Chapter 9: Powers Transcending Time

Snape and McGonagall were having tea with Professor Dumbledore in the headmaster's office. Noticing the troubled look on the aged wizard's face Snape asked him

"What troubles you Albus?"

Dumbledore looked at his potion master and gave a soft sigh and replied after a moment.

"Perseus"

"What about Black" Snape enquired. The revelation about Perseus Black has surprised him too and he couldn't help but feel sad for the said boy. Dumbledore put his cup back on the table and then said

"Nothing in particular , just worried about the future and thinking how he would turn out to be, you of all people should know this Severus that being betrayed by your loved ones is bound to leave a mark on his psyche , and in the case of powerful wizards like Perseus , the consequences could be dire for others too."

After listening to this a bewildered McGonagall asked Dumbledore.

"What are you saying Albus"

"I have seen how cases like this turn out to be Minerva, and I can't help but compare Perseus to another boy I once knew."

After a brief moment of confusion, understanding dawned upon her and she exclaimed and said in a condescending tone

"You can't believe that Albus, just because he is a Black and is in Slytherin does not mean he will turn out like HIM"

Minerva intentionally avoided saying 'his' name and Dumbledore looked at her and said

"It has nothing to do with him being a Black or his house, but the circumstance surrounding him and his skills . And above all what worries me is his desire to prove himself. I am-"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking as the temperature dropped drastically and thunder started rumbling outside, they all got up and looked outside the window and what they saw shocked them. Massive clouds loomed above the castle and within seconds it started raining.

"What is it, it's as if the clouds have a mind of their own, who can do such magic "McGonagall asked as she looked at Dumbledore.

Snape too looked at Dumbledore, who looked confused at first but then realization dawned upon him and his expression changed to one that the potion master has never associated with the powerful warlock.

FEAR.

"No no no, it can't be, they are supposed to be extinct" Albus Dumbledore whispered frantically and looked at the pearch where a baby phoenix was resting.

'fwakes won't be able to help in this state' he thought and then Dumbledore quickly dashed towards the door and called out to McGonagall

"Minerva get in contact with the DMLE and tell Amelia Bones that I have asked her to send as many aurrors as she can to Hogwarts and to tell them to be prepared for the most dangerous fight of their life."

McGonagall nodded after a moment as she was alarmed at hearing fear laced tone of Dumbledore and moved towards the floo.

Snape followed Dumbledore who was making his way towards the ground and he was surprised to see the speed with which Albus moved. And within minutes they were in the ground thanks to all the shortcuts and secret passages and soon the rest of the staff joined them.

By now the weather had become extremely harsh, torrents of rain poured upon them. One after another bolts of lightning struck the ground and Snape was surprised to notice that the ancient wards of Hogwarts were not able to block those attacks.

Soon enough McGonagall joined them and along with her came Amelia bones with a force of 3 dozen aurrors . Snape recognized most of them; kingsley, Dawlish , Potter. They assessed the situation for a few seconds after which Amelia gave a command and all the aurrors raised their wands and conjured shields, their shields merged with each other's and formed a thick golden dome around them.

But then came a massive bolt of lightning which tore through the dome like a knife through butter and most of the aurrors buckled under the strain and were rendered unconscious. Only half a dozen aurrors were able to get up again.

Albus Dumbledore stood tall and roared, his voice somehow magically amplified

"If you are to attack , then first reveal yourself"

As if to answer his challenge, a massive part of the dark clouds descended and moved towards them. Lightening dance around it. It made a steep dive towards them and knocked all of them over.

And it happened again, but only this time Snape, Dumbledore and Kingsley somehow managed to keep standing and fired curses at the massive form of cloud but it was all useless. It was like trying to put out fiendfire with a bucket of water.

The form of the cloud then flew upwards and settled around at the top of the astronomy tower and after a moment clouds dissipated and what they all saw left them in fear and awe. They were all stunned at the sight in front of them

There stood at the top of the astronomy tower an avian, the size of a baby dragon, covered in white feathers, flashes of lightning crackling over its wings, never darting away from them. Two curled horns stood out from its crown, and its long beak was filled with razor-sharp teeth

It's body was glowing with an eerie blue glow which gave him a majestic aura. It's large Black eyes looked at them all and they were all stunned, for they were looking at a magical creature that has only been spoken of in ancient legends.

A THUNDERBIRD

It fired a massive lightning bolt from its horns at Dumbledore, Dumbledore raised a translucent silver shield which absorbed most of the power behind the attack yet a diminished bolt of lightning hit Dumbledore and knocked him out.

Severus looked at the majestic creature in front of him and regarded it as destruction and power personified. But seeing Dumbledore unconscious angered Snape and he lashes out at the thunderbird.

"sectumsempra "

He yelled out but he was surprised when the avian blocked the curse with his wing.

The thunderbird then screeched and everyone fell to their knees and clutched their heads in agony. Except Severus Snape . He somehow understood why the thunderbird was here

'It is searching for someone'

He utilized every ounce of his ocullemency skills and looked at the thunderbird defiantly and said

"Whoever you are looking for, is not here"

The powerful creature must have somehow realized that too as it took flight and flew away from Hogwarts, leaving chaos and destruction behind

'I feel sorry for whoever this beast is looking for' Snape thought as he went to help those who have fallen unconscious.

"So tell me Perseus, how was your term at Hogwarts "Arcturus asked as they entered his chambers. They had arrived in Oceania an hour ago. It was a small island city with the royal castle at the west side. Perseus already knew a lot about Oceania, like; the wizards of Oceania attended Archnae institute of magic in Alexandria. And that Oceania has laws which made it mandatory for every able witch and wizard to go through the training and serve for a term of three years in the imperial army.

"It was well, better than what I expected" Perseus said and Alistair and Adamastos too entered behind them. Arcturus thought about the encounter between them.

The moment Alistair had seen Adamastos standing beside Perseus he had lounged at him and knocked him in the nearby pillar breaking it in the process . But with speed that almost made the elder vampire a blur , he attacked Alistair . And he would have ripped his heart out too had Alistair not apparated away and immediately stab the elder vampire in the back through his heart. But true to the legends , the elder vampire was truly immortal, as he had simply taken the blade out and would have killed Alistair had Perseus not commanded them both to stop .

At the end both the ancient vampires had made piece when it was revealed that they were on the same side . Arcturus was still baffled as to how Perseus was able to make such a powerful entity subservient to him.

'I will ask him later' he thought and he was broken out of his musings when his grandson said something

"Well did you hear about Busirius "Perseus asked Arcturus as he, Arcturus and Alistair and Adamastos sat in their respective seats in Arcturus's study.

"Aah yes , I did hear that Busirius has taken the princes of Velos city as his apprentice, what about it"

"What about it?" Perseus exclaimed and then asked again

"Aren't you worried that Busirius will use the resources of Velos against you in the future , this will tilt the balance of power in the favor of Velos" Perseus said

"I know child, but there is nothing I can do?" Arcturus replied

"But what is the reason behind his amnesty towards you grandfather" Perseus asked softly

Arcturus looked at Perseus for a moment and then gave a tired sigh and closed his eyes. And after a moment he snapped open his eyes and said

"There was a time my child when Busirius and I were good friends, when we studied together; we shared everything. I am not ashamed to admit that Busirius was a tad more skilled than me when it came to magic , although not as powerful as Grindlewald . He was powerful and I was lagging behind in my lessons. It was then that Busirius helped me and I made a promise to him that everything I have will be his too, just like he has shared his knowledge with me I will share my resources with him."

"When I became the heir to the house of Black, Busirius came forth and asked me to fulfill my promise of sharing my wealth with him and demanded half of the wealth of the house of Black."

Arcturus Black stopped for a moment took a sip from his firewhiskey while Alistair and Perseus waited patiently.

"I still remember that night, there was a gala hosted at our manor in my honor and it was then Busirius made his entry, accompanied by his wife .Every pureblood elite of England and some of other countries too were there. They laughed at Busirius , all of them , even my family members. My grandfather, the then lord Black ordered him to get off the property and called him a beggar and a vagabond. Busirius looked at me for any sort of support but I couldn't offer him any ."

