Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Winter Spirit P1
Harry frowned as he watched the dementor-like creatures gather in numbers. His eyes trailed to the blue-skinned creature whom he assumed to be the leader of this demonic group. For whatever reason, the creature seems unbothered by the fate of its minions.
Harry looked at Anya and her fellow sisters. He nodded at them giving tactic approval to use their magic-enforced arrows against the creatures.
Adela was the first to launch her arrows. Harry would say she was the most ambitious student under his tutelage. While not as gifted in magic as Anya, she made that up with her ability to act decisively. She was also a fast learner when it comes to runes more so than Anya. Recently, Anya has been rather focused on spells that he thought her rather than runes. So, he was not surprised Adela used her ice arrows straight at the blue-skinned leader of these dementor-like creatures.
Unlike the fire and lightning arrows, Harry designed the ice arrows for one purpose. To entrap an enemy and keep them out of any major conflict for a long period of time. Of course, being trapped inside ice for a long time will bring down the body temperature of any normal creature. It could lead to death but in this case, he doubted death by hypothermia was on the table.
Adela's arrows found their mark on the blue-skinned creature. Her arrows glowed blue before covering the creature from top to bottom in crystal clear ice which was several inches thick. The ice formed into a thirteen-foot-long square box trapping the creature safely inside. When the box fell cut off from the magic of the creature, it fell into the pond with a big splash.
Harry waited a bit to see whether the creature was going to break out but the ice remained intact. The ice box merely floated in the pond without any trouble from the creature.
'Huh! The ice worked.' Harry thought with some relief.
But, the trouble didn't end there.
The rest of the flying demons hanging back beyond the pond became agitated once their leader fell. They let out a collective loud shriek before rushing towards their position. Harry noted that his breath was leaving misty wisps as the temperature was rapidly plummeting. Not to mention, the light was getting dimmer with a strange veil of darkness settling in out of nowhere.
Anya and Kyla did not hesitate to shower the creatures with their arrows. Anya's fire arrows burned the creatures to dust while Kyla's lightning arrows shattered them into a hundred pieces. It was then that Harry noticed the creatures were animated skeletons beneath the veil of darkness covering them. Whenever Kyla's arrows struck true, the creatures would lose the black wispy veil hanging around them and bones would shower down in fine pieces.
Though the rune-enforced arrows proved to be fatal against the demonic creatures, the normal steel-tipped arrows remained wholly ineffective. A few normal arrows that managed to strike the creatures were promptly repelled by the dark veil shrouding their skeletal body. Harry stood back and observed all of this happen while he was preparing for a spell of his own. No matter the number of rune-powered arrows Anya, Kyla and Adela could launch, the sheer number of the demonic creatures were going to prevail. Not to mention the people accompanying him including his students were not accustomed to facing an enemy like these creatures.
Harry's assessment proved to be accurate when the demonic creatures began to evade the onslaught of his students. He could see the fear among the men as the creatures slipped through the assault of elements to rush towards their position. The creatures let out a shrill screech as they turned into clouds of black smoke before rushing towards them at full speed.
"Shields!" Benjen cried, cajoling everyone to close ranks as the creatures caught up to their position.
It was then Harry acted by launching the spell he was preparing. The tip of the Deathstick glowed dark red as Harry shrouded everyone under a powerful barrier.
The creatures crashed into the barrier headfirst and they burned for their efforts. The screams they let out of their mouths made it clear that the barrier was quite painful for the creatures.
Benjen stabbed his sword through the head of one of the creatures trying to slip inside the barrier. The Valyrian Steel blade unlike other normal steel managed to pierce through the dark veil shrouding the creature. It promptly shattered into a shower of bones leaving Benjen pleasantly surprised.
"Normal steel won't affect these things. Only magically enchanted weapons can destroy them." Harry said, seeing his uncle's success in ridding the creature with Frost.
"That's not good." Benjenj shouted, hacking off an offending limp that somehow managed to pierce through the barrier. "How long can you keep up whatever it is you are doing?"
"Don't worry. I have a plan. Just give me more time." Harry shouted over the screeching demonic creatures trying to break through.
"We should not have come to this place."
Harry heard someone cry as more and more creatures began to cover the barrier from all sides testing out its defences. Though intimidated by the persistence of these creatures, Harry kept his cool as the next spell he was planning required close proximity. He wanted the creatures close by so that they can be eliminated en masse. He knew from experience it was a bad idea to fight the inferius one by one. The best way to destroy them is to destroy them collectively.
For that, Harry needed them all in one place.
