Classes had resumed after all again, exams were nearing and like usual our group wasn't stressed at all, and we went on with our usual routines. There was a strange calm to it all , the kind that comes before things change.
During that, did you know bears are actually great swimmers? Because damn, the animagus form of Victor was amazing when we were practicing with the Merpeople.
The Black Lake had become a battlefield, a training ground, and a place for growth.
The deeper we went, the darker and colder it became, until the faint glow of bioluminescent plants and structures carved into stone began to appear. The Merpeople watched us at first, silent and calculating, their silver eyes reflecting every movement.
Victor, in his bear form, cut through the water like a force of nature. Massive. Relentless. His strikes weren't just strength whereas they had rhythm now, control. Even underwater, where most would struggle, he dominated.
We finally , well, Victor in his bear form could subdue the Merking. And that wasn't a small feat.
The Merking was ancient man, so ofcourse his presence alone carried weight. His trident moved like an extension of the currents themselves. And well I could too, except obviously not in my animagus form, in my normal and yes I think I can definitely wrestle Hagrid now.
The last clash ended in a burst of currents, sand rising around us as everything stilled.
"Haha kid, you're definitely strong now, heh," I said, giving him a hand, lifting him up from one of the underwater stones which were ruins as we were fighting.
The Merking let out a deep, echoing laugh, the sound vibrating through the water itself.
"You see, I'm getting old. Merpeople do live long… very long. Guess my age."
"Uhhh… 90?"
"Hahah, you're way off, kid. It's 140."
"What the hell, sir." said Victor, earning more laughter from the Merking.
The surrounding Merpeople relaxed now, their earlier tension replaced with something closer to respect.
"Well," the Merking continued, resting his trident against the stone, "since you people have learnt most of what I could offer… I don't think you'll be coming much often now."
There was a pause. A shift in tone.
"So I would request you kids, along with those two friends of yours… to come tomorrow night for a feast."
A feast. Among Merpeople.
Me and Victor nodded and bowed as we got back to the surface, the cold water giving way to air as we emerged under the fading light.
Kathey and Elara were going great with the Centaurs too. But "great" didn't quite capture it.
Kathey's archery skills were so good now that her arrows could pierce several trees with one shot. Not just strength, precision. Every arrow felt inevitable, like it already knew where it would land.
Elara was going good with that too. But where Kathey was instinct… Elara was calculation.
The Centaurs didn't praise easily.
One of them, tall and ash-coated, had once circled Kathey before speaking:
"Your arrows do not fly… they arrive."
Kathey had just smiled.
Kathey's interaction with the Centaurs helped her use her sixth sense or intuition to the full, which she can literally know what the person is about to do in front of her. Cool as hell.
But it wasn't just ability , it was discipline. The Centaurs had forced her to trust that instinct.
Elara, meanwhile, learned silence. Movement without intent. Presence without disturbance.
The two of them didn't just train, they adapted to growth.
They walked out of the forest as we were walking back to the den. With Anubis flying with Alumnis, the lot followed us. Me and Kathey gave them some treats and they headed to the Owlery.
We four entered the den. We added something new. As the ground unveiled the stairs, at the top stairs, it was engraved— STORMBORNS.
For a moment, none of us spoke. We smiled at that and went in.
Kathey and Elara agreed to come along with us to the feast as they had also completed everything they could with the Centaurs, but in exchange we also had to come to the birth anniversary of the son of the leader of their herd.
Fair trade.
The day of the feast with the Merpeople went good… though at first we four were not expecting good food, and fun so much.
We were wrong. The moment we descended, the lake was alive.
Structures glowed faintly, currents carried music which were low, humming vibrations that felt more than heard. Merpeople gathered in numbers we hadn't seen before.
"This is… different," Victor muttered.
"It's a coronation," one of the Merpeople said, passing by. "The daughter of the Merking rises tonight."
So that is why the feast had happened.
The food was wet as hell, enclosed in some form of bubble, but when we tasted—oh god—they were magical.
Flavours we couldn't describe. Fresh, vibrant, almost alive.
"This was like the heaven of vegetarians," I muttered, taking another bite, "and not to mention we haven't even tried the seafood yet!"
Victor just stared at me. "You're enjoying this too much."
We also had some dance events, where we danced with the people. It wasn't like human dancing whereas it was almost fluid like, almost like drifting with intent.
At one point, the Merking's daughter passed by, adorned with flowing silver ornaments.
"You fought my father finally?" she said calmly, looking at us.
"Yeah… we tried, maybe I could reach you a thing or two?" Victor replied.
She smiled faintly. "Nice one .You earned this night."
In a few days the Centaur head's child was born. When me and Victor with Elara and Kathey reached the place, the Centaurs weren't so welcoming with me and Victor. Their gazes lingered, guarded.
"Heads low," Elara murmured quietly.
Gradually, we fit in.
The clearing was sacred, silent except for wind and distant movement. The sky above was clear, stars visible even in early evening.
Some sort of prayer had begun.
The Centaurs stood in a circle, their voices low, rhythmic and like the forest itself was breathing with them.
Kathey stood still. Listening. Trying to understand. We also saw the baby.
He was wrapped in jute kinda clothes, small, fragile but yet there was something ancient even in that presence.
Kathey stepped forward slowly and conjured a flower crown.
One of the elder Centaurs watched closely.
"You offer a crown of life," he said.
Kathey nodded. "And a future that listens."
After a pause, he allowed it. That alone meant acceptance.
Everything went smoothly and soon exams came.
Victor and Elara decided to take a break and just focus on the exam as they wanted to chill, after all the fun we had all year and from next year onwards everything would be a hassle as Kathey predicted.
One morning, as alone I was in the den, I heard noises. And saw none other than the one and only, second coming of Merlin.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
(Idk why I did that)
He was standing, lifting one of our heaviest weights.
Damn.
He's—strong.
"Hmm… Combat approach to magic. Definitely brilliant… and obviously interesting approach to magic—"
He turned to look at me.
Kept the weights down.
"Hope I am not bothering you, am I, young Taylen?"
"Obviously not, Professor, please have a seat," I say as I give him a seat and run to the kitchen.
Damn.
Things are escalating.
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