Arcturus Black then gave Perseus a pleading look and said in a desperate tone

"You have to understand Perseus, I was young back then, I was brash and I was a fool and above all I was under a lot of scrutiny and pressure and I too ridiculed Busirius for taking a promise made in childhood this seriously. And I regret what I did till this day for you see Perseus"

Arcturus here gave Perseus a hard look and then said again

"The worst wound that can be inflicted upon a warrior is to his self esteem, and Busirius swore that day that he would take vengeance upon me. When I became the ruler of Oceania, it increased his hatred for me and he vowed that he would take everything from me."

Perseus listened patiently when finally Perseus spoke

"He couldn't fight you directly because the students of Aristaeus don't fight amongst themselves and also he would have been labeled as a criminal if he did. So what is he hoping for, to train the princes of Velos city and make them fight you."

"Most probably yes, because the princes of Velos will be backed by the resources as well as the army of Velos " Arcturus said

"And that's alarming news, we have to counter them" Perseus said but before he could speak further Alistair asked

"I am at loss as to how "

"Akram" Perseus said

"Akram? What about him, he seemed like a strong wizard but I doubt he would be able to fight Busirius or any other student of Aristaeus " Arcturus said as a matter of fact.

"Yes you are right, he can't now, but if you train him, then he surely can "Perseus said and Arcturus was about to say something but Perseus didn't let him

"No no, listen grandfather, Busirius cut his arms off, there must have been a reason behind this action of Busirius , and I think that reason was that Busirius must have considered Akram stronger and better than his apprentices . If you were to train him then yes he would be able counter Busirius, "

"I have never taken an apprentice Perseus, I am not a teacher" Arcturus said

"you taught me and I am sure Akram would be an amazing student, please grandfather , he deserves it, he has lost a lot due to Busirius's action, please take him as your apprentice

Arcturus pondered for a few minutes before he said

"Very well then I will take him as my apprentice "

"But do you really think that they would be able to fight Oceania, I mean the army of Oceania is one of the strongest army in Europe "Adamastos asked the Black lord to which he replied

"yes but every pack needs an alpha and every army needs a commander, when I was young I was able to command the army as well as oversee the administrative work together , but I have gotten old now, my strength is fading. Also don't forget that if we fight Velos we will also be fighting Aristrodemos, and he is a fearsome warrior and I alone won't be able to fight him"

Aristrodemos is old too , his strength must me fading too" Perseus stated

"He is a warrior , my child . and one should always fear a old man in a profession where men die young" Arcturus answered

"You are not alone lord Black, Perseus is alongside you and with him, I. Surely that should suffice" Adamastos said .

"Yes, an elder vampire you are but don't forget Aristaeus once defeated an elder vampire, who is to say that his student won't be able to do the same" Arcturus countered.

"You are right off course, then why haven't you scoured for a commander yet" Adamastos asked to which Alistair replied

"We can't think of anyone who has the potential of leading an army as big as that of Oceania "

"You are right off course; there would be two disciples of Aristaeus on their side so that is what we need. A student of Aristaeus on our side." It was Perseus who said that

"If you are talking about Albus Dumbledore my child, then let me tell you he won't be able to help us , for he is bound to the united isles by his post of the chief warlock. And let me tell you one thing, the ministry will not even lift a finger to help Oceania ." Arcturus said in a very grave tone

"I did not mean Dumbledore "

This caused both Arcturus and Alistair to look at Perseus in shock

"No not him" Arcturus said to which Perseus replied

"But why not , he is the right person, he was the only one who came close to what Aristaeus had achieved. Aristaeus had defeated every nation in Europe and some of Asia and Grindalwald was the only one who almost conquered Europe. He built an army from nothing and brought almost every nation in the continent to their knees."

"Are you even listening to yourself Perseus, he was labeled as the strongest dark lord before Voldemort." Arcturus said

"But you said it yourself once, in his time in nurmengaurd he showed remorse and also if he wanted to escape he could have definitely been able to escape the prison he built himself, don't you think" Perseus replied in a pleading tone

"But i-"

"Perseus, I agree with Lord Black. Dark lord Grindlewald was a very dangerous wizard but I also cannot refute your point that he is the best candidate for the commander of the army of Oceania" Alistair said

"But who is to say he won't turn against us " Arcturus asked Alistair

"We will find a solution to that too" Perseus assured him

"And how exactly would you get him out of prison child " Arcturus asked Perseus , to which he replied after a few moments

"Well you told me that once; just a few years after his defeat you offered him freedom, a second chance. How were you going to do that?"

"Well that was then, I was at the height of my power, I could get him out of prison and keep ICW at bay but it's not the same now" Arcturus Black said

"I can get him out of prison, it would take some time, about a month but I can" Adamastos said

"Don't you think people will recognize him, " Arcturus asked

"I have the answer to all of those problems. I got a plan, but first I have to talk to him , convince him to join our side and for that I will have to visit nurmengaurd " Perseus said

But before they could talk any further the portrait hanging on the wall behind Alistair , which was blank by now was occupied by a lady which said

"Lord Black, three people are waiting outside your chamber, and they wish to speak to you, one of them is Tyler the other introduced themselves as Akram and Lelantos "

"Let them in" Arcturus said

"Lord Black , this Tyler guy , I get a weird vibe from him, I can't put my finger on what it is but my gut tells me to be wary of him" Adamastos said to which Arcturus just smiled and said

"Funny, that is exactly what Tyler said about you and he doesn't even know who you are"

They were joined by the three of them and Perseus waved his wand and conjured 3 more comfortable looking chairs and the three took their seats all the while Perseus was looking at his wand strangely. Everyone else noticed this and Arcturus inquired about it

"What is it Perseus, I am sure it is indeed your own wand"

"Yes but, when I conjured these chairs, my wand vibrated, and it felt a bit off."Perseus said and after a moment put his wand in his hostler

'My wand has been acting weird for a few days , I will have to talk with Silas about it' Perseus thought and then looked at Akram and said

"Akram my friend, I have a good news for you, grandfather has agreed to train you "

A look of disbelief crossed his face and he looked at Arcturus Black who smiled softly and nodded in affirmation to which Akram said

"I am honored, lord Black, I give you my words I will be a great student"

"I know you will child, but first you need to get a wand, Tyler" he said and looked at Tyler and spoke again

"Please take Akram to Mr. Ollivander and get him a wand, your training starts tomorrow child"

With that both Akram and Tyler left and then Perseus turned towards Lelantos and said

"I have one more job for you Lelantos ; I want you to find someone"

"very well Mr. Black, tell me all you know about that person, like where he was born or his age, anything would be helpful" Lelantos replied to which Perseus replied after a brief look sadness came across his face

"I don't know where he was born, all I know is that six years ago he was in England and his age must be in his early twenties by now. But what I am about to tell you about him is very vital. There is something special about this wizard, he is a nullifier but what's special about him is that whenever he is in peril, a pitch Black would appear around him and cover him" so engrossed in regaling about that wizard that Perseus did not notice the look of recognisation on Lelantos 's face

"And his name is-"Perseus was saying but Lelantos spoke

"Alexander "

Perseus looked at Lelantos with surprise and then asked

"How did you know, have you met him?"

"Yes I have met him Mr. Black, because strangely enough you are not the first person to look for him, and yes six years ago I did encounter him in England and I tried to confront him, but he escaped and fled." Lelantos said and then continued speaking

"2 months later I cornered him in Germany, I attacked him; I threw my spear at him. It was a magical appear, goblin-made and hence unbreakable but before the spear could reach him suddenly out of nowhere a Black Armour appeared around him and covered his chest and torso. The spear made impact with his torso and my spear broke into two pieces. But that was not the end of it, for I could feel the magic of that armor from it's aura, because power was literally leaving my body and within moments I was on my knees and I felt like a regular mortal"

The description that wizard shocked everyone and Perseus then asked Lelantos

"Who had asked you to look for Alexander?"

"A woman from Moria, her name was Isabelle" he answered

"Very well first of all I want you to find that woman, and then take me to her, I wish to speak with her then continue with your search for Alexander "Perseus told him

"Yes Mr. Black" Lelantos said and with that he took his leave and it was then that Arcturus asked Perseus

"Who is this Alexander?"

Perseus looked at Arcturus for a moment and then said in a very soft tone

"I met him when I was in the orphanage, he saved my life and he is the reason I was alive when you found me, he came in my life and made me see the sun where I once only saw clouds. He believed in me so much that I started believing in myself too." Here Perseus paused and gave a sad smile and then continued speaking

"He took care of me and taught me the basics of magic; he was extremely good at magic. He was from Velos too. He is the reason why I have such amazing control over my magic. He was looking for his parents and he spotted me when I was being bullied by some children. Then one day he just vanished, till now his leaving has puzzled me until now, it must have been Lelantos who chased him away."

