearings, and sift around the ashes.
'Or do they only look like this on their burning day? Maybe if Sol ever finds a mate, I can view the birth of their child, a new baby phoenix and see!' Khan's inner nerd/researcher was rearing its head.
"Cooo!" Sol trills, interrupting Khan's runaway thoughts. She could sense Khan being distracted, and was feeling quite needy, having just been reborn. After not seeing her partner in almost 15 years, she vowed to never let him out of her sight again.
Feeling thoughts of possessiveness and protectiveness from their bond, Khan immediately refocused his thoughts on Sol's new form and her needs. Being a new born chick, he figured he would need to care for her for a portion of time, until she had finished re-growing-up.
Picking her up out of the ashes, he nuzzled her a bit with his cheeks, showing affection, before placing her gently on his shoulders.
Making their way back to Zeke, Khan and Sol followed him as they made their way out of the cave structure.
Outside, they were greeted by Teek, Silverwing and Yama, hanging out by the entrance of the cave. Walking over to greet them, Khan noticed that they were close to the peaks of one of the taller mountains in the area.
'This one vivarium is enormous!' Khan remarked to himself. 'To think that this is all created by the RoR!'
Amazed at the RoR and its capabilities, Khan notes to himself that he should explore and experiment more with the Room to determine it's limits, if it has any. It is by far, one of the most mysterious secrets the school has.
Temporal capabilities, allowing his pets to only age at a factor of 1-7 while he was in a coma.
Spatial Capabilities, allowing for the expansion of all these vivariums, leading him to rescue all sorts of beasts.
Mental capabilities, with the Room somehow knowing what he needs, and responding in kind.
Just what else is it capable of?
Khan looks around, and sees LotS and Prince are missing. Figuring they are probably still by the lake area, Khan refocuses his thoughts on spending time with his battle beast friends, and mounts Silverwing.
They all eventually make their way back there, down in the valley below.
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"Where are Teek and Zeke?!?" Squeaked Dobby unhappily. "Dobby talked to all house elves, but only Teek and Zeke didn't talk! Professor Kitty will be upset if Dobby can't find Blue and Yellow Boy. Dobby might not be paid!"
Coming to Hogwarts as a free-elf, Dobby had insisted upon getting paid to provide his services. The other elves looked at him strangely at times, but otherwise left him alone.
And Dobby was fine with that. He did a lot of unique jobs both for Professor Kitty and Professor Dumbleedorrr, and had not failed any yet.
And he wasn't going to start now!
They had been searching for almost 2 hours, with no trace of the Blue and Yellow Boy.
They had looked almost everywhere in the castle; even the locked rooms in the Clock-tower, and the room housing the Book of Admittance had been searched.
House-elves were typically quite efficient, being capable of mental communication between each other within Hogwarts, at finding someone or something.
After thinking for a few minutes, Dobby remembered another room that some of the elves had told him about when he had arrived. They called it the 'Come-and-go Room'.
Thinking about all the other places that had been searched, Dobby snapped his fingers, and *POP*-ed off to search that room.
Appearing in the RoR in a loud *POP*, Dobby was in shock. What happened to the room?
When he had last visited it, it was a large messy room, filled with all sorts of random junk. Dobby remembered even seeing a bathtub and toilet at one point. That was what he was expecting when he popped into the room.
What he got however, was Khan's edited RoR. The Botanical theme prevalent in the design and color, Dobby felt a sense of peace and nature when he appeared.
Walking around in awe, big eyes wide, he began to look around in wonder.
'Dobby knew the Come-and-go room was mysterious. It probably changed when Teek and Zeke came!' Dobby thought to himself.
Reaching out with his house-elf magic, he could sense two other House-elves in this room as well.
Unable to communicate with them still, he found himself walking towards where they were located, and soon found himself upstairs in front of a glass greenhouse type of structure.
Slowly stepping inside, Dobby suddenly found himself on a mountain side, castle ruins off to one side, with various mountains in the distance.
Finally inside the vivarium, Dobby discovered he was immediately able to reach out with his house-elf magic and contact the two house-elves located here.
'Teek! Zeke!' Dobby squeaked out mentally over their house-elf communication link. 'Professor Kitty needs to find the blue and yellow boy! Dobby is coming to get Teek and Zeke to help!'
With a snap of his fingers, Dobby disappears with a loud *POP*.
*********
Khan was playing with Sol in the sand by the lake, his other beast partners close by, enjoying his company, when suddenly they heard a *POP*.
A new house-elf suddenly appeared in front of Teek and Zeke, back turned to Khan and the others.
"Dobby!" the two elves exclaimed, having forgotten about the mental summons they had received, indicating they all had a job as Hogwarts house-elves. "Teek and Zeke are sorry! The Great Khan has just returned, and Teek wanted to meet Father's friend."
"It is fine. Dobby needs to find the Blue and Yellow Boy! Please help Professor Kitty!" Dobby pleads with them, upset it is taking so long to find the blue and yellow boy.
Looking down to his clothes, Khan realizes that he is still wearing his battle robes, what he calls his Merlin cloak.
A blue battle cloak with Yellow decorative highlights, Khan found this cloak exploring an old castle where there had been an ancient magic hotspot previously.
Exploring the castle, Khan discovered an old statue of Merlin in the courtyard, recognizing him for the numerous Merlin trials he performed.
Jumping to conclusions, and believing the castle to be the old residence of Merlin, Khan was excited to explore it, hoping to find ancient relics or spellbooks belonging to the former mage.
He found nothing, except for this cloak, located in a giant chest behind a series of annoying puzzles.
Naming it Merlin's cloak, he stubbornly named it after the old archmage, choosing to believe the castle did indeed belong to Merlin, with no evidence other than a statue, to support that claim.
Realizing the blue and yellow boy the house-elf is describing, is indeed himself, Khan notes he did disappear rather abruptly from the medical wing.
Feeling rather sheepish, he calls the new house-elf's attention to himself.
"Excuse me. I do believe you are looking for me."
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