As Harry stepped through the portal with his army Dipti organised the rest of the troops to take up their positions on the walls once more. With them in the defence of the farms and Abha's city guard in the city itself it should be very unlikely for an intruder to infiltrate or invaders to succeed.
The nine-headed dragon, feasted on the corpses still. 'A Hydra, Harry called it' Dipti thought as she observed the mighty beast devour dead after dead with its nine heads fighting sometimes over the flesh. Quite useful to clear a battlefield of its corpses.
Dipti was concentrated and excited at the same time. Here she was serving the Hero of legend in his conquest of Ghis, Qarth and much more in the future with her sister and others. Bringing glory to the Patrimony once more, like in the days of old. Her and her sisters blood still boiled at the thought of the old so called Great Fathers. Daring to dishonour their traditions in such vile ways.
Dipti much like the rest had held some doubts in her about the ways their leaders governed them lately. But also did not think herself so well versed as to judge how they ruled.
Then the fateful day came. A month and a bit ago Harry came into their city. It was a day much like the many before it. Wake up, break fast with her sisters, train and then stand guard over the Great Fathers with meals in-between and afterwards train again, then go to bed. The routine was sometimes interrupted with a Great Father wanting to sleep with her. She got not much pleasure out of, did not even expect it and was even glad when it stopped altogether and she could fight with the rest against the Jogos Nhai completely.
Vastly different from the screams of pleasure and ecstasy she heard, standing guard with her twin at the door of Harry and his wives sleeping quarters. They practically begged him not to stop, to take them harder and faster. That got repeated every evening and morning with no sign of stopping, accompanied by various, positive lewd exclamations all four women made while in bed with him.
And just like Harry seemed to plough his wives into a blissful state every dawn and dusk, Dipti had to rub her thighs together to keep from squirming too much. All the while imagining herself in various positions while Harry took her how he did his wives.
However, Dipti knew that it was no longer her place to bear children, regretfully. Her place was to fight for Harry. Many women of the Patrimony were disappointed, although they still made eyes at him and his delicious form when he passed, undressing him with their eyes alone. At the same time they hoped he would take their daughters and gifting them with his seed.
Banishing these thoughts she observed how the Hydra made its way into the waters of the Poison Sea, to sleep with a full belly most likely.
There was no sign of a Dothraki Horde anywhere where she could see. It took a few hours for anything to change that, but when it did it was the typical dust cloud that occurred every time a Dothraki horde stormed to your walls, trampling everything down between you and them under the hooves of their horses.
"Everyone get ready! The horse fuckers are here." Dipti yelled out for all to hear as she made herself ready. No one in the Patrimony had much love for the Dothraki, due to them trying to conquer and enslave them, just like the Jogos Nhai. It never worked because of their location and defence, but it was annoying regardless.
However what came next Dipti did not expect. 'What are they doing?' she asked herself bewildered, stalling to signal the crows feet to be released.
Not once in the history had she seen Dothraki do such a thing. It was not a new battle tactic. No, Dothraki did not employ tactic, the only one being screaming and charging. It was also no siege, due to Dothraki having no siege equipment. It was none of those things. What happened outside of the gates was something completely different.
The Dothraki had a white flag raised, apparently attempting to parley.
While all others on the wall were just as confused as Dipti, the woman in question swiftly got her composure back and yelled a command, as she saw the rider with the flag approaching "Open the gate, but don't let your guard down!" her order was heard and performed. One could not be so sure that it was no trick. No matter how much they preferred a peaceful solution.
It was highly unlikely that Dothraki wanted to negotiate rather than fight. They only respected strength and shows of force. Everything else besides horses was secondary. Even women were not worth much, with said horses worth much more than women for a Khal or Dothraki men in general. Only a small minority of male Dothraki treated their women better than sex-slaves. Something that only brought them the contempt of the women living in the Patrimony.
But once again a surprise occurred and waited at the gate for entry, as Dipti stood ready behind the gate. Instead of the Khal or one of his Bloodriders there was a female rider.
As the rider entered Dipti waited for her with line after line of warrior-maids behind her. Ready in an instant, to let the woman look like a hedgehog with an hail of arrows. It took a few more moments for the rider to arrive near Dipti. Just now she realised they had no translator of any kind. And she herself spoke no Dothraki.
Before a curse could leave Dipti's lips the women on the horse spoke in good albeit slow Abenaki, the language of the Patrimony.
"Greetings." the women addressed them, but seemed to struggle a bit with the words to continue. "We would like to open negotiations for us to join your army and nation." it took a while but Dipti waited patiently for her to finish. When the woman did the twin of Divya inspected her for any sign of betrayal. There was none, at least no visible one. She held no weapons on her person or horse and also no space to conceal them in.
"Very well." Dipti nodded, turned to the woman behind her and said. "Prepare a room."
With that she turned back and pondered what to ask first. "Why did your Khal send a woman to negotiate and did not come himself? Is he a coward, fearing women?" the last part was said mocking, hoping to aggravate the women to get her to make a mistake.
What Dipti certainly did not expect was to be laughed at, but before she could retort the women did so herself. "No, he is not, but only because we have no Khal. Only a Khaleesi!" it was said with pride in her voice as she descended from her saddle, while the horse got handed to a stable boy. It seemed she spoke very well after all, once the nervousness melted away.
Dipti only nodded while walking beside the woman, following her subordinate to the room. The walk was silent and the talk only resumed again when both were seated across from each other. "Lets get introductions out of the way so that we can negotiate for whatever you are really here." piercing the woman opposite from her with a glare, not believing a second that Dothraki would want to join a city. "My name is Dipti and I am responsible for the defence of the city as long as my master is absent." inspecting the woman before her. She looked like a typical Dothraki with copper skin, almond shaped eyes and black hair. Her figure was slim with toned legs and stomach from the good amount of riding no doubt.
"Irri and I am here to negotiate the terms for our surrender and joining you, in the name of my Khaleesi." the newly named Irri explained with a glare of her own, not liking to be called a liar even indirectly, so she retorted a little coldly. "Where is your so called master? Maybe he is the coward here?"
Dipti growled in response, but got herself under control quickly. "My master is definitely no coward. He is just away at the moment. Conquering Meereen and the other cities in Slavers Bay that tried to invade us." she said it as nonchalantly as possible with a contemptuous sniff. "But that is not important at the moment." Dipti added with a dismissive hand gesture. "What is important is why you are surrendering without a fight. Something no Dothraki would do and why you have no Khal."
"I see." Irri sighed and began to explain from the beginning "It all started when the Khalasar I was part of enslaved a few merchants that did not keep the peace in the Dothraki Sea. They were from Kayakayanaya." Irri waited for an outburst, but it came none. "They told us of a man who killed the Great Fathers and who apparently had wings of fire and various magical powers." getting a bit more comfortable in her seat Irri carried on. "Of course the men did not believe them, not that they would like a man practising magic."
"And that has what to do with why you are here?" Dipti asked impatiently. A bit relieved and let down at the same time that no siege would happen. Well as long as she herself did not screw up the negotiations. The merchants Dipti couldn't care less about.
Irri crossed her arms irritably "I was getting to that." after she huffed a bit at the interruption the Dothraki woman went on. "Anyway the most intriguing thing was that this man after killing the Great Fathers took the warrior-maids with him. So my first question would be does he use you as actual warriors or just as glorified whores?" she thought it best to be blunt about this and hoping to get the women opposite of her to reveal more than she wanted in her anger.
Getting red from fury Dipti nearly snarled "Harry does not use us as whores. He sees us as capable warriors, knowing that only women are permitted to take life when they are the only ones to give it."
Raising an eye-brow in interest Irri queried further, genuinely curious. "Then why is he permitted to fight when he is a man himself?"
"You mean besides the fact that he is obviously Hyrkoon reborn?" Dipti asked rhetorically. Irri just nodded not really knowing or caring who Hyrkoon was.
"He gave us a new perspective so to speak, when one of us asked the same thing. He explained that it is true that women bring the children into the world by letting them grow inside us, much like the earth does with plants." now growing a bit more awed by the wisdom of Harry. "Although he also explained that while the women is the fertile ground the man provides the semen from which the child grows, like a farmer. He said what most men apparently do not want to acknowledge is that the farmer does not only plant the seed and waits for it to grow, but cares for it patiently, as well as protecting, loving and nurturing it. For however long a time it should take it to grow. Not to mention that a farmer also has to care for the ground in the same way for the best results."
A bit overwhelmed by the metaphors Irri asked interested. "Meaning what exactly?"
Having not expected Irri to understand immediately Dipti elaborated. "It means that we made a compromise that a man is allowed to fight. With the premise that he cares for his pregnant wife or women and the child that is born out of it. Regardless if it is a girl or boy." when a man cannot do so he wouldn't be permitted to fight. End of story.