Arcturus Black absorbed this information then looked at the surprised elder vampire and asked him.

"You look surprised Adamastos" Arcturus asked to which he replied

"Yes I most certainly am surprised, you see nullifiers are extremely rare. There have been 25 siphoners in the last 1600 years while there have been only 4 praesdium. One of them was Diana herself. But never ever have there been two praesdium at the same time, it's a very rare talent"

"ohh " was all Perseus said

"I just hope Lelantos is able to find Alexander and maybe that Maria woman would be able to tell me something"

"I am sure Lelantos will, he is after all one of the best trackers in the world" Adamastos assured Perseus.

"So Perseus what are your plans for the vacations" Arcturus Black asked trying to change the topic .

"Well I have to train, as much as I can ,this tournament is going to be tough that is why I came here "Perseus replied

"Well in Oceania you can practice magic that is frowned upon or banned by the ministry" Arcturus said

"You mean the dark arts" Perseus inquired to which Arcturus replied

"no not just dark arts Perseus, there are other branches of magic too , for instance the blood ritual we did to make you a member of the house of Black , that's blood magic it is frowned upon in England "

"Lord Black is right, you should also practice with your nullifying powers" Adamastos said which caused Perseus to look at him with a blank expression as if the vampire has spoken in mermerish , which was surprising since Perseus knew mermerish

"What are you talking about "Perseus asked to which Adamastos said

"You probably don't know about the branch of magic that only a nullifier can use"

"No, unfortunately my knowledge about nullifiers is very limited" he said

"ohh good for you then , Diana was pretty good with her nullifiying powers , she once fought a wizard who had exceptional control over fiendfire, Diana the created a magical dome around her and that absorbed the fiendfire completely ." Adamastos said

"amazing" Arcturus said and Alistair said again

"everything Diana has written down is in a safe location, I will bring it to you"

"thank you Adam and-" but before Perseus could say anything the lady in the potrait spoke again .

"Lord Black , there is a messenger with some news"

"Let him in" Arcturus said

The messenger entered and addressed the lord Black

"My lord I have some disturbing news, just about an hour ago, a thunderbird was spotted in the forest around Romania. it unleashed massive storms, and caused a lot of destruction .We are to believe that it is the same thunderbird that attacked Hogwarts this morning ."

"Very well, you may take your leave Roy" Arcturus Black said as the messenger left

"It's really curious that a magical creature that was lost to time and considered to be extinct would come out in open like this" Alistair said

"But more curious are its movements "Arcturus said

"What do you mean by that" Perseus asked and Arcturus replied

"Well first Hogwarts, then Romania, it looks like the thunderbird is looking for someone and is somehow able to track its prey's movement"

"Who do you think it is tracking" Arcturus asked as Perseus and Adamastos shared a look, recognizing the pattern in the thunderbird's target .

"Me" Perseus replied

"But why" Adamastos and Arcturus asked at the same time but Perseus didn't replied he just held his wand and looked at it in wonder

"The core of your wand has something to with thunderbird, isn't it" Adamastos asked which caused Arcturus to look at Perseus's wand in wonder and then he said

"That means, its next target would be"

But before anyone could say anything The light of the morning sun that had been streaming in through window suddenly dimmed, as if someone had put a tarp over it. High in the sky above the City of Oceania, something moved. Wisps of white sped through the sky so quickly that Perseus could follow their path as they streaked by each other. In the distance, vast cloudbanks approached like floating mountain ranges. The wind chilled noticeably, and Perseus shivered at the bizarre sensation as the air rushed in. It felt strange, fluid, even tingly on his skin.

"It's here "Perseus said

"Won't the wards of Oceania be able to keep it at bay" Alistair asked

"I don't think so, even the wards of Hogwarts couldn't stop him " Arcturus said as they made their way towards the massive balcony and what they saw shocked them

Perseus gulped as roiling clouds coalesced into a massive bank of seething rage; tendrils of twisting wind lanced down towards the ground, lightning crackling between the small tornadoes as the rain picked up. Thunder echoed through the sky, and a sudden bolt of lightning impacted a few kilometres away, only a portent.

And Perseus then looked at Adamastos and was surprised by the look in the elder vampire's eyes.

Fear

Then Perseus looked closely and he could barely make out the shape of the cause of all this chaos. the beast had merged well with the clouds, clouds were forming wherever it went and lightning was leaving its body and that lightning was striking the city below.

And suddenly, out of nowhere three massive tornadoes had built up along with 4 maelstroms in the sea.

Perseus knew at that moment what he had to do. He knew the thunderbird was here because of him and was seeking him out. He dashed out of the royal castle and made his way towards the city. The destruction caused was massive, within moments the entire city of Oceania was reduced to ruins. And it was then that a screech echoed and Perseus fell to his knees in fear. For the first time in so many years , fear gripped his heart.

He looked around him, the coliseum was destroyed, The market place was ablaze in fire. The people had taken shelter under the ruins of the buildings. And they were all frightened. The soldiers were firing in the sky but it bore no result. As powerful as the soldiers of Oceania were, but this instant they were facing an opponent way out of there league.

Slowly, Perseus stood, staring up into the sky. He could hear its cries, now, cutting through the storm – sharp and piercing, in between the low rumbles of thunder. He raised his wand – a simple burst of light, would guide it to him.

The huge Thunderbird that swooped down from the dark clouds was magnificent, easily thrice the size of a thestral, and covered head to toe in bright feathers, almost white. It landed with slow flaps, flashes of lightning crackling over its wings, never darting away from them. Two curled horns stood out from its crown, and its long beak was filled with razor-sharp teeth; it was a male, Perseus guessed.

Its body was glowing with an eerie blue glow which gave him a majestic aura. Its large Black eyes looked at Perseus as if assessing his worth. It was then that suddenly a bit of lightening gathered between the tips of its horns and Perseus realized what was going to happen.

But he couldn't act and suddenly a massive bolt of lightning raced towards him and just as it was about to impact him something intercepted the bolt.

Adamastos had intercepted the bolt and was lying on the ground, unconscious. It was enough to get Perseus out of his stupor. Perseus summoned his sword.

The moment the stygian iron blade appeared the temperature dropped even further. Perseus was expecting that the thunderbird would be afraid of the stygian iron blade. But apparently it was not so, as just then came another bolt of lightning and Perseus raised his sword to intercept it.

What happened next shocked him, his sword, which was considered by Silas as the best sword he had ever seen; it shattered into pieces. Now this angered Perseus. In his rage he pulled out his wand and conjured a fire whip and madly slashed it at the thunderbird. But the fire whip fizzled out just as it made contact with the beast. But that was not the end of Perseus's rage and he yelled

"crucio"

A bolt of red light sailed towards the thunderbird but it didn't yield the desired result, Perseus could see that it was about to fire another bolt of lightening and Perseus readied himself and yelled

"Magna Tonitrus"

The two bolts of lightening collided in the middle and Perseus's wand was vibrating violently but he held tight. And it was then that Perseus realized what it was all about.

It was a battle of will. The thunderbird was assessing whether he was worthy of using it's feather as his wand's core or not. And Perseus was determined to prove his dominance in the battle of will. He utilized every ounce of power he had and poured it into his spell,

The two massive bold of lightening grew in intensity , and just as both the attacks reached their maximum, both the lightening bolts vanished. Perseus looked at the thunderbird in amazement and was standing just by his sheer will.

And then the storm died down, the clouds parted and sunlight graced the city. The thunderbird took flight and midair it shrank and became the size of an overgrown turkey and flew towards him. Perseus raised his right arm and it landed on his arm.

Perseus looked at the powerful avian perched on his hand and stared into its eyes. And then said

"Thank you"

The thunderbird cried out again but instead of unleashing an aura and spreading a feeling of fear, that screech somehow made him feel rejuvenated.

People who had taken shelter in the ruins of the buildings started coming out in open and one by one they went on their knees and bowed to Perseus . When one of them said in a loud voice.

"All hail Prince Perseus Aeries Black, the lord of storms ."

And they all started chanting his name.