Looking around the dome-shaped barrier he saw a veil of darkness wrapping around the barrier with skeletal hands clawing away at it in a frenzy. In some areas, the barrier was getting breached but not to a dangerous extent. Wherever there was a breach, Benjen was there swinging Frost hacking off the offending limbs of the creatures.
As minutes passed by the assault on the barrier intensified with more and more creatures trying their best to slip in but to no avail. All around the barrier, the skeletal figures screeched and clawed with no speck of light visible to their eyes. It was as if a shroud of darkness was surrounding them. Harry had to summon specks of light to keep the visibility intact.
"Nephew! If you are planning to do something, now is the time." Benjen shouted, holding a scared Jon close by protectively.
Raising the Deathstick high in the air, Harry gathered his magic as he launched one of the powerful fire spells in his arsenal.
'Incendio procella.'
Harry drew a circle with the Elder Wand and a firestorm formed outside the barrier swiftly consuming the inferius creatures. The creatures tried to flee but Harry was careful to trap them between the barrier and the firestorm.
Besides, it was too late to make an escape. The firestorm spell was specifically designed to deal with inferi. The spell chased down any inferi that try to flee. This is why Harry preferred the firestorm spell over Fiendfyre. Fiendfyre can always go out of control and destroy everything in its path. The firestorm spell on the other hand seeks out only Necromantic constructs even if the wizard loses control over the spell.
However, that doesn't mean there were problems with the spell. Harry felt the effects of the firestorm spell when it became difficult to breathe. The air was getting hotter as well as the fire twisting around the barrier was only strengthening by consuming more and more of the demonic creatures. Harry quickly conjured a wide-area bubblehead charm that allowed everyone to breathe properly.
The relief was palpable in everyone's faces as the bubblehead charm took effect. The oppressive feeling of air getting thicker and hotter disappeared altogether as Harry's magic enveloped the whole group in a protective bubble.
Harry noticed that everyone was looking at him with wide eyes and perhaps a hint of fear. Sure, he had shown his magical powers before but he had never shown that he could control a volatile element like fire so easily. Not to mention, his show of power over the demonic creatures must have also played a part in highlighting the dangerous element of his power.
'Muggles. Always the same. The fear for the unknown is the same even in another world.' Harry thought.
He jabbed his wand sharply in the air dismissing the firestorm spell. The ground was littered with ash and some charred remains of the demonic creatures. Some half-burnt bones were also there smoking in the grass. Other than that, there was no sign of the creatures to be seen.
"They are gone." said Benjen, relief palatable on his face.
After making sure there were no threats left standing, Harry dismissed the barrier surrounding the group. The rich green grass on the ground was now charred black. There were isolated fires here and there burning brightly lighting up the hill. Harry was quick to use the Aguamenti charm not wanting the fires to spread and cause a forest fire. Sharp jets of water shot out from the tip of Harry's wand snuffing out the flames. He also used vanishing spells to banish the charred remains of the dementor-wannabees. After all, leaving the remains of cursed magic lying around was not advisable. Necromantic magic tends to regenerate in magically saturated places. So, Harry was insistent on removing all paths for these creatures to possibly resurrect by absorbing the natural magic of Skane.
The awe and fear in the eyes of the group didn't recede. However, most of that got directed back at the floating ice cube in the pond. Inside the ice, the frozen body of the blue-skinned creature lay motionless.
"It's a White Walker. We should kill it before it turns us all into wights."
Harry heard someone say. It didn't take long for everyone to float the same opinion. He was a bit sceptical about the claim. Nonetheless, he used the levitation charm to pull the ice cube out of the pond. The ice cube containing the blue-skinned creature fell to the ground with a distinct thud.
Benjen tapped the ice with his foot and waited a minute to see whether there was any movement from the creature. The blue-skinned creature remained frozen inside the ice to everyone's relief.
"So, what will we do with this thing?" Benjen asked.
Everyone looked at the iced creature and then at Harry.
Harry shrugged and let out a yawn. All that magic he used was making him tired.
"That thing is not going anywhere. The sun is going down. We better make camp and deal with it come morning."
Not everyone was happy with the suggestion but Harry assured them that he can keep the creature locked inside the ice with his magic. His assurance pacified some and his uncle also made arrangements to keep guard over the creature.
Of course, Harry had another motive for keeping the creature alive. The creature was a humanoid and an immortal. He gathered the creature holds a treasure trove of knowledge in its mind. Also, he doubted this was the famed Winter Spirit the Skaggs mentioned. Something else was here and he wanted to know everything about this island.