"So he has children already?" while saying that in the back of her mind Irri snorted at imagining a Dothraki man caring for anything other than bloodshed, burning things and raping women. Be it slaves, women from the own Khalasar or some in the middle of a raid. Heck, sometimes they did both at the same time by killing a man who wants to fuck a woman he wants to fuck himself. Least of all they would care for a girl, much less be interested in the babe herself. Most women just get a punch in the stomach for having the audacity to birth one.
Dipti shook her head. "No, he and his wives don't have children due to certain circumstances preventing that up until now from what I could gather. However he has build an orphanage, visits it quite frequently and cares for all children there. Education and a home is something children have a right to, because they are the greatest treasure in my masters opinion." things she wholehearted agreed with.
Irri nodded was also agreeing with it, but her eyes narrowed at the mention of more than one wife. "So he isn't very different from other men after all. Taking more than one wife when I bet he can't even satisfy one properly." now Irri did not expect to be laughed at for that remark.
After Dipti got her chuckles under control she said in a mixture of harshness and amusement. "Believe me he can satisfy his four wives perfectly fine. Exceeding a few hours a day in fact, so his wives are more than properly satisfied. If anything he would need even more, because he looks ready to go on while his wives are exhausted." The longing, desire and smugness entered her voice at the end quite clearly.
"Now I know you are lying. All men I know last around fifteen minutes let alone twenty and I should believe you that your master can last more than twenty times that? How do I know you're telling the truth?" it was accompanied with a flat stare, though the smug smile did not vanish only increase together with Dipti's blush. Before a months time the concept of time would be foreign to her, but due to her Khaleesi it wasn't for her or others. Irri assumed it was the same with Dipti. They had a sun clock to measure it. Something their Khaleesi brought them.
Still blushing the warrior-maid answered. "Well, I guard his sleeping quarters and may have peeked inside and I can assure you it is the truth." taking a deep breath to get her blush under control Dipti went on. "Besides I doubt the men you have laid with do anything other than inexpertly hammer into you regardless if you're ready or not." well that was the case with the previous Great Fathers so Dipti guessed the Dothraki weren't all that different. Only the female was obligated to bring the pleasure to a man. Not the other way around. "But we are off track. Do you have other questions besides the ones regarding my masters sex-life."
Irri just said with slightly pink cheeks herself. "Yes." pondering her next question a bit more carefully, while cursing her Khaleesi in her mind for making her ask these questions in the first place. "So he wouldn't be against us joining him?" she wondered, not really used to no bloodshed at all involved in negotiations.
"Why would he? It is not as if you have attacked us unprovoked." asked Dipti a bit bewildered. "Besides we need a good cavalry, which you certainly would provide." despite her words Dipti wasn't really sure if she could or even should make these decisions for Harry. 'Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' she thought. "Though you still did not answer my question as to why you want to join us."
"I just asked, since you and your master surely have been attacked by other Dothraki." this time Irri raised a challenging eye-brow, daring Dipti to deny that. "It was entirely possible that you would think of all Dothraki the same and simply attack."
Dipti just frowned but nodded, conceding that point. Gesturing for Irri to continue the women did just that. "And as to why we want to join, well let me explain."
Taking a deep breath, she did so. "After we heard the story of your master it naturally spread to others. Of course, all Khals thought you easy prey due to being mostly consisted of weak women. Attack like always, destroy everything in their path and enslave all the women, after they were raped, naturally." Irri could see the cold fury in Dipti's eyes and certainly understood what she felt. Having been a slave of Dothraki before too long.
"Anyway, after that our Khaleesi appeared out of nowhere." here her face and voice seemed far away as if re-living the experience right now. "The Khal who had killed all the others and took their men for his own, took her too, as his Khaleesi. Or should I rather say she allowed him to do so." a feral grin had spread across Irri's face as she said that. "Shortly after all the khalasars in the area were united my Khaleesi made plans with the other women, knowing the situation of the slaves and women in general inside a khalasar and being disgusted by it. Once every women and slave knew the plan and one night all of us stayed awake. In the dark of night we stole every single horse and rode without pause to this city."
Dipti interrupted. "I would imagine that the tumult with the horses would've woken the sleeping men or at least some of them, who then would've alarmed the rest. Not to mention the possible guards." highly sceptical that so many women could pull such a thing off silently. Untrained ones at that.
"Normally we wouldn't have." Irri agreed. "However our Khaleesi sung a magic song, that lulled all men into deep sleep in a matter of minutes. Her voice carried over even to the farthest one. That allowed us to escape unhindered."
While all men saw Maegi as something abnormal most women were intrigued by it. Naturally, only because it gave them power they did not have otherwise. That the Dothraki men feared it somewhat solidified that belief in them. After all if every single woman of them could do such the men would no longer have power over them. Sadly not all women could be Maegi.
'Evidently one was quite enough. Granted a powerful one, but one nonetheless.' Irri thought satisfied to be finally free of her bounds. Be they social or physical.
"So your Khaleesi is a magic user?" Dipti inquired curiously and further queried. "And hopes to learn from my master and his wives in exchange for you joining us?" that was something she could not decide without Harry actually being present.
Irri just confirmed it with. "She is." shaking her head the Dothraki woman abnegated the second question. "However, her reasons for joining are not to learn from your leaders. She claims to know your Harry quite well and wants to join because of that. I am only here to confirm her thoughts as to who he is."
Dipti bit her lip in thought as she pondered what to do. 'It still could be a trap. Waiting for us to open the gates and then sack it all once inside.' looking in the eyes of the woman opposite of her she couldn't detect an ounce of betrayal.
'Though that could only mean she is a skilled liar and manipulator.' after all the great Fathers had been much the same.
Dipti shook her head and answered. "I regretfully can't just let you inside even though I believe you or rather want to believe you. Once my master has returned I will inform him of your Khaleesi's proposal and wait for his judgement." that seemed to be the best course of action right now.
"When is he likely to return?" Irri asked, her mood a bit damped by the not quite refusal.
"I can't say. He went away just a few hours before your arrival with the destination being Meereen." putting on her best sad expression and hoping it would come across truthful. The many hours of faked enjoyment with the Great Fathers helping her more than a little bit. However she couldn't say if it would work on a woman who liked could do the same, effortlessly as well.
"So that means he won't be back for a few weeks to months at least." Irri said sourly, not really wanting to go back to her Khaleesi and her Khaleesi's sister with the news. She was after all quite keen on meeting with this Harry. "Where are we to stay during all this time?" to go back into the Dothraki sea unarmed would mean death or slavery once more. Both not really all that good options.
"You can encamp your tents before our gates for the time being." now a grin wormed its way onto her lips as she sat up proudly. "As for the time my master is away. It should be a few days at the most and tonight at the earliest."
Taking the stunned look as sign to continue, Dipti added. "Make sure your Khaleesi is prepared." with that she escorted her guest back outside, while answering all questions regarding Harry. What he looked and behaved like. Whom he had with him. When it was finished she waited until Irri was out of the gate before she let loose a sigh of relief. Waiting for Harry to return and hoping he would hurry.
Melisandre stood dutifully before the door that led to the dragons. Beings she considered her children, much like Kinvara. She would not allow that harm came to them in any shape or form. Human or otherwise.
'Azor Ahai's volition will be carried out.' the copper-haired priestess though with utmost conviction. Head held high and proud at having been given such an important task. Sure there were guards beside her, but she herself had the command, at the moment.
'Besides Harry has warded the area. Only a magically versed person could even attempt to enter, while most likely failing.' she sniffed disdainfully at the thought of people daring to oppose the lord's chosen. Melisandre was also grateful to not protect the wives of Harry. She was not particularly fond of them, but also did not hate them.
The red-eyed women would protect them, if only because it would distress Harry greatly to lose them. Something she would like to avoid at all cost.
For a long time nothing happened as she stood before the double doors. All the while thinking that Abha better should have found some culprits and infiltrators, something skipped around the corner. It was Kinvara.
'Why has she left her post?' you could say what you wanted about the bubbly woman, but one thing was sure. Kinvara was utterly loyal to Harry, much like her. So ignoring orders was unlike what the excitable woman would do. Upon closer inspection she knew what was wrong, despite the woman acting like Kinvara before her.
'Glamour!" Melisandre thought, enraged that someone dared to attack them here in the form of her mental sister. Melisandre's years of perfecting her glamour working in her favour.
At once she gave orders to the guards. "Guard the door this infiltrator uses a magical disguise." she herself immediately flung a fireball at the person, who evaded the fiery attack. Its fury clashing against the ground, dissipating the power and fire.
The infiltrator gave up on the disguise, revealing a warlock of Qarth in their typical garb and possessing the blue lips. "So the red priestess does know some things." the warlock said mockingly as he flung his own attack at her. A mass of malevolent shadow flew towards her.