Lily potter smiled softly as she helped Andromeda in the kitchen. Andromeda has thrown a surprise party for iris on her first birthday. Only a few guests were invited, the longbottoms, remus, Amelia and Minerva.

She had gotten to know about the attack of a thunderbird on Hogwarts and was as surprised as everyone when she got to know what had transpired in the morning. Even Albus Dumbledore , one of the strongest wizard in Europe could not defeat it and was knocked out. He had gained consciousness after four hours.

She was extremely glad that James was fine. She was indeed happy to celebrate her daughter's birthday but a part of her was sad that Perseus was not a part of this celebration. He had not even written her back.

She then took a glass of butterbear and handed it to McGonagall and said

"Are you all right Minerva?"

"Yeah, just a bit shaken up" she replied as she took a sip of her drink

"We all are" Lily said

"Yeah I have never felt so afraid and so weak in my entire life, it was terrifying , it was like looking at destruction and power personified . And it's screech, it was terrible" Amelia said with a shudder as she joined in just when the floo flared up and Kingsley Shakelbolt stepped out. He moved and the troubled look on his face worried Lily.

"What happened kingsley, why are you so tense" Amelia asked just as James, Remus , Nymphadora and Augusta gathered around

Kingsley looked around for a moment and then looked at Amelia and said

"It is very troubling news boss"

"Just say it shack" James said and after a moment he said

"The thunderbird that attacked Hogwarts this morning and Romania some time later, it had also attacked the city of Oceania, the entire city is in ruins"

A gasp left lily and she could help but think of Perseus the moment Oceania was mentioned

'I hope Perseus was not there' she thought to herself but Tonks destroyed her hopes when she said

"Oh Merlin, Perseus is in Oceania, is there any news about him, is he all right" she asked in genuine worry

"And what about Arcturus , is he all right" Andromeda asked

"Yes they are fine, and the people of Oceania are grateful that Black was there" kingsley said and upon receiving confused looks from every one he elaborated

"Perseus Black has defeated that thunderbird but that is not all, the rumors are that he has even tamed that beast, they are calling him the Black Prince , the lord of storms"

"Amazing" Andromeda said," three dozen aurrors along with the staff of Hogwarts with Dumbledore as the spearhead could not defeat it and Perseus was able to not only defeat it but also tame it., I must say he is an extremely powerful wizard"

Lily potter could not help but feel proud of Perseus .

'My son is making a name for himself' she thought to herself

"so, Perseus you called for me" Adamastos asked as he entered Perseus's chambers or one of the only room which could still be used after Zeus's attack . Perseus stood against the window, his back towards Alistair. Perseus didn't turn to greet Adamastos, after a few seconds he just said.

"Yes, Adam, there is something I have to tell you, but before that ,did you get what I asked for?"

"Yes " he replied. It was then that Perseus turned and faced Adamastos and Perseus's condition shocked him. It was like Perseus has not slept for days, blood red eyes, untidy hair, he was wearing a pajama and a shirt only. Perseus was about to say something but Adamastos beat him to it.

"When was the last time you slept "

"My sleeping schedule is not what I wanted to talk about when I called for you Adamastos "Perseus replied, evading his question

"Yes but, you have locked yourself in your chambers for a month now, studying Diana's work, Perseus everyone is worried , specially your grandfather, " he said

"Yes I know, but it's too exciting, I mean Diana's knowledge of magic was enormous, and I have learnt more magic in these four weeks than I had in my entire life and the knowledge Diana had about nullifiers , I would never have discovered it on my own " Perseus said and that was saying something since Perseus considered his knowledge of magic vast since he had Voldemort's knowledge and has also learn a lot from his grandfather .

"But that doesn't mean you can ignore your health Perseus, "

"aah don't worry about, even regularly I would need to sleep for maximum four hours, so what if I didn't sleep properly for a month, it was worth it " Perseus said and before Adamastos could say anything he continued

"Anyway the reason I called you here is to discuss about a very serious matter"Perseus said in a grave tone and Adamastos must have recognized his tone for his expression too turned serious. Perseus then motioned for Adamastos to take a seat which he did.

He then handed Perseus a vial of clear liquid . Phoenix tears. Perseus needed it for a task and Adamastos had told him on enquiry that he had a vial of it. Adamastos then handed Perseus a letter, which Perseus took with surprise

"This just came in the mail " he added

The envelop had the seal of the house of Angelis.

'A letter from Helena ' Perseus thought and opened the envelop and read the contents of the letter and then kept it aside and said

"I have been invited to the birthday party of Princess Helena "

"So will you be going" Adamastos asked to which Perseus replied

"No"

"Why "Adamastos asked

"Our families have a history, bad blood. Besides I don't have time" Perseus replied and then asked him again in a serious tone

"Tell me Adam how much of Diana's work have you studied "Perseus asked as he too sat down in the armchair facing him.

"well not much, I mean I was her apprentice and I was about halfway through my course of education, I had started studying her work, in hopes of finding a way to somehow do magic again and when I realized that I won't be able to achieve that, I then looked for a way to reverse my transformation and become a wizard again, but it was also another dead end. So I gave up. I have just studying the art of potion making over the years and I am proud to say I am quite good at it."

Perseus listened to Adamastos intently and then raised his hand and a moment later something zoomed in his hand which Perseus caught instinctively, Adamastos looked at Perseus in wonder but looked at the thing in Perseus's hand in even more amazement and then said

"Diana's personal journal "

"Yes, off all of the work of Diana, I read this first, and I am glad I did for otherwise I would not have been able to go through all of her work in such small amount of time"

"Adamastos looked at Perseus with his mouth literally open and eyes wide in surprise , he then asked him in a barely audible whisper

"You went through everything , her entire life's work in just four weeks,"

Seeing Perseus give a nod, Adamastos just gaped and said

"Simply brilliant "

"Anyway" Perseus said," have you read this journal"

"Diana was like a motherly figure , my mentor "Adamastos said as a warm smile came across his face and then continued "and after her death I didn't have the courage to rummage through her private life , I guess at that time I still had some humanity left in me"

Perseus listened to him intently and pondered over his next move

"Why, what did you find in there "Adamastos asked

'Should I withhold it from him and let him live a lie or should I tell him the truth and ruin Diana's image in his mind' Perseus thought to himself

"This would be hard for you my friend, but Diana's intention towards you were not as bonafide as she let you believe,"Perseus said as Adamastos looked at him with confusion and aid

"What are you saying, I don't understand "

"I think it's best if I start from the beginning "Perseus said and paused for a moment and took a deep breath and the began again

"It wasn't Udona's plan to create werewolves; it was Diana who persuaded her to do so after Udona regaled the tales of those shapeshifters to her. But unfortunately Udona couldn't exactly replicate and create those shapeshifters, as we know; the result was , well, werewolves. You with me so far?"

"Yeah" Adamastos said slowly and then Perseus continued speaking.

"After the failed attempt to create shapeshifters, Udana and Diana tried to help those werewolves, she created a potion that if taken before the full moon will stop the transformation and-"

"That's not possible, I have never heard of such a potion, and even if there was such potion how did it stop the transformation" Adamastos interrupted

"off course you haven't heard of it, and as for your second question , the potion would put the wizard to sleep and along with the wizard the wolf within would also go to slumber , and it was successful too, but Diana had other plans in mind and so she wiped the knowledge of that potion from Udona's mind, and as a result werewolves started terrorizing the villages ."

"She then went on to create vampires, initially she intended to turn only one into a vampire; Aaron, she had other plans for you. Because creating vampires to combat those werewolves was not her aim.

"And do tell what was her aim"

"To gain power, enormous power "Perseus said and then stood up and motioned Adamastos to do the same and said

"Come with me, I will show you"

They both went to Perseus's study, the whole room was covered with parchments , there were runic diagrams on the boards, Perseus pulled one such board towards them and said

"She had a ritual that would grant her enormous strength, this ritual was not created by her, and it was a family secret. The ritual was created by none other than an Olympian witch, "

"I still don't understand Perseus, how-"

"You will, but first tell me what do you know about the elves"

"Well they are magically quite powerful but are subservient to the wizards "Adamastos said and looked at Perseus who was now shaking his head and continued speaking

"And I believe you are not talking about the house elves, but the elves, right?"

"yes "Perseus said with a nod.

"well they were powerful magical creatures, Diana would often regale us with their powers, they were amazing user of elemental magic, were extremely fast and strong but the most important skill they possessed was the one of forging magical items, weapons, armours, buildings and other things ."