XXXXXXX
"Harrion the Smith, Harrion the Blessed, Harrion the Gifted. What'll be the next monikers, I wonder? Harrion the Many-named?" Olenna wondered aloud as she brushed her granddaughter's hair.
A snort of laughter came from her granddaughter, Margery.
"You sound like Loras. He is so jealous of Harrion Stark for being the favourite topic of discussion rather than his prowess in the training yard."
Oleanna rolled her eyes.
"Your brother is an idiot. All he thinks about is being a knight and daydreaming of winning tourneys." Olenna complained.
"Is it true what they say? Does the Starks have magic?" asked Margery.
Olenna could hear the wonder and excitement in her innocent granddaughter's query. Perhaps, there was even a tint of hope that the rumours of magic were real. She was not surprised by the way her granddaughter's mind sought out the mystic element like a vulture. It was standard behaviour among all children who grew up with stories of dragons and especially the mythical Garth Greenhand. All Tyrell children aspired to be Garth Greenhand in their own way.
The Seven knows her own son fancied himself a great warrior and ruler when he was anything as such. Sure, Mace was competent in his own ways but he was no knight or a strategist. Her son was fortunate enough to have built alliances among the powerful Houses of the Reach. His competency lies in wooing guests with lavish parties and pampering words as evident by her son successfully wooing Renly Baratheon to accept Loras as a Squire.
"My dear, magic died long ago in the flames of Doom."
"But, the Targaryens and their dragons survived."
"All the dragons are dead, aren't they?" Olenna asked, holding back a chuckle seeing her granddaughter pout.
"Maybe there is a dragon in the North." Margery claimed.
Olenna shook her head.
"There are no dragons and there is no magic. The Northerners are a superstitious lot. They make up fanciful stories to escape the boredom of living in that cold wintery place they call home." said Olenna.
"I wouldn't be so sure grandmother."
Her eyes found the brown eyes of her eldest grandson, Willas. How the boy ever came out of her son's loins, she didn't know. But, she thanked the Seven for this small miracle. At least, there was one Tyrell with a good head on his shoulders should she pass away. He was clever, dutiful and a well-read man capable of shouldering the responsibilities as the Lord of Highgarden. She was sure he'd make a fine lord in the future.
The only fault she could see with her eldest grandson was his leg. She blamed Mace for the injury that crippled her favourite grandson.
"Now, don't just stand there. Take a seat and share your thoughts with this old lady."
Olenna watched her grandson take his seat on a nearby chair setting aside his cane. She motioned with her hand for Willas to speak.
"It'd seem rumours coming from the Westerlands and the North are not without their merit. Maester Lomys just received a raven from the Citadel confirming the validity of the rumours. The Starks have rediscovered the secrets behind Valyrian Steel."
Olenna laughed and shook her head.
"Come now Willas. Do you think you could fool your grandmother?"
"I'm not joking grandmother. Look, we even received a formal invite from the Iron Bank to participate in the auction for a Valyrian Steel artefact made by Harrion Stark." said Willas, offering a scroll with a broken seal that looked authentic on a cursory look from Olenna.
"You are telling me a boy of Margery's age somehow managed to unearth the secrets of Valyrian Steel when even wise Maesters of the Citadel have failed for hundreds of years."
"Yes, grandmother." Willas answered, even though he also found the whole situation ridiculous.
"So, the rumours that King Robert has supposedly been gifted a magical warhammer made of Valyrian Steel only he can lift is also true?" she asked incredulously.
"I'm afraid so, grandmother. We'll surely know more once father and Garlan return from Lord Lannister's tourney."
Oleanna leaned back on the couch gaping like a fish while her granddaughter began excitedly making up all nonsensical stories of dragons and magic hidden in the North. The sheer possibility that this revelation once becoming a well-known fact was not lost on Olenna. The wealth, prestige and power of House Stark would surge to unseen levels once word spreads.
Still, she couldn't wrap her head around this emerging player in the game. Oh, there was no doubt this Harrion Stark was now a player in the game. Eddard Stark just made his son a powerful figure in the game whether it was intentional or not. If she had any control she'd have kept the lad a secret until he was of a proper age to keep the vultures away.
Just how did a boy so young manage to unearth the secrets of Valyrian Steel? Especially when the Stark bloodline has never been blessed with Valyrian blood. At least, she was sure no such union has ever taken place.
"Willas be a dear and send for Maester Lomys. I suddenly find myself in need of his knowledge on the bloodline of Starks."
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