Melisandre erected a quick wall of fire from the ground with her hands held above her head. The ball of blackness was dispersed by her fire and light generating wall.
Next she completed the motion of the wave and flung the wall of red hot fire at her opponent, while readying a whip of flame in her right hand. The firewall as big and wide as the corridor consumed everything in its path. Though the warlock stood there unharmed, mocking her with his blue-lipped smile even further.
Enraged she flung the whip at him, hoping to lash some sense into the insolent man. The whip did not connect, but flew through him as if he was naught but a ghost.
Next a scream behind Melisandre alarmed her. In her anger she did not notice the illusion the man must've set up as she couldn't see him behind the firewall. Quickly turning around she saw one guard down on the floor, dead with a slit throat. The warlock standing behind the corpse with a small knife.
The other three guards went into the offensive with their spears, trying to hold the distance advantage in the wide hallway. Much like herself the trio only struck empty air. Once again the warlocks laughter echoed through the corridor accompanied with more than twenty of himself.
"Which one of us is real and who is not?" the echo making it impossible for her to locate him through sound.
'Think! What can you use to locate him?' After a bit of thought Melisandre run back to the door and commanded. "Form a triangle around me while I try to locate him." not saying how, but that would be stupid and give the opponent time to counter. She cast a spell that generated a blinding light mostly used to do just that to enemies.
The warlock cried out as his eyes burned. "You will pay for that red whore!" all of them going through the same motions of rubbing their eyes, expect some of them.
"Look for shadows and attack them." Melisandre ordered the guards. They were unaffected by the light with the source of it in their backs. 'So there are illusions and real ones, but why are there more than one possessing a shadow?' her musings were answered by one guard who had thrown her spear in the chest of one having a shadow. The thing shortly after being impaled dissolved into shadowy smoke, dispersing in the air.
'That makes it even more difficult to locate him.' cursing in her mind. To use illusions, sprinkled with copies of himself made from blood magic that had shadows was ingenious for hiding. 'I have to hurry or risk him being able to penetrate the door with its protections.'
Before as she repeated the process of casting the blinding light the guard who had thrown her spear to her right died with a dagger to the heart. The light struck, but the copy that should stand in its place was an illusion. The spear of the guard next to the downed one hitting nothing other than air also only confirmed it.
'What? Why?' Melisandre asked herself perplexed and angry at being played by the man. "Come out and show yourself, coward!" she yelled into the hallway, while flinging fireballs at shadowy copies, killing them.
"I think I'll pass." the voice again echoed from wall to wall. "But I will take a token of your appreciation of me nonetheless." just then the door to the dragons opened behind her.
'He is invisible?' once again cursing in her mind.
It was a double trick. He had waited invisible while his illusions and shadows served to let them think he was within the group made out of himself. The light Melisandre had used totally ineffective against invisibility. It would only be fractured like all light, by what spell was making him invisible in the first place. The tactic would only work when one knew what the opponent could do exactly, but that much was obvious with a red priestess at ones hands.
Melisandre blasted the closing door apart, shrapnel made of wood and a little metal from the handle flying everywhere into the room. Her action following the destruction of the door was to send out shadow tendrils from her own shadow to capture the warlock with them, having seen him due to splinters of wood hitting his invisible form.
'Got you!' she thought viciously, already imagining what she would do to this insolent man, who thought he could attack with impunity. Acting quick the red priestess formed spears with two tendrils and stabbed one where the head should be and the other in the heart.
Satisfied that blood flowed down the black spears she released them. The body hit the stone floor with a meaty thump and could be seen once more as ripples stretched out from his form.
Her opponent was not dead though, seeing as the chest still rose and fell. The wound that should be on the head was in the shoulder and the one in the heart was at the correct height, but on the wrong side.
'Well no one ever said I was skilled in anatomy.' Melisandre gave a careless shrug and went to kill the warlock with a flame whip, when he vanished. Not in the black smoke his copies did, but in the same way Harry could do when he transported himself from one way to another.
Seeing that the danger was averted for now the copper-haired woman checked the dragons. They still slept in their baskets. 'At least they did not have to see all this.' though it was a small solace compared to the rest. A warlock infiltrated their home and nearly stole both dragons while on top of it circumventing Harry's protections somehow. Despite wanting to check on Kinvara Melisandre couldn't do so. She had to stand guard until the danger had completely passed. To leave the post now would be idiotic.
Turning around to resume her position she came face to face with the warlock's blade once more. The flaming blade in the man's skull was more distracting, however.
Kinvara was in a bind. One moment she stood dutifully before the room that contained the bodies of her master's wives and in the next ten children were standing in front of her with wide hopeful eyes and a piece of parchment bearing the signature of her beloved master. After she read the message she turned back to the little ones, thinking carefully what she should do with them. To let them stay by her side would be risky.
She also couldn't send them away with no one to guard the door expect herself.
Luck seemed to be shining down on her as she saw Abha come around the corner. 'Probably back from a patrol.' Kinvara thought, waiting for the commander of the city watch to arrive near her.
"What are you children doing here?" Abha wondered out loud, but upon seeing Kinvara a moment later she asked "What did you do?"
Crossing her arms with a pout the red priestess replied. "Why do you think I had something to do with it?" sure she could get rather carried away in her passion for her master, but there was nothing bad about it. Nonetheless his wives or others always complained. Kinvara you can't organise orgies without his consent , What are you doing naked in our bed? or You don't wash his body with just your breasts.
However, she knew that they only needed time to get over it. After all it was her duty to serve Azor Ahai in any way and that's what she will do. Melisandre agreed with her, though she wasn't quite so vocal about it.
Kinvara only received a flat stare from Abha, who said. "You always have some hair-brained schemes." Looking at the children she went on. "This could very well be one of them."
Kinvara huffed indignantly. "Well it isn't. Master send them here for us to take care of." pointing behind her she asked. "The problem is I can't leave here. So could you bring them to a save place?" preferably the orphanage. It was good that the Orphanage was very big, otherwise it would already be overflowing.
Abha nodded, knelt down to eye-level of the little ones with a friendly smile playing on her lips, saying. "Hello, little ones. My name is Abha and yours are?" her expirience in handling children like all the women in the Patrimony always came in helpful when dealing with scared children who've lost their parents. The first to give her name was a tanned girl with green eyes and brown hair, named Beskha. The others followed suit shortly after. When the kids were more relaxed she lead them to where they would reside for their stay.
The copper-haired priestess let loose a sigh of relief at having resolved the situation. Now she could concentrate again on guarding her masters wives. Or were it mistresses in this case? She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focus on guarding the door as good as she could. Kinvara had not gotten much magical education from Harry or his wives, mostly combat spells due to obvious reasons.
The most interesting for the priestess was the subject of runes for her. It was like writing, only better. One could do so many wonderful things with them. Things she hadn't even dared imagine as she began to learn about magic. Before she came under their tutelage the most she could do was conjure fire. Now the only thing limiting her was her own imagination. Something Kinvara had plenty of.
Time flew by and she was once again interrupted, but this time by her master as he came around the corner. In her elation she did not notice that he seemed neither winded nor had he other signs that he had been in a battle or even multiple. "Were you successful?" she asked giddy, bouncing up and down that did wonderful things to her firm breasts. Kinvara also did not notice that he did not had to force himself to look away with a small blush on his cheeks.
Just like she did not notice in her naïve and inexperienced manner, that his smile was anything but genuine. It was sinister as if to say that it was just too easy. "I was." he agreed as he stepped nearer. In a flash a dirk was in his hand as he sliced into her stomach or tried to at least. Kinvara managed to jump back in time, evading the deadly attack.
"Master?" Kinvara asked perplexed and confused. Trying to picture the gentle smile of her master into the vicious visage before her. Enraged she now noticed the things she previously did not. "Who are you, daring to pose as my master?" furious beyond doubt, the red priestess readied herself for combat, going mentally through all the spells in a few seconds time. Swearing in her head that she couldn't identify a glamour when she saw one the copper-haired beauty prepared to weave her magic into spells.
"I am no one you need to concern yourself with." the man in her masters skin replied with a dark chuckle escaping his lips. "I just want the four women behind that door dead."
Immediately the normally bubbly redhead literally saw red. A fireball appearing in her hand, which she flung at the man daring to try and kill her beloved masters wives. The assailant evaded the fiery orb and retaliated with a thrown dagger., which she avoided with a sidestep, retaliating with another fireball and a flame whip swung horizontally.
The glamour vanished and revealed a blue-lipped man, who was otherwise unremarkable in every way. The hot projectile he evaded once more, but only narrowly. However the whip caught him at the hip and wrapped itself around the body from haunch to torso, burning him and his clothes. The screams ripped out of his throat by it were more satisfying than anything else.