"The elves later shared their knowledge with goblins and the dwarfs , but they didn't teach them everything, "

"ok, and what about Diana's ancestry?"he asked the elder vampire

"Well Diana had always claimed that her family were the descendants of Hestia, who the muggles of that time considered as the goddess of magic, she said that when the Olympians fought against the titans, they lacked the proper weapons to do so, since the titans possessed weapons made by the elves."

Here Adamastos gave a small pause and a troubled look crossed his face and he looked around the various parchments in the room and then said again

"The Olympians then approached Hephaestus to forge weapons for them, who asked Hestia to aid him in the process. Hestia agreed to do so but she posed a condition of her own . The Olympians who needed a weapon would have to teach her every magic they knew in return for a weapon.

Perseus said as he showed a ritual diagrams on a board to Adamastos and then said again, explaining the ritual

"this ritual is what Diana wanted to perform, for that she needed a physically powerful being with astounding metabolism, next she needed the combined magic of 13 wizards and lastly she need to sacrifice a truly immortal being but that was not all, for her to be capable of doing this ritual she was required to have the essence of two opposite magical thing in her bloodstream in perfect equilibrium."

Looking at Adamastos's confused look Perseus decided to clarify everything

"the powerful being was an elf, but since the elves were long gone by then, Diana searched for replacements, when she got to know about those shapeshifters , she thought she'd found one but unfortunately she and Udona couldn't replicate and create those shapeshifters . She then decided to create a replacement of her own and thus she created the vampires, she only wanted to turn Aaron and use him in her ritual of telikos"

"The second requisite of the ritual, one of the truly immortal being is a phoenix and two opposite magical material in her bloodstream had to be the phoenix tears and the basilisk's venom and lastly, the combined magic of 13 wizards, that would be"

"Me" Adamastos said and then continued to speak with a look of terror on his face

"a siphooner, only a siphoner can have the magic of thirteen wizards at once . "

After saying it he looked at Perseus for affirmation to which Perseus gave a sad sigh and then nodded , and said

"You are right but when Diana realized that she won't be able to perform that ritual because she didn't have a phoenix who would sacrifice itself, She dropped the idea because by that time Udona had turned completely against Diana and as such Diana decided to end Udona first and turned the three of you into vampires ." Perseus finished

"But why , I mean yes Diana like any other witch or wizard craved power but she was already very powerful ,what reason could she possibly have to perform that ritual "Adamastos asked

"you have already given the answer to that question" Perseus said which confused Adamastos even more but after a moment he must have realized it as he looked at Perseus in amazement and said

"Hestia's grimoire, "

"Indeed, she wanted Hestia's grimoire, the power of the gods, but that grimoire is hidden in a cave under the Agean sea , she had found the cave but it was protected by extremely powerful magic and to break through those wards she had to perform the ritual of telikos ."

"How did Diana know about the ritual of Telikos" Adamastos asked as he took his seat again.

"There is a story behind it too, you see Hestia and heaphastus had crafted a mace for Aries, but Aries was not able to lift that mace, well no one could. And as such to aid him , Hestia designed a ritual, that ritual then granted Aries immense physical strength and also amplified his magic"

There was a tense silence for a moment which was broken when Adamastos asked

"So you wish to perform the ritual of Telikos and then get the grimoire?"

"No, I don't have to perform the ritual of telikos, at least not yet, but yes , I do want Hestia's grimoire "

"Without performing the ritual, how would you break those wards? I know you are a powerful wizard Perseus but your magic is still growing" Adamastos asked in wonder

"Well it won't be me who would break those wards " Perseus said

"Then who would?"

"The one who got pass the wards of Hogwarts and Oceania as if they were not even there " Perseus replied and gave a confident smile just as thunder rumbled outside and Zeus, the thunderbird flew inside and the magnificent bird perched upon one of the boards.

Despite it being a month since the thunderbird had attacked Oceania, the elder vampire still felt small in front of this creature. The thunderbird had after all leveled the entire city of Oceania within minutes.

'One of its lightening attack rendered me unconscious for two hours, not even the killing curse effects me in such a way' Alistair thought and then said

"very well then, we will go but provided that you sleep properly "Adamastos said

"So are you ready "Perseus asked as he met Adamastos and his grandfather in the garden , which was now in ruins

"Are you sure that is wise Perseus, to go alone, take some soldiers with you" Arcturus Black said

"I won't be alone grandfather, Adamastos is with me, besides you need as much men in Oceania as you can. I will be back soon, take care"

"How would you go to Greece, I could not procure a portkey for you at such short notice"

"Doesn't worry, Zeus has agreed to give us a ride "Perseus said and gave a mischievous smile and put his hand on Adamastos's shoulder while Arctrus Black looked puzzled. In an instant they heard the screech of Zeus who was flying towards them. He then made a steep dive and landed on Perseus's shoulder and that very instant a bolt of lightening hit them and they vanished leaving behind a scrotch marks on the ground

Far away in the Agean sea, lay a small island , a bolt of lightening struck the ground and after a moment two figures emerged from the smoke and Zeus again took flight. While Perseus and Adamastos made their way towards the cave

it took them an hour but finally they found the cave . Perseus and Adamastos stood mere inches from the doorway of the cave. Perseus could sense the powerful wards protecting it. And that very instant Zeus, glowing with a bluish aura flew past them and through the entrance and they both heard a loud crashing noise .

"The wards are down" Perseus said and then moved inside and Adamastos followed him. Upon entering Perseus waved his wand and eight balls of lightening emerged and lightened up the place. And What they saw shocked them. Perseus was expecting to find an old dusty cave but what he saw amazed him.

They stood in amidst a pool of treasure, precious gems , diamonds and golden coins.. Perseus then looked for Zeus who was perched upon what looked like a tomb of sorts. Perseus approached the tomb and inspected it.

"What is it" Adamastos asked as he looked at the tomb, it was covered by a heavy stone slab. Perseus raised his wand and extended his magic and tried to move the stone slab. But to no avail.

"It won't move, I sense a type of stasis charm over this tomb" Perseus said

"Let me give it a try" Adamastos said and he started pushing the slab and it moved a bit. Adamastos gave it another try but before he could move it any further the slab was pushed from inside and Perseus and Adamastos backed off in surprise.

A lone figure emerged from the tomb. He was dressed in green and brown garb. He had an angular pale face and silky brown hair. But what caught Perseus attention were his eyes. perfect almond shape and blue galaxy eyes looked at Perseus in wonder. It was then that Perseus's sight fell on his ears ;They were slightly pointy . And Perseus knew who was standing in front of him .

An ELF.

But before Perseus could say a word the elf lounged at Perseus with breathtaking speed and he would have collided with Perseus too but he was blocked by Adamastos who then pushed the elf back. The power that the two ancient beings possessed must have surprised them both for they looked at each other in wonder.

The elf then said something in a language unknown to Perseus . but surprisingly Adamastos seemed to understand what he was saying. They conversed back and forth for a few moments and then Adamastos turned towards Perseus and said

"Elves possess an ability of learning any language within moments just by touch and he wishes to eliminate the communication barrier between us by learning English from me"

To which Perseus just nodded and Adamastos approached the elf , who took the vampire's hand in his own and closed his eyes in concentration , after a moment he opened his eyes and let go of his hand and looked at Perseus and said

"I apologize for attacking you but you see, someone else was suppose to wake me up and your presence startled me"

His tone was soft and he spoke each word as if testing how it rolled of his tongue . Perseus said to him then

"It is fine, and trust me an elf was the last thing we expected to find in this cave"

And after a short awkward pause Perseus asked him again

"What is your name?"

To which the elf replied

"Ellas"

"Nice to meet you Ellas, my name is Perseus and the one who blocked your attack , his name is Adamastos" Perseus said the elf then turned and looked at Adamastos in wonder and said

"Who are you, you are not an elf yet you posses the agility and strength that exceeds even ours, then what are you"

"I am a vampire" Adamastos replied

"A vampire, I have travelled across the world but I have never heard of your kind before " Ellas said in confusion

"That is because vampires came forth a millennia after the extinction of your kind, my kind were fashioned after elves "Adamastos replied

"A millennia" Ellas said in wonder and then asked in a small voice

"How long has it been since the extinction of my kind?"