'The pig deserves it!' the copper-haired beauty thought coldly. Something uncharacteristic for the usually giddy woman. She held the spell and tugged hard with the hand holding the whip. The result was that the burning rope of fire tightened. Growing hotter the man's flesh was burning and melting until his organs gave out and he collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut, into several burned pieces.
Just as she finished with the warlock daring to invade her home she again heard steps coming closer. This time readying a ball of flame in both hands she was ready to incinerate the one coming around the corner. It was another Harry imposter. Letting loose both of the fireballs she followed up with a wave of fire.
Harry was busy running towards the quarters he laid his wives in to notice the two hot projectiles coming his way. The moment he turned the corner completely they impacted, followed up by a wave of fire. It did no damage to him, but he was a bit out of sorts.
"What?" he said stupidly not having expected to be attacked. Looking for the other warlock at large he only saw Kinvara standing there. "Kinvara? Why did you attack me?"
Seeing that he was unharmed by her fire and therefore the real one she apologized sheepishly. "Sorry, master, but there was someone before your arrival, who pretended to be you." pointing to the remains of the imposter she apologized again.
Harry waved her off, saying. "Its fine. You did your job protecting the door. Just like Melisandre." Although the older woman seemed to have got the more powerful opponent. While this one seemed only an apprentice of sorts.
Kinvara smiled in response to his praise and that he wasn't angry at her for attacking him mistakenly. "Were you successful in conquering the cities?" hugging him tightly and beaming up at him, while rubbing her face into his chest, which she couldn't properly do due to the armour.
Sighing Harry hugged the excitable woman back. "Yes, but only Meereen and Yunkai. The troops were exhausted after that and I thought it better for them to rest instead of risking more dead due to exhaustion." not to mention that apparently much has happened in his short absence and the few preparations he had to make for New Ghis and Qarth.
"I only wanted to check on my wives before I went to sleep." He on top of it was magically exhausted from building so many portals, which was extremely draining without the usual support.
"Ok." Kinvara chirped as she let him go to open the door.
When all wards and protections were deactivated he stepped inside. Like he left them all four were still sleeping soundly. Recuperating from their ordeal this morning. Harry walked towards the window, looking outside, up at the sky. The red comet still flying overhead, illuminating the world below it in red light. The stars were much more noticeable with no pollution to conceal them at night. Sighing once again he got out of his armour and into bed, hoping tomorrow will be better than today.
His nights rest wasn't good nor bad. No dreams or nightmares visited him in it. As he woke up the situation wasn't different as from when he went to bed.
The others were still out of it. 'It really is astounding how fast one can grow accustomed to another's presence in bed.' having sorely missed his wives embrace. Even when it was just for one night. 'Nothing to do but wait for them to wake up.' he thought as he dressed himself.
After checking their vital signs once again and finding nothing out of the ordinary Harry dressed and made his way to break his fast. Though, not before leaving a message to them, describing what exactly he planned to do today in case they woke up during the day.
As the raven-haired wizard arrived at the dining hall Melisandre and Kinvara, as usual, were already there. Waiting for him. "Good morrow to you, my lord. Once more R'hllor graces us with a new dawn." Melisandre said passionately as usual in the mornings.
Kinvara mirroring her in enthusiasm, but not in words, as she rushed towards him. Clamping onto him tightly like a monkey, but chirping like a bird. "Good morrow, master! What will we do today?" her inquiry curious with big pleading eyes directed at him.
Harry chuckled at that. He still did not know if the red priestess really had such a personality or just used it to her advantage. For the moment he humoured her, while hugging her back. "Well, I planned to make some war paint and conquer Astrapor and New Ghis today." breaking the hug he trudge a bit slowly to the bench and sat himself down at the table.
It was kinda bizarre that the mention of conquest was more trivial than the making of war paint. Both copper-haired beauties were puzzled and Melisandre asked with Kinvara echoing her shortly after. "War paint?" seating themselves also. The food wouldn't come until Harry began making it.
"Yes." Harry nodded, but did not elaborate amused and anticipating who would ask first.
Obviously the excitable Kinvara caved in faster. "Why war paint and with what does it help?" she inquired curiously with an innocence that a priestess who sometimes burned people alive shouldn't rightfully possess.
That Melisandre wasn't annoyed with her was telling that she respected the other priestess in her devotion to her god and by extension him. Or she was just better at masking her emotions after centuries of practise. Harry bet on a bit of both.
After making himself comfortable Harry began explaining. "Easy the war paint is special. It acts like armour, although it is useless against iron. Only against bronze, copper and stone weapons." leaning with the right elbow on the table and holding his head up with the right hand, still a bit sleepy. "It should be no problem as Slavers Bay, New Ghis and Qarth all only possess weapons made from copper, having no iron to make other weapons."
Not fully true Qarth had iron due to trade, but tradition demanded for their city guard to be equipped with copper weapons and shields. The Legions of New Ghis also had only copper as well as the Unsullied. Though, Harry would not fight against the latter, having other plans for Astrapor.
Kinvara beamed at him with a Lumos Maxima smile as if he found the solution to achieve world peace, while Melisandre looked as if she expected something like that, but asked something regardless. "Don't they have armour for that, which makes the paint obsolete?"
"Normally that is true." Harry allowed, yawning as the sleep began leaving him. "The difference between the paint and the armour is that the magical paint makes it so that the skin acts as the armour." something that had been unfortunate for the British when fighting against the legions of Rome armed with iron.
In the next sentence smugness entered his voice fully, with his sleep leaving him faster. "When a copper sword hits, it will be as if a blunted sword hits steel armour." Harry grew a bit apprehensive, not because it was something bad. Well, not for the warriors at least. Clearing his throat he went on. "Anyway the warriors will have to..." the last part was mumbled in the vain hope that the two wouldn't inquire further.
"They will have to what?" queried Kinvara as her stomach grumbled, demanding food letting her blush in embarrassment.
The Boy-Who-Lived sighed, knowing it was a futile effort to hide it. "They will have to fight naked." there it was out. For the magic to work the person wearing had to be naked. It was how the wizards thought against each other in the past. It would protect against most spells from the time. He had no problem with nudity, but the women of the Patrimony were forward enough with their staring. Harry would rather not give them a reason to amp up their efforts.
Puzzled both their faced said the same thing, carrying an expression as if he had aid something incomprehensible. He was not surprised both of them could walk around naked and not be bothered by stares or anything else really, except unwanted physical advances.
Harry too liked the freedom that kinda came with it, but wouldn't want to go public. Not at the moment at least.
"Why is that a problem?" Melisandre asked mystified. Her ruby eyes holding nothing but puzzlement in them. "The warrior-maids already fight bare breasted so I imagine it wouldn't be too much trouble for them to forego the rest."
Once again Harry sighed "That was not the problem that caused my reluctance." fidgeting a little he continued, sitting up straighter. "More like that the warrior-maids will only take it as an invitation to get into bed with me." it was kind of far fetched, but from what he saw in this land nothing would surprise him any more. With the history of the Patrimony it could very well be so.
Once again puzzlement was the only thing he received at least from Kinvara. "Of course, they want to do that." she exclaimed as she put her hands over her stomach to keep it quiet, following with a remark. "When we aren't attacking or defending I imagine that they will soon expect you to impregnate some of their initiatives."
Despite having had that suspicion Harry sputtered. "I can't do that!" vehemently against having anything sexual with teenage girls.
"Why?" Melisandre asked with hands on the table, looking at him intently. "You're their only Great Father, so to speak. As such the duty befalls to you." saying It as if it was the most obvious in the world.
Harry just groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't just have children with girls a decade and a half younger than me." He was nearly thirty and these girls were fifteen at the highest from what he could gather. Sure, he looked like he was only twenty-one, but that didn't make it better.
Seeing the same question as before coming he interrupted. "And don't ask me why! I won't have children with women or girls I don't love. Not to mention the problem of being there for the children, which gets insanely complicated once there are enough of them." he would not neglect a single child of his. Something unavoidable should he have a horde of them.
"Let's just break our fast." Harry said quickly, intent to avoid the subject altogether.
The breakfast was nothing special. It was scrambled eggs with bacon and some bread. Just as he was finished Abha, Dipti and Divya walked into the dining hall. Very much morning persons like Kinvara and Melisandre. "Good morrow." Harry greeted them in the typical manner.
They greeted him back properly and waited for all to finish eating. When Harry was sated he said to Dipti. "I heard that something happened with the Dothraki, but that they did not attack. What happened exactly?" as he came home he had apparated directly to the palace and had to sort out the trouble there. Two infiltrators were no small matter, but he couldn't begrudge Abha. They clearly had had means to disguise themselves with magic.
Dipti sitting straighter at being spoken to by her master replied. "The was an envoy that said their Khaleesi knows you and wants to negotiate terms for them joining us."
Harry didn't show it but he was worried. 'Who could it be? It isn't as if someone followed us. Surely not?' he half-asked half-stated in his head. Not to mention that nobody knew that he and his wives had that plan.
It would be disastrous when more wizards poured in this world from their old. With their closed mindedness they would appreciate slavery and practise it themselves. He was sure they could defeat them, but it would bring up uncomfortable questions. Questions about things he did not want to be asked about. On the other hand it could simply be a misunderstanding or some such, which would be preferred. He gestured Dipti to continue.
"I said that I couldn't make the decision with you away and that they would have to wait." She put her cutlery away, finished with the food herself that Harry offered her. "The envoy, Irri her name was, said that they would wait for you outside of the gates where they have build up a temporary camp." hoping she hadn't displeased him as she saw his blank look, while fidgeting in her seat a bit. The old Great Fathers were easy to rile up with the barest of failures. Intended or otherwise.
"You did good work." Harry complimented with a smile. Getting one himself in response. It seemed negotiations with a Khaleesi were first in the order of the day.
After the breakfast he made his way to the gates, leaving Melisandre and Kinvara to make the war paint in the Cauldron of Plenty. They needed some for eleven-thousand. With his instructions it should go nothing wrong and the making of it was easy enough as it was.
Leaving the city behind Harry walked on the Bridge of Dreams and through the streets that led him past the many orchards, gardens for exotic fruits and farms. With so many people in the city right now more of them had to be build in the future. At the moment they could come by with all the food they had stored. One advantage of having no trade partner as of now.
After a relatively peaceful walk he arrived at the gate. Calling for the gate to be pulled up Harry strolled out of it and towards the encampment of the Dothraki. He went alone, having no fear of being attacked when they wanted to negotiate peace. Normally it would make him suspicious, but these were Dothraki. Subtlety, cunning or planning were not things they employed. The mention of a Khaleesi and not a Khal leading them gave it a little more credence.
Shortly before reaching the tents he was stopped by a rider. The grass ceased rustling as he stopped walking with the female rider before him, asking. "Who goes there?" she like the rest of the Dothraki had copper skin, almond shaped eyes and black hair. The rest of her body was fairly unremarkable and average looking.
Harry replied calmly. "I am Harry Black. Your Khaleesi wanted a meeting with me, so here I am." taking it as a good sign not being attacked upon sight like he had expected from a Dothraki horde. The guard nodded her consent and motioned him to follow. Harry did just that. The walk between the many tents woven out of grass was spent being observed by all manner of people. Mostly women ranging from young to old, slaves of all kinds as well as children. Curiously not a single grown man was seen, though Harry thought to have caught a glimpse of a few of them.
While they walked the comet still hung in the sky, bathing all under him in a red shine. Next to the frozen rock in space was the sun. Much brighter than the comet emitting a gentle yellow and orange light in contrast to the angry red of the other. The morning had a pleasant temperature, not that he would notice too much heat. With the ritual all heat will only be pleasant to him.
Finally the two, guard and envoy, arrived at a large tent. The guard went inside with Harry following shortly afterwards, showing that she had not much experience. One should always walk behind a stranger when escorting him. Otherwise he could overwhelm you from behind. Taking that as further sign of no bad intention he slipped inside gracefully.
The inside of the room was Spartan, like expected of Dothraki. A few furs here and there. A table, trunk and chairs made out of wood. Few decorative things were present in form of carvings of wood. Obviously they were one of the weaker hordes when they only had the barest necessities and no pompous gold statues with jewels in them carried by slaves from place to place. Until finally stored in Vaes Dothrak. Only some guards were standing in the corners of the tent. Nothing Harry couldn't overcome easily.
The next moment the sound of moving cloth alarmed him to someone entering from an adjacent room. Turning around he saw something that let his mouth drop open in pure surprise. Following his surprise were two joyful shouts of. "Harry!" accompanied by two silver missiles flying into him, knocking him down onto the ground.
Looking up he saw the beaming faces of two women with silver-gold hair and deep blue eyes. Both were breathtakingly beautiful. As he came to his senses he noticed an aura around them. 'Allure? Veela? Here of all places?' then it clicked as he took their features in more.
He asked. "Fleur? Gabrielle?" completely bewildered how and why they were here.
Both just nodded in his chest, holding him tight as if he would disperse into the memory of a fleeting dream. As if the more they tried to hold on the more he would elude them. Harry just hugged them back, knowing they would've to calm down from whatever they thought. It took longer than he expected.
A good ten minutes later he said. "As nice as it is to be held by two beautiful women, I thought I would meet with the Khaleesi of this khalasar."
Both sighed in resignation but made no move to remove themselves from lying on top of him. It caused Harry to remember how his wives acted. So, he put his arms around their bottoms and stood abruptly, holding them up with his enhanced strength.
He walked over to the table he sat himself down on a chair he quickly reinforced with a hardening charm. Gabrielle sitting on his right and Fleur on his left. "So can you tell me what exactly is going on?" despite his instincts screaming at him to get the information as fast as possible he decided to be patient.
His imagination ran wild nonetheless. How many others were here besides the two sisters. How did they locate him and why?
Still clinging to him Fleur began to speak. "Well, when we heard of a wizard building a city while making a desert bloom we thought who else could it be expect Harry doing the impossible. So we made our way to you." deeming it a sufficient explanation she happily cuddled deeper into him, attempting to mold herself into his form.
Harry frowned a bit at her evasive answer and said. "Could you be a bit more elaborative, please?" he had enough on his plate at the moment and not much nerve left to deal with this too. "For example how you followed me and why. Are others from home here too?"
Gabrielle answered this time with also no sign of letting go. Looking as if she found pleasure unknown to man just now. "We used a modified summoning ritual to act in reverse to banish us to you." putting her head in the crook of his neck she inhaled his scent deeply and continued. "As far as we know no others followed us."
Mentally nodding with his physical neck preoccupied Harry replied. "That explains the how, but not the why. What happened that you made such a decision?" either they had no other choice or something different. Harry bet on the second. Otherwise they would act different or they simply changed in the time he had last seen them. It still did not explain the khalasar or who their leader was.
"Why don't you just start at the beginning?" Harry proposed trying and failing to pry them off himself. They were surprisingly strong.
Both sighed again, knowing he wouldn't stop asking questions until he knew the truth. So they told him. Their story also started at the beginning of the war with the muggles. Fleur had been working for Gringotts legal branch, wanting to become a lawyer and stepping in the footsteps of her father.
Gabrielle was still in Beauxbatons at the time, finishing her education. It was much the same with France as it had been with England. Although in contrast to him Fleur and her parents had joined the Order of the Phoenix to help, trusting in Dumbledore. The trust had left relatively early as her parents were murdered in a mistake Dumbledore made. Well, not really mistake but more his view of only incapacitating and not killing killed their parents in turn. That led to leaving the Order and going out on their own. A good choice apparently, because the whole organisation did not survive very long.
"What happened with the Weasley family and Hermione?" Harry asked. He knew most of them were dead, but a small part of him hoped they were alive despite all odds. Sure, he had not looked kindly upon them agreeing with all the rest, saying he must've cheated, but that did not mean he hated them. More like crushing disappointment and betrayal. Things he couldn't easily forgive at the time. Not after trusting them so completely.
Still having her head on his shoulder Fleur answered. "Like the rest their blind trust in Dumbledore's methods brought them to an early grave." now growing silent to remember what exactly happened to each of them. "I believe Hermione died as she tried to cover the retreat for a member of her party. A Kingsley Shacklebolt I think."
Gabrielle carried on, seeing that her sister struggled to recall who died and how. "Ron deserted just like the thief Fletcher, trying to save their hides when no good loot or glory awaited them." disgust entering her voice at the mention of the two. Thinking a bit more she scrunched her nose up in thought. "The rest was still alive as we left."
Well it matched up with what he knew of their personalities. "I see." were the only words leaving his mouth. He didn't exactly know what to feel. On one hand these people had been his most trusted friends and on the other it was nearly seventeen years in the past for him. "Then would you tell me why you choose me to summon yourself to and how you knew what to do exactly?" Harry requested.
As the question left his mouth they both grew reluctant, squirming in his lap. If it was to distract him, out of nervousness or both he did not know. "Well?" he demanded. He knew that there were no coincidences when it concerned him, for the most part at least.
They briefly looked at one another and sighed simultaneously. Reluctantly Fleur began telling him what he wanted to know. "You remember how you saved Gabrielle from the Merpeople, me from the Grindylows and later from being killed by Victor under an Imperius curse?"
"Yes." Harry remembered and answered the rhetorical question accordingly. A bit confused where this whole conversation would lead.
Gabrielle took over the explaining also hesitant to do so. "Well, you also know that this formed a life debt?" at his nod she asked. "What do you know about Veela?"