"Well the war between the Olympians and the titans occurred about twenty five hundred years ago , and correct me if I am wrong but it was around that time that elves got extinct, " Adamastos answered

"Yes" was the only thing he said

"But why were you in the tomb, and in this cave" Perseus asked him

A dark look came across the elf's face and suddenly he looked broken and alone. Perseus conjured three armchairs and motioned for the elf to take a seat. Ellas , after a few moments spoke up.

"In the war between titans and the Olympians , the elves were on the side of the titans, we made weapons for them with which they could easily overpower the young Olympians. The dwarves and the goblins too took sides in this conflict. The Olympians then approached Hephaestus too craft weapons for them. You see" here he glanced at Perseus and then said again

"Hephaestus was the only one in the history who had learned under an elf ; my own grandfather . Yes the elves had taught dwarves and goblins but they didn't teach them everything. But my grandfather taught Hephaestus every art of magic known to elves. After the war had ended the Olympians went on to destroy the elves for they had made the weapons of the titans and they wished to eliminate such a threat. With the mighty weapons at their disposal they wiped the elves from the face of this planet. My family died too and I got injured."

Here he lifted his robes a bit to reveal a cut, probably from a very lethal weapon, it was a curse and it was spreading and he spoke again

"But I was saved by Hephaestus but he could not heal my injury but he said he needed some time to find a way to heal me, but I didn't have much time, hours at most and such he made this tomb within which I was put under a stasis magic , I guess he didn't find the cure."

Perseus couldn't help but feel pity for the ancient being in front of him, but then suddenly an idea struck him.

"I can heal you " Perseus said which surprised the two immortals .

"How" asked the elf in desperation

In response Perseus just pulled out a vial of crystal clear liquid and showed it to him.

"Phoenix's tears" he said which caused the elf to look at him in surprise.

"You would part with such a valuable item just to save my life" he asked in a broken voice. To which Perseus replied with a smile and said

"Yes"

"But Perseus, you had planned to use it to perform the ritual of Telikos , without phoenix's tears you cannot perform that ritual "Adamastos told him which caused the elf to look at Perseus with even more amazement .

"I know Adam, and I would gladly give away my chance of gaining power if it means saving someone's life" Perseus said as he looked at Ellas intently and Perseus was surprised to notice tears in the elf's eyes Perseus then handed the vial to the elf who poured the liquid in his wounds which healed within moments

"How would I ever repay you" Ellas asked as he stood up again .

"you don't have to , I did what any other man would have done in my place" Perseus replied intentionally ignoring the disapproving look from the ancient vampire.

"No, no other wizard would have done what you did, I have known wizards who were regarded as gods and titans by the mundane humans but I have never come across a wizard like you." He said and stood up , and Perseus followed suite .

"you saved my life then it is only fair that I repay you by devoting my life in your service " Ellas said and didn't wait for Perseus to reply , he raised his arms and started chanting in a language Perseus didn't understand and suddenly thick ropes of fire emerged and wrapped itself around the elf who then said

"I , Ellas Grenhar, with fire as the binding swear my life, my loyalty to Perseus Aries Black. I will serve him and his family throughout my entire immortal life. I accept Perseus Black as my master, do you accept me as your servant"

Perseus gave a very uncertain look but inside he was cheering on the inside for this is the outcome he was hoping for when he had offered phoenix tears to the ancient being

"I accept E+llas as my bonded servant "Perseus said and the fire that was wrapped around Ellas suddenly rushed towards him and vanished upon impact. It took Perseus a few minutes to recover from everything after which he asked Ellas

"But tell me one thing Ellas, what kind of weapon could that be , whose one slash was lethal to even the immortal elves "

A dark look came across his face, he then said in a very wise tone

"The strongest kind of weapon, it's ironic really the knowledge of elves due to which the weapons of Olympians were forged, those very weapons were used to destroy our kind. It was thanatos who delivered that blow upon me. Thanatos's scepter was an extremely lethal weapon, made of stygian iron and even slightest of its cut was lethal. "

"The Olympians were losing in the war, and so they approached Hephaestus to forge weapons for them, who asked Hestia to aid him in the process. Hestia agreed to do so but she posed a condition of her own. The Olympians who needed a weapon would have to teach her every magic they knew in return for a weapon."

He then moved towards the tomb he had inhabited for the last two millennia and from within took something out and handed it to Perseus who exclaimed

"Hestia's grimoire"

"The knowledge of the gods" he said and then said again

"You gave up your chance at gaining immense power to save my life and in return I will aid you in your quest of becoming the strongest wizard in the world."

He then moved towards one of the raised platform and waved his hand and light fell upon it where a chest was placed. He opened the chest and from it took out a long sword

Perseus easily recognized that it was a stygian iron sword and for some reason he knew that this sword was way better than his own blade which was destroyed by Zeus.

He held the sword in his hands and offered it to Perseus and said

"Hades taught Hestia the darkest of shadow magic, necromancy and soul magic, they gave him in return a sword made of stygian iron, one cut from that sword and the sword could literally suck the life force out of his victims body. It was the only weapon that was even more lethal than Thanatos's scepter which is why Thanatos never seeked out a fight with Hades"

Perseus took the sword, its length equal to his height. He was able to hold it but it would take some years for him to be capable of wielding that sword. Perseus said in a soft tone

"I had a stygian iron blade too, but it was unfortunately not as strong as stygian iron blades are said to be" Perseus said and upon noticing his questioning look he elaborated.

"Zeus" he said indicating towards the thunderbird who sat at the pillar," His one powerful attack shattered my sword into pieces "

"I assure you, this sword can withstand anything" Ellas said and as if trying to back up his claim he said

"Perhaps a demonstration would assure you, if only your familiar would comply with it"

Perseus looked at the thunderbird who just nodded at the wizard and soon electricity gathered between its crown and a strong bolt of lightening raced towards him and Perseus raised the sword to intercept the bolt , expecting another blade to shatter in his hands. But what happened surprised him, the lightning bolt vanished the moment it touched the stygian iron blade.

"Amazing " Perseus said just as Ellas handed him a ring, which appeared to be made of gold with an onyx stone and said

"Wear this ring and you can summon this sword whenever you wish to"

And Perseus wore that ring while Ellas took out something else from the chest. It was a helm which appeared to be made of gold

"Helm of darkness and terror" he said and then continued speaking

"You see Perseus while the stygian iron blade was a powerful weapon; it was nowhere near destructive as Zeus's masterbolt. So he asked them to forge another weapon that would help him in case Zeus trained his thunderbolt at him. To coerce Hestia and Hephaestus he taught them the art of shadow traveling and the mist flight which he had learnt from Erebus himself. And so the crafted for Hades the helm of darkness that would provide Hades with the ultimate for of invisibility . Whenever Hades rode in the battlefield wearing this helm, his enemies would drop their weapons and run in fear, even the strongest of titans were unable to fight the power of this helm, except Helios that is"

He finished speaking and placed the helm over Perseus's head which vanished immediately and took the form of an earring in Perseus's left ear.

Perseus then willed the helm to come forth and the earring changed again into a helm. Ellas then motioned for Perseus to follow him as he made his was towards the other side of the cave and opened another chest and said

"Zeus taught Hestia everything about the magic of lightening , storms and in return Hestia and hephastus forged for him the most destructive weapon ever made; his masterbolt. , it was extremely powerful weapon, with it in his hands Zeus could fight any army alone and emerge victorious . He had leveled many cities and mountains with his masterbolt. And today Perseus I hand over that weapon to you"

And he took out a long seven foot long staff, which appeared to be made of bone. He handed the long staff to Perseus who looked at it with a look of disbelief

"Are you telling me that this thin piece of stick is the most powerful weapon ever made, it looks like it will snap in half any moment. " Perseus asked scathingly and Ellas just laughed in reply he then said

"Please pardon my reaction, but I couldn't help but draw similarity between yours and Zeus's reaction when he held the bolt for the first time, you must be thinking that this is just a thin stick but let me tell you this is forged from the bones of the kraken . It's just that you need to kick start it for Zeus drained it of its energy before he placed it here"

"And how do I 'kick start' it"Perseus said

"My lord you are forgetting that these weapons are just magical foci, the thunderbot is like any other staff only difference being with a staff you can put it to different uses but in the case of this weapon, you can only manipulate lightening and weather."