Harry just replied. "Nothing, except that they and by extension you are extremely beautiful and possess an Allure that attracts men." now musing a bit he went on. "Though, I always wondered if it also works on homosexuals." One of the things he couldn't work out without a Veela telling him anyway. Which was a problem when most of them were living in specially build communes to escape men trying to capture them.
Both silver-gold haired women giggled at that. Glad for the humour to lighten the mood. However, he grew serious shortly after the laughing and chuckling was done. "When you are scared that I will use the life debt for some sexual favour then you don't need to be afraid." Harry placated them, thinking they were worried about such a thing. Now chuckling again he said. "I have enough offers of that sort, so you needn't worry."
Now confused both demanded. "What do you mean?" their gaze sharpening and Allure coming out strongly. If he wasn't resistant to it Harry would be a drooling idiot right about now.
He answered them calmly. "Well I have wives already and apparently nearly the whole female population of my city has made it their mission to get impregnated by me." At the moment it were only stares. Something Harry could cope with, but when it would evolve into demands that he, as Melisandre called it, do his duty. Well he wouldn't know what to do. Except running to the other side of the world that is.
"You're kidding!" Gabrielle exclaimed shocked, but also somehow... vindicated? Harry couldn't ponder the mystery that were women at the moment. Instead he shook his head and answered. Telling them his story in short. How he came to know his wives, their journey and what happened on it. The highlights at least. When he was finished both were stunned at what exactly he lived through.
"So, why did you wanted to know what I knew of Veela?" in an afterthought he added. "I also thought you would've brought Bill with you Fleur and whoever Gabrielle met." that they sat possessively in his lap did not arrive in his brain, thinking they were Veela and had different social standards all-together.
Fleur huffed at that and retorted. "He would've liked that, but I am not and never was in a relationship with Bill Weasley!"
"Why? In the last years at school I occasionally overheard Hermione and Ginny talking about a French tart or Phlegm, something Ginny liked to call you, invading the Burrow or some such. So, I assumed you were." as he finished talking Fleur's rage was palpable and her features were in the process of shifting into her avian form. Attempting to calm her, he drew soothing circles on her back with his hand.
After a few deep breaths she calmed down and her beak, claws and wings vanished again. "I was not. We only worked together in Gringotts, for a time." now she grew a bit sour at the memories. "He was like the rest affected by my Allure. Even Viktor Krum had more mental strength than Bill." that was saying something. Viktor had been under the Imperius of an unfocussed, insane, imbalanced and relatively weak wizard, who could only handle under instructions of Voldemort.
She now made a dismissive gesture. "I only gave in once and went to a dinner at the Burrow. I have nothing against that they were poor, but otherwise I knew nothing of them. In the course of that dinner it changed. Bill ogled me, much like the other one who had worked with dragons and Ron did. The girl you called Ginny glared at me as if I had used my Allure to ensnare her brother, although he was too weak to resist it when I did not contained it wholly."
Now Gabrielle had a grin in place as she remembered what her sister had said after the night. The rant was one the younger Veela wouldn't forget. "What did you say again was the worst of the evening?" she mused as if trying really hard to remember. Suppressing the smirk that threatened to appear on her lips Gabrielle snapped her fingers. "I know..."
She couldn't get further as Fleur placed a hand on the mouth of her sister, hissing. "Don't you dare!" her eyes flashed in warning.
Amused, Harry decided to play along. "What happened?" asked Gabrielle with a impish grin on his face.
The eyes of Gabrielle lit up as she pushed the hand of her sister away, chattering. "Oh, it was so funny." swatting another attempt at silencing her, that caused Fleur to pout, the slightly smaller Veela continued. "The twins of them Gred and Forge used a Love potion on the stuck up one."
'She had to mean Percy' Harry thought as Gabrielle brought her giggles under control.
"He then sung her love song after love song. A few poems and showed his unimpressive muscles." Now Harry also snickered at the image of the prim and proper Percy Weasley doing such a thing. "But it gets better." the younger Veela claimed holding her sides of suppressed laughter. "Bill got angry, yelled at his brother, which caused a fight that was the beginning of a chain reaction. Food went flying and hit my sister. In turn Fleur got angry, lost control of her Allure and every male in the room except Mr. Weasley became incapable of coherent thought." After having bit her lip to keep it in check Gabrielle let her laughter loose after being finished and was immediately joined by Harry and a bit later by Fleur.
As they got the laughter under control Fleur added. "When the whole thing wouldn't have been such a disaster with me nearly being overwhelmed by all their sons." here Fleur shuddered knowing exactly what would've transpired when she hadn't escaped in time. "I still would not even consider a relationship with Bill." a blush coloured her cheeks as well as her sisters. "Because another already had my heart and still does."
Harry smiled at that and replied."Good for you. Where is he?" looking around he only saw the three of them and the guards standing in the tent. "Or she." he amended quickly.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes at her sisters behaviour and Harry's obliviousness, so she decided to be blunt. "It is you. Just like for me!" the exclamation brought her his attention as his head snapped to her with wide eyes.
"Wha..?" Harry got no further in his attempt to ask what that meant as Gabrielle simply kissed him with vigour and want accumulated in more than fifteen years.
By now he learned that when such a thing happened he should kiss back and wait for answers later. The formerly little Veela tried to melt into him as she first moaned in delight as she tasted his lips and later groaned in disappointment when he pulled back.
His lips were unoccupied only briefly as Fleur took her chance and attacked them in the same manner. Licking his lips with her tongue asking for entrance. It was granted shortly after and the battle of tongues ensued fiercely. Like her sister Fleur tasted of vanilla and strawberries. Combined with the sweet scent of their hair, bodies and arousal, rubbing themselves at him, together with their Allure he nearly succumbed to the temptation. Nearly fucking them in this tent immediately. Guards or no.
Harry just so resisted it. He could shrug of most of the Allure, but a double assault in this manner wasn't easy to handle.
Breaking the kiss Harry took a deep calming breath that did absolutely nothing and asked something once more. "How? What? Why?" nobody said he would do it in an eloquent or coherent fashion.
Enjoying his bewildered, but smiling face Fleur and Gabrielle giggled. Having succeeded at making him somewhat speechless. Although they grew a bit more pensive a moment later. Gabrielle explaining it to him. "You see Harry, Veela are normally not different from other women. We can choose our men like the rest. Though, normally it is expected of us to have a muggle father our children."
"Why?" Harry interrupted puzzled by that and why they did not seem to have children with them if that was true.
Snuggling into his chest Fleur continued sighing in content for the moment. "It has to do with how Veela continue to exist despite having no males." at his intrigued expression she stated. "When a Veela has a child with a muggle then the genes of her are stronger. Resulting in only pure, one hundred percent female Veela offspring. Normally one would go out and just find someone, use the Allure on him and be done with it. The downside is that all Veela can only get pregnant from the man taking their virginity. Afterwards you could search for someone to love and who accepts the situation." Not something a typical wizard would've done. With no chance of having an heir from them, if the Veela choose that path and most did. Also one of the many reason purebloods despised them.
Changing again who explained the things to him, Gabrielle went on. "Before you ask we have no children ourselves!" the statement hung in the air and did nothing to clear Harry's confusion. "There is an exception to that particular, however. Namely when a Veela finds her mate."
"Mate?" Harry echoed. He always thought such stuff was made up by people not wanting to give up on their dreams of nailing a Veela or authors of cheap literature. "I can certainly see why you would've problems with relationships in your... position."
Now growing thoughtful himself he said. "I am assuming I am the one you both see as your mate." that much was obvious. Not waiting for their affirmation he ploughed through, but not in an accusing manner. "Then why did you both not contact me or something?" they certainly had enough time to do so. "While we're at it how come you are quarter Veela?"
That was always something that confused him. For an all female species to have something like that was a death sentence for their race's existence. The blood would thin out until nothing remained, but a few drops. However, it was somewhat cleared by the explanation with Muggles.
While her sister took her turn to nibble at Harry's ear Fleur continued to explain. "We are quarter Veela because our grandmother and mother choose to ignore the traditions and accepted the consequences of it." drawing circles on his chest the older one of the sisters looked him directly in the eyes. "We tried to contact you, but every owl we sent couldn't find you and we had no address to go to as nobody we knew had any clue where you lived."
Here she growled a bit as her eyes flashed again dangerously in memory of something she disliked. "We asked Dumbledore through Madam Maxime if he had a contact, but he only offered empty platitudes of how you were to be kept safe and that he couldn't divulge it."
That did not improve Harry's already low opinion of his former Headmaster. "Actually, he did not have my address either. He probably only said so to not appear ignorant and keep people away from me. People, who he couldn't influence." Harry said in a dry voice. Already knowing how Albus viewed him. As a child that needed to do as it was told. Not capable of making his own decisions and therefore failures and learn from them.
Both of their eyes narrowed at that as they muttered insults in French at the old man that would leave a sailor blushing. "Anyway, that did not work and on top of all that the war started. Reducing our chances of meeting you to near zero." holding her hand in the air with the thumb and index finger together forming the number.
Fleur grew a bit apprehensive, but carried on despite it. "So we took the only logical step that allowed us to be near to you and not go mad in yearning. What not many people know is that Veela also have other abilities than our Allure and to transform. We also can convey feelings and sometimes messages through dreams to our mates and get them in return." something of the mate was needed to do so, but that was easily acquired. The only good thing from the visit to the burrow and also the only reason she did so in the first place.
That stunned Harry, who thought these were only very pleasant dreams. "So you two were responsible for these strange dreams?!" he half asked and half stated, not knowing what exactly to say.
Seeing his face morph through many emotions both Veela assumed he was hurt, but before they could apologize or do anything else Harry exclaimed while hugging them both tightly to himself. "Thank You!" with pure and honest gratitude in his voice. Harry was pretty sure that without that he wouldn't had made it this far.
"You're nor mad at us for invading your mind in your sleep at its most vulnerable?" asked Gabrielle surprised at his gratefulness, but hugged him back happily regardless. A relieved smile gracing her face as she looked at her sister behind Harry's head, who smiled back to her in elation.
Harry still hugging them said laughing in their ear. "Why would I?" sure it could be seen in such that it was a severe invasion of privacy, but they had done nothing to harm him.
"I am pretty sure I would've gone mad in the beginning of the war if not for you doing that." it was true too. He had no friends at the time. Was burdened with two unwilling team-mates, memories of torture and vile acts from Voldemort he had to sort through and erase and had to fight a bloody war on top of it. "I looked forward to it every night, knowing that no nightmare would come to me." Sure there were some, but he couldn't expect that every night.
Both sisters were delighted that he wasn't mad at them and mollification not necessary. A warm feeling spreading through their bodies. "I am glad!" whispered both of them into his ears, still holding him close, enjoying his strong arms holding them and his hard, but at the same time warm muscles pressed against their breasts.
"I just hope I was able to send you both enough positive feedback." Harry said with a remorseful tone, not really liking to get exceptional help for so many years and not giving anything back. Maybe he did? There was a time where he thought it was the bond with the Black sisters, but that seemed not right as it did not feel that way. At least not in the beginning, only later both blended together into the same feeling of love and desire.
Fleur and Gabrielle broke their hug, with the former taking his cheek in her hand, still with a blush colouring her own as she remembered the things he did in those dreams to their counterparts, saying. "You did! Otherwise we wouldn't be here right now."
They both would probably be with the rest of their race, extinguished by the Muggles or worse. She again kissed Harry to reassure him and because she intended to do so much more in the future. With Gabrielle mirroring her with a beaming smile on her face.
"Good." he said happy and unburdened now that he knew that nothing detrimental came from it. "Now I just have to ask how you acquired a Dothraki horde?" Harry inquired curiously, with them still sitting on his legs. Which both, despite for all the time both women sat on them, were not going numb.
From then on they told him of the story of how they arrived in this world and what they had to do. Apparently as soon as they got wind of his plan through his memories, both could access with their connection, they prepared the ritual they had worked on for a long while. It worked, but brought them not particularly near him.
They had arrived on the island of Ib with their wands broken due to the rough arrival, the two had to make their way without magic. The fact that as soon as they met people the men tried to rape them made things only more complicated. Without magic and no chance to contact anyone without being raped both had to learn wandless magic from the lessons they saw in his head, when they were asleep.
It took them two years. In which they trained their magic, learned to control their Veela gifts and trained physically to survive in this harsh world. Food was no trouble, because they had brought enough with them and could multiply it after a while of learning wandless magic.
As soon as they found themselves adequately trained the sisters made their way to the port without being mobbed. Paying with their gold for a boat to New Ibbish.
The journey continued through a thick and long forest with a feeling to it that something was missing. Be it the sound of local fauna or the feeling of something else not being there. Sometimes strange silence would engulf the woods and behave like a leaf in the wind. Ever fluctuating, never be far, but also untouchable and ever eluding.
From there the Dothraki plains began. Acting on the rumours heard from sailors, merchants and the like the Delacour sisters knew their destination was the Poison Sea. The problem was that on the way they were spotted by a Dothraki horde. Something anticipated, but not appreciated. Predictably the Alpha male in form of the Khal wanted them for himself as fuck-toys. They played along, while putting the simpleton under an Imperius. The moment they were near enough the plan was started to leave and join Harry. When more than half the Khalasar in form of oppressed women wanted to join, well who were they to stop them?
"We also have magical plants and creatures with us." added Gabrielle excitedly as she nearly vibrated in his lap. Which did interesting things to little Harry.
Taking another deep breath Harry forced himself to focus. "Really?" the raven-haired wizard asked with a raised brow. "Which ones?" they already had a good deal, but it never hurt to have more.
Counting on their hands while talking in tandem both began. "Nothing special in terms of plants. Only all we could get our hands on. In terms of creatures we have Puffskein, Abraxaner from Beauxbatons, mermaids from the cote d'Azur, Golden Snidgets, Hodags, Unicorns, the squid from the lake out of Hogwarts, a few more and a special thing for you." the last part was said mysteriously in their melodic and enchanting voices. Teasing smiles on their lips that told they knew something he did not.
Despite himself Harry was intrigued. "I think you already surprised me enough for a day, but I bite." their smiles got bigger and both hopped of his lap and to the trunk in the room. Fleur opened it while Gabrielle searched for something in it and finally pulled out a cage from within.
Harry stumbled forward to the table where the cage now stood. Inside was a large and beautiful snowy owl with black spots on her wings and plumage. The amber eyes glaring at him were not registered as Harry opened the cage to take out his oldest friend.
"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed grinning like a loon. She flew to his shoulder to nip him gently at the ear. Wiping his eyes where tears threatened to spill out Harry said. "I'm sorry girl, but I thought it best not to involve you in all that hassle I was tangled in."
The response was a reproachful hoot and a cuff with Hedwig's wing over his head as she began a tirade, hooting it in owlish. Harry just answered her rhetorical questions.
"Yes, I know I am an idiot. Yes, I also know you are a grown up owl and can make your own decisions. Of course, I will give you as many owl treats as you want." after once more apologizing and promising her a good deal of petting she stayed seated on his shoulder.
Turning to the two Veela, he asked. "Where did you find her? I thought I wouldn't see her again." the only reason he released Hedwig so to speak was out of fear of her dying. He had lost anyone precious to him, so at the time it was logical to set her free to at least prevent her from dying and permanently leaving him. Even going so far as to put a charm on himself that made it impossible for owls to locate him.
"She one day sat on our window, eating a mouse. I knew immediately whose owl it was, so we took care of her ever since." explained Fleur still with a smile on her face. Happy for him to have his oldest companion back.
After Harry thoroughly petted Hedwig they decided to make their way into the city. Although, Harry explained that there was really no room for their Khalasar until more cities could be rebuild.
So, Fleur and Gabrielle proposed they do just that after the conquest of him was finished. The nearest cities were Adakhakileki and Vaes jini formerly known as Yinishar. Harry would send a thousand warrior-maids with them to better protect the cities. All the people they had brought with them had no training in martial subjects, thus needed the protection for now. Training for them would be provided by the troops he send with them.
Harry himself went to check if the war paint was ready after Hedwig left to hunt. On his way to the potions lab Dipti and Divya joined him. The lab was in a room that had windows to open, so smoke could escape, not like the dungeon in Hogwarts.
Cauldrons out of many metals and materials stood spread out in the room. Copper, brass, silver, pewter, fire-crab and the cauldron of plenty under them. Workbenches with tripods and all necessary tools on them to make potions. Silver knifes for slicing that had cleansing runes on them to prevent contamination of different ingredients. Mortar, Pestle and scales. Glass or crystal vials made from the glass-makers all what a potioneer would need to make good potions.
At the largest cauldron stood Melisandre and Kinvara. Not in their pretty dresses Andromeda made for them, but in simple black robes made for working in these conditions. Charcoal, berries as well as various plants and herbs laying on the nearby workbench. The charcoal was ground into powder with the mortar and pestle as was the rest. It was simply mixed together in the cauldron over the fire, while letting it boil and adding a touch of magic.
"How much do we have now?" Harry asked as Dipti closed the door behind him, something that took some getting used to as he did it himself up until now.
Turning to him as if knowing he was there all along Melisandre replied. "It should be enough for our whole army." motioning with one hand towards the twenty barrels full of war paint they manufactured in the time he talked with Fleur and Gabrielle.
Harry nodded his head, commenting absent-minded. "Okay, good." thinking of the plan he had devised the day earlier. He shifted his head to look behind him to the two guards and commanded. "Get the troops assembled before the city!" when that was ready he should be finished with Astrapor.
Turning around again, he inclined his head to the two priestesses. "Excellent work you two."