"I think I understand now, it's a foci too just that it is only meant for one branch of magic" Perseus said

"Exactly, you cannot use it for day-to-day chores, it is only meant for destruction and to be used only in wars" Ellas replied to which Perseus nodded but said after sometime

"So to activate it a lot of electricity will have to be passed through it"

"Yes and perhaps your powerful familiar can aid you in this process" Ellas said and Perseus looked at the thunderbird who sent a massive lightning bolt which struck the masterbolt. But the lightening did not stop, it kept flowing from Zeus to the thunderbolt for a full one minute.

When it did stop, Perseus was holding what now looked like the most badass weapon one can see. The bolt was surrounded by a blue glow and lightening crackled around it. Ellas then handed Perseus another ring which Perseus assumed was for summoning the masterbolt.

"Another ring " Perseus said

"Yes, you can summon the lightning bolt anywhere with this ring" as Perseus put the ring on his left hand. Ellas moved towards the centre of the cave, around his tomb and stoob beside something covered by a piece of cloth.

"the last weapon in this cave" Ellas said as he removed the cloth and revealed to them the most amazing and massive mace Perseus has ever seen and it appeared to be made of gold. It was a blunt mace , it consisted of a huge spherical head mounted on a shaft, with a spike on the top.

"Aries, he imparted with the vast knowledge of battle magic and got this mace in return, it was made entirely of adamantium and coated with celestial gold and imbued with enchantments and ruins and as a result the mace was so heavy that Aries was unable to lift it let alone use it . Aries considered that as a cheating on their part." Here he gave a soft chuckle and then said again

"And so Hestia created a ritual that would grant Aries with immense physical power as well as increase his magical powerless multifold, after which Aries could easily use the mace. And yes my lord it is what you know as the ritual of Telikos and I am saddened to say that you won't be able to lift it without performing that ritual " Ellas said as he lowered his head .

"Do not worry my friend, so what if I lost my chance at power, I have gained a friend like yours, I consider it great bargain" Perseus said and then asked suddenly

"But tell me something, elves were very powerful beings, could you lift this mace"

"No, even elves with their superior strength could not lift it," Ellas replied then he looked at Adamastos and said

"But I wonder if friend Adamastos would be able to lift it, for he posses strength and agility greater than elves"

Both of then turned towards Adamastos with an expectant look after which the elder vampire said

"I can give it a try"

And he proceeded to lift the mace my holding it in one hand, but it didn't move even by an inch, he then used both his hands to lift the mace and could only lift it for a second and only an inch above the ground after which he let go off the mace and collapsed on the ground.

Perseus then helped him to his feet and guided him to his chair where a panting vampire rested and it took him around a minutes to recompose himself. Then Perseus proceeded to ask Ellas

"What are your plans now, what would you do"

"I do not know my lord, I have no aim right now and I was hoping you would help me out there "he replied

"Off course, I can offer you a place in Oceania" " Perseus said and upon seeing his confused look, Perseus elaborated

"My grandsire, Arcturus Black is the ruler of the nation; Oceania"

"You are a prince" Ellas exclaimed to which Adamastos gave a slight chuckle

"No, not really, my grandfather never assumed the mantle of the king, so technically I am not the prince of Oceania" Perseus said

"Oh, well I would be grateful to you for this offer" Ellas replied

"Ahh don't be too hasty, I doubt you would like to stay in the state which Oceania is right now" Perseus said

"What do you mean by that?"

"Recently Oceania had encountered massive destruction" Perseus said

"What Happened?"

"I'd rather show you then tell you" Perseus said and motioned Alistair who stood up and took out a portkey from his robes; a piece of rope . all three of the got hold of it when Perseus asked Ellas

"Have you ever travelled via portkey"

"No, I have never heard of it"he replied

"The portkeys were invented a millennia after his time" Adamastos supplied

"ohh well have you any experience with instant form of traveling " Perseus asked Ellas

"No, only very few wizards could do that, only a handful of wizards could use elements to travel from one place to another "Ellas said and Perseus couldn't help but think of the way thunderbird and phoenix travel.

"Well get ready for your first portkey ride" Perseus said and then he looked at Zeus and said

"See you in oceania mate"

He then said the activation phrase and the three of the vanished from the cave and arrived in Oceania . The site that greeted him surprised Ellas. All around him he only saw destruction, people were living in tents and soldiers were roaming everywhere.

" it looks like Poseidon has unleashed his wrath upon this city , who did this, who can cause this much destruction" Ellas asked

"My familiar" was the only reply he got from Perseus. Perseus then told Ellas everything about the attack and how it ended. Just then a soldier approached them and addressed Perseus

"Master Black, Lord Black has been alerted of your arrival and he is waiting for you and you companion in his tent, he is in a meeting with the leader of the goblin nation and some wizards "

Perseus nodded and Ellas asked him .

"Why is he meeting with the goblins"

"Probably to give them a contract to rebuild the city" Adamastos replied and Perseus agreed with his reasoning but just then Ellas spoke up

"no no Perseus , the goblins have extremely weird rules about the things they make, and if they were to build this city they would claim right over it if your grandfather were to die"

"He is right Perseus "Adamastos said

"yeah, I am aware of this law" Perseus said, "but we need to rebuild the city and goblins are the only one who can do it"

"That is not true" Ellas said which caused both Perseus and Adamastos to give him questioning look and then Ellas said

"I mean, why not contact the dwarfs , they are way better at building structures , after all the dwarfs built the magnificent city of Asgard , plus they are easy to deal with unlike those ungrateful goblins who turned their backs on the very people who taught them everything "

"you are right, dwarfs are great craftsmen but what you do not know Is that after the last war between the goblins and the dwarves, the dwarves went into hiding and no one other than the goblins know how to reach them" Adamastos said which surprised the elf

"Hold on a second" Perseus said and looked at Ellas

"What if I were to obtain a way to contact the dwarfs, do you think they will help us out" he asked

"Yes, I assure you, the dwarfs would never refuse an elf" Ellas said

"Very well then, lets go" Perseus said and was about to move when Adamastos said

"Wait, I don't think it is wise for Ellas to reveal himself to the world, I am sure the goblins would recognize him"

"What do you mean by that" Ellas asked and Adamastos explained

"To the wizarding world, your kind are ancient legend, and if word got out about you many curious people will be attracted and this could also attract someone whose intention is malafide and we can't have that right now, specially in the unguarded state that Oceania is"

"I see wisdom in your words friend Adamastos," Ellas said and surprising both Perseus and Adamastos he turned invisible. Well invisible to Adam . Perseus could still see him .

"ohh that's amazing and Adam wait outside the tent and come in when I call for you" Perseus said and walked towards Arcturus's tent. Followed by Adam and an invisible Ellas. He was about to enter the tent when he heard the voice of a goblin saying

"we will built this entire city for just 40 million galleons and permission to open a bank in oceania and monopoly in that field , do we have a deal lord Black"

Perseus could literally hear greed in his voice, which disgusted him

'They are taking advantage of my grandfather's helplessness " Perseus thought and this angered him and he marched inside the tent and said in gobbledygook

"No, there is no deal goblin"

The sudden entry of the Black hair surprised the goblin but brought a smile on Arcturus's face accompanied by a look of relief. Perseus saw that there were in total seven goblins Arcturus was accompanied by Tyler and Alistair. Tyler too looked relived to see Perseus.

"But why not, mister Black"

"Because I have a different deal for you " Perseus said and upon receiving confused looks he replied

"You see a friend of mine recently came in possession of the war axe of the goblin king, grimlock the third. Now I can persuade my friend to give it to you "

"That axe belongs to the goblins and you are bound by law to return it to us Mister Black" the goblin leader replied cutting him short

"But see that's the problem, it is not me, but someone I know who has the axe." Perseus said and gave a cheesy smile which infuriated the goblin

"Then tell your friend to return the axe to us"

"ohh I would but he wants something in return" Perseus said

"ohh so you are bargaining with us"

"no no, master goblin, I am just a mediator, it is my friend who wishes to bargain" Perseus said

"Who is this friend of yours, I wish to speak to him directly" the goblin said

"as you wish" Perseus said and then called out

"Adamastos"

And the elder vampire walked in, a mischievous look on his face , he greeted the vampire. Perseus noticed that Tyler's amusement turned into a look of wariness and uncertainty when his sight fell on the elder vampire.