He went on as they preened at the compliment "Be prepared for later." with that he was on his way out of the city, after eating a bit of lunch.
Throwing on a Tokar, Harry had stolen from a dead master, in the colours of pink and white he morphed himself to look like a typical master. With brown eyes, crooked nose and his red-brown hair styled into the shape of ram's horns. He had a goatee as well as pink eye-liner on. Or at least it appeared as such. Looking into a mirror and being satisfied with the result Harry apparated as Zidin zo Phal towards Astrapor.
He arrived directly in an alley near the Plaza of Punishment. Like the first time he had briefly visited slave after slave was crucified at the stake with some being executed by their masters. Disobedience in any form or fashion was not tolerated. New slaves could also be seen watching terrified at the happenings. This was the first stop for any fresh slave to see the prize for disobedience.
Harry strode away under a disillusionment charm, disgusted.
All over the city were stepped pyramids, whose terraces were full of trees, vines and flowers. The streets, walls and the stepped pyramids were all made out of the same red brick, old and crumbling. The walls especially looked only a moment away from collapse. The only thing fending of armies or Dothraki hordes in taking the city regardless of their pitiful defence was the reputation of the Unsullied as living fighting machines.
The streets were largely deserted due to the heat of the sun. Only elephants were a common sight, lumbering about with latticework litters on their backs. A few women were outside on the market, guards accompanying them. They wore veils on their faces to protect them from the red brick dust, that stung when it came into the eyes as Harry found out shortly.
Like the other two slaver cities it was a place of depravity he had never seen before. On open streets slaves were mutilated for having looked in the wrong direction or at the wrong person. Even for not carrying on with work, despite being half dead on their feet. With his Occlumency fully up Harry made his way to the plaza of Plaza of Pride.
In the middle of it stood a red brick fountain with a monstrous bronze harpy statue of twenty feet height on it. Yellow water gushing out of her heavy breasts that smelled disgustingly of brimstone. Scanning the smaller plaza for someone that dealt in Unsullied he spotted a fat man with a long, oiled red and black beard standing before another one. Both wearing the traditional Tokar decorated with gold, gems and other precious things. The customer apparently shook his head and seemed to decline.
Seeing his chance Harry dropped the disillusionment and notice-me-not charm and made his way to the fat tub of lard. The only muscles he had were in the arms. 'Probably from lashing slaves!' Harry seethed mentally.
Outwards he presented a pleasant façade with his new face firmly smiling as if to greet an old friend. "Greetings, my name is Zidin zo Phal and I am in search for Unsullied. Could you point me to someone who trades with the meat I am searching?" Harry asked with a perfectly oily voice and contempt dripping from every syllable as he mentioned the Unsullied. Not in the context of doubting their powers, but at the status of them.
"You came to the correct place, my friend. I am Kraznys mo Nakloz, the best dealer of Unsullied one can find in Astrapor." the fat man who possessed bigger breasts than his wives boasted. If he was really the best was up for debate and not really important. Primarily the guy was a salesman and interested in profit above all things. So, it was natural for him to boast about his product and reputation. Only in this case the product needed little advertisement.
Repressing the urge to slit this trashes throat Harry said as if genuine. "Good, fortune was smiling down upon me then." a large false smile gracing his equally false features. "If you would be so kind to present the product to me, so that I can establish an understanding of how much more superior they are to the rest."
With that the beefy man led him to another part of the plaza. All the while blabbering about how good, obedient little dogs the Unsullied were. Harry inquired about the exact methods of training and the answer was as repulsive as the man who explained it. No wonder these men had no sense of self with nothing remaining, but obedience. It made them the perfect soldiers. However, not one of them could think outside of the box or adapt. Not to mention that the castration hindered their muscle development, though that was secondary Harry supposed.
The inspection was much like one would buy an object. Hell, one of them was even ordered to kill another, who in turn was ordered to not defend himself. Harry just so prevented that in saying it would be a waste to throw away a good and already trained dog. The venom and fire ever building behind his mask of politeness and enthusiasm of seeing people suffer.
As the tour ended Kraznys inquired "How many centuries of them do you need?" his multiple chins hidden underneath the long beard wobbling with the slightest motion. Not as bad as Yezzan, but also not very pleasant to look at.
"How many do you have?" Harry asked with a raised oily brow as he turned his head to the fatso and shortly back to the Unsullied as if he had yet to contemplate how many he wanted.
The shark-like smile on the slavers face couldn't get any larger as it stretched across the man's mouth. Like a canyon through the earth. "We have around eight-thousand at the moment. The rest is currently at war. Fighting against some upstart Lharzeen near the poison sea, where the land began to grow fertile again." it was said proudly. Probably expecting it to be a good marketing strategy, which proved true shortly after.
"When you wait a few weeks it can be thirteen-thousand. We did not have such a large number of them in a long time." however from the look he had the slaver did not expect Harry to buy so many. Maybe not even having enough gold to do so.
"That is fine." Harry waved him off, continuing. "Eight-thousand will be sufficient."
Harry could see that the man was growing a bit suspicious of him. No Ghiscari would need so many of the Unsullied. "What do you need so many of them for?" rightfully suspicious Harry couldn't reveal his real reasons and tell the man that he needed them for his manse as protection.
"I grow weary of the dried old cunts and withered cocks ruling Meereen." a cruel and insane smirk crossing his features, twisting them. "I rather make my own mark. Using the Unsullied I will be able to forge the beginning of my empire in Sothoryos." that was total and utter bullshit. Nobody sane would try that.
Well, no non-magical people at least. Harry had a few ideas for the future, but these had to wait until he had all problems near his home in order. For now to look insane and incompetent, but rich was anything this guy could hope for. Harry even accompanied his little monologue with a typical laugh.
One could clearly see the disbelief on Kraznys' face as he took in Harry's words. His features soon were schooled into a big smile, however. Like anticipated it was of no consequence whom he sold his slaves or what they did with them.
Only the prize mattered so Harry went in for the kill. "Prize does not matter! When I found and harvested the riches of Sothoryos I will have enough to last my great grandchildren!" he laughed again with the fat man joining in. Likely because he would make a killing and maybe the compulsion charm did help too. Not that Harry intended to pay at all.
The deal was made immediately. Harry would buy eight-thousand Unsullied for a chest of gems. In a few short hours all were standing on the Plaza of Pride arranged in squares, staying perfectly still. Nearby sitting on litters were the so called good masters of Astrapor. They were carried by slaves, who weren't even allowed to put the things down. But carry it on their shoulders, while kneeling. Only the thought that these bastards would die shortly stopped Harry from killing them outright.
The guy with the large breasts stood before all the unsullied with his thick arms outstretched as if he was about to hug someone. "Eight-thousand Unsullied, like promised." he said with a smile that only increased Harry's desire to gut him. Harry just nodded instead and had two constructs he had created quickly carry the trunk full of rocks forward. After all it wouldn't do for a master to carry anything at all and with it Harry blowing his disguise. The rocks would look like gems of all kinds.
He snapped his fingers and his 'slaves' opened it for the greedy eyes of the good masters. Like predicted the greed wasn't even concealed, but shown openly for all to see.
With that the deal was concluded and Kraznys handed over the whip to Harry with a grand gesture, saying. "If you happen to find good and able slaves in Sothoryos, you can send them to us and make you more Unsullied!"
It was only said in the hope to establish an even more profitable business relationship. Harry saw literally no profit for him, if her were he inclined to agree. Which he was not! He would have to fight, enslave and get all the people here to let them be trained and then even pay for them again.
Putting on his best false genuine smile Harry replied. "I'll think on it, but for now." turning to his new troops he shouted probably a bit too gleeful. "Unsullied!" his voice carrying over the whole market place, the soldiers standing straighter immediately and waiting for orders. Looking over his shoulder to the masters Harry yelled. "Kill all masters, everyone holding a whip and free the slaves from their bonds!" Hardly any time after the command was given the Unsullied did just that. The shouting and yelling of counter commands of the good masters did nothing. The Unsullied having a new master as of now.
Harry stunned one of the good masters quickly and summoned the man through his clothing. The raven-haired wizard very much doubted the man would be open to the idea of abolishing slavery. He like all of the Good Masters couldn't live in a world were they weren't on top. That sucked for him then. Either he would bow and make it so or Harry would use the Imperio on this sack of flesh permanently. Letting the man rule the city for a time until someone truly loyal could be found.
Normally such an option wouldn't even be considered by Harry, but what he saw in all their minds was beyond sick. The Imperio was a mercy on them and all around personality improvement.
The slaughter was over fairly quickly with the only defence of the city now against it. The masters only numbered in the hundreds and had no route of escape. Not bothered by the bloodshed Harry walked over in front of the whole Unsullied, who again stood in formation. "Unsullied. As of right now you are free men." Harry shouted for all to hear.