If the goblins were surprised by the presence of Perseus , they were completely floored by the arrival of the elder vampire, the fear of the elder vampire was very deep within the goblins. The goblin composed himself then asked the vampire

"What is it you want in return for the axe Lord Adamastos"

"ohh nothing much, I just want you to get me in contact with the dwarfs " Adamastos said and in a moment understanding dawned upon the goblin. But greed too was evident in his eyes. In the end greed must have prevailed for the goblin said

"Very well, I will take you to the dwarfs tomorrow, now give me the axe"

"ohh I will, as soon as I meet the dwarfs , I will give you the axe" Alistair said .

"oh and what if you backstab me" the goblin said

"Out of both of us, who has the reputation of betraying" Alistair said which was enough to silence the goblin.

"Very well, we will be back tomorrow morning to take you to the dwarfs " he said and was about to leave when Alistair spoke up. His eyes turning red

"oh and goblin I hope for the sake of your race that you would not mislead us, for you wouldn't want a repeat of what happened four centuries ago"

The goblin gulped, fear settling in his eyes and he left. Perseus then greeted his grandfather who later asked him

"even if you were to meet the dwarfs my child, who is to say that they would listen to you ,after all they have been cut off from the rest of the world for so long"

"I know but they will listen to him" Perseus said just when Ellas once again became visible. Seeing the shocked look on his grandfather's face, Perseus began to explain who Ellas was but was surprised to hear Arcturus exclaim in a barely audible whisper

"Elf"

Ellas just gave a warm smile and Perseus asked

"How did you know that grandfather"

"I have heard many tales about the legendary elves from my master" he said and further explained to Ellas

"My master, my mentor is the descendant of Erebus himself "

"aah yes, the line of Erebus did survive, and they also acquired many weapons of the titans after their fall but then went incognito " Ellas said

"But I was under the impression that your kind went extinct " he asked to which Perseus , Alistair and Ellas told him everything . After telling them everything Arcturus said

"You all should rest now if we are to travel to meet the dwarfs tomorrow , I will have a camp set up for you Ellas"

And they were about to disperse when someone entered the tent, which surprised everyone and Perseus exclaimed

"Lelantos , what is it, did you find Alexander "

"No my lord, but I know where he was last seen" Lelantos replied

"Do tell"

"I have gathered that he went to Velos to learn the art of warfare from Busirius but he refused to teach him saying that he will not teach an orphan and someone of impure blood" Lelantos replied

This caused Perseus to boil with anger , at that point he wanted nothing more than to kill Busirius, but he composed himself and asked Lelantos

"Any news regarding his current whereabouts"

"No my lord, after his encounter with Busirius, he just vanished but the rumour is that before he left he swore to Busirius that he would return, and he would become stronger that Busirius and all of his students" Lelantos replied which caused Perseus to smile a bit, he then asked Lelantos

"Anything else?"

"Yes my lord, I have located Isabelle, she is still in Moria " Lelantos replied which surprised Perseus who just addressed them all in a tone which left no room for argue

"We are going to Moria, right now"

"Child that is not wise" said Arcturus Black with worry apparent in his tone and before Perseus could reply he continued

"The shadow king is as insane as he is power hungry , that man killed his own brother , venturing into his land is very dangerous "

And Perseus found the wisdom in his words , the nation of Moria was a very dangerous place , only place where muggle slavery as well as muggle hunting still prevailed . Ellas , not knowing what they were talking about asked

"I am not aware as to why this city has such a dreaded and fearsome reputation"

And it was Adam who answered his query

"There are many secrets buried in the land of Moria, it is the oldest magical settlement , the city was founded some years after my birth , about 14 centuries ago . It was colonized by some Egyptian clans . With them they brought their powerful and foreign magic, the wards of Moria are even older and more powerful than that of Hogwarts , but unlike Hogwarts they need not be changed or recharge . No one knows why but the wards have only grown stronger over the time. That city is the only nation where muggle slavery is still allowed and is even promoted and even ICW , with Dumbledore as the spearhead had not been able to do anything about it . They tried , fought many bloody wars , but it was all in vain , they couldn't even put a dent in those wards. But then Theokoles Became the king 2 decades ago by killing his half brother, the crown prince . He is a very powerful wizard , a shadow mage . Fed up with the constant wars with ICW the king took the war to the member nations, with random acts of violence and terrorism . Then he and ICW reached to an accord that they won't attack each other again."

The elder vampire finished speaking and Arcturus Black spoke up again

"Indeed, while his brother was a kind man, Theokoles is pure evil , he will not take kindly to your presence in his city Perseus"

"I will be fine grandfather, with Ellas and Adamastos with me, my safety is assured . And if things were to go south, Zeus will get us back . "Perseus said trying to pacify his grandfather and said again

"Grandfather, it is imperative that I find Alexander , he helped me out when I was at my lowest point . I have to find out what happened to him "this seemed to do the trick as Arcturus Black nodded in consent and said more to Adamastos and Alistair than to Perseus

"Get out of there at the first sign of trouble" to which they both nodded and then Lelantos said

"But there is one problem , how are we to gain entry to the city , I can get in but how will the others "

"How will you enter the city unnoticed " Perseus asked Lelantos to which Lelantos just chuckled and suddenly transformed into another wizard with a moustache in his mid fifties . Even his clothes had changed . Perseus looked at Adamastos for answers to which he said

"Lelantos was a metamorphagus before his transformation, and this is one ability that not only stayed with him but also manifested after his transformation "

"Fascinating " Ellas said

"Indeed, any other ability that you would like to share Lelantos " asked an amused Perseus . Lelantos looked at Adam , his sire who nodded and suddenly Lelantos changed into a dog .

"An animagus" Perseus said out loud but to prove his assumptions wrong , the dog then changed into a wolf, then a snake , then a lion, then a crow and then back to his normal self. Tyler then said

"So you have multiple animagus forms"

"No, I can change into any animal, not a magical animal though" Lelantos corrected him

"Impressive " Perseus said in awe and then cleared his mind and said again

"Now how are we to get inside cairo"

"It's very simple, use your helm , it will make you undetectable by the wards , I assure you "

"Very well then , I will go with Lelantos and Adamastos and Ellas" Perseus said to which Adam replied

"How am I to get in"

Perseus then took off his bracelet and gave it to Adamastos

"I don't need it anymore" he said as he indicated to the earring on his left ear. Adamastos put it on, understanding it's function and activated it and turning invisible to the world other than Perseus

"Did it not work" Perseus asked which caused Adamastos to look around him in wonder, he himself was extremely surprised for he was not using his powers he had obtained from the ritual of sight

"It worked extremely well, I can't see him or hear his breathing or heartbeat, I can't even smell him" Alistair said

"Then how can I see him" Perseus asked to which Ellas replied

"It's the power of the helm my lord, it will protect your mind and will allow you to see through every kind of trickery, illusion or invisibility "

"It's goblin made , that is for sure " Ellas said to which Perseus nodded as Adam turned visible again and said again," we will meet back in half an hour at the central square, or what's left of it."

To which everyone nodded and Perseus left the tent and Adamastos and Lelantos too left soon . Arcturus Black then looked at Tyler and asked

"Something on your mind child , perhaps comparing that bracelet with your ring"

To which Tyler just blushed and then said

"no my lord , I was just wondering if it is wise to let Master Black go with Adamastos" and before anyone could say anything he spoke again

"it's just whenever I am around that Adamastos , I get a weird feeling, my magic literally screams in alarm , my gut tells me to run far away from him and I get this sensation as if he is hunting me, which troubles me , my lord, I have never been afraid in my life, I am at loss as to why I am instinctively afraid of him"

Surprisingly it was Alistair who answered .

"And you are right to be afraid of him , he Is one of the strongest beings in this world. He has defeated many powerful foes , plus he cannot be killed . So no Tyler there is nothing wrong to be afraid of him ."

"Indeed" Ellas said and paused before speaking again

"His strength is almost equal to Aeries and in terms of speed and agility he is perhaps the superior most being . And despite his lack of magic, his immense immunity to magic and healing powers makes him a very formidable foe. And you need not worry about him harming lord Perseus . for I can sense the magic that binds him to lord Perseus . Adamastos is completely loyal to him . "

Everyone stood in silence for some moments before Ellas spoke up again

"What ring was lord Black was referring to "

To which Tyler just took out his pendant from underneath his robes and showed it to him . the pendant was holding a ring. A plain gold band. Ellas's eyed widened in recognition and Arcturus commented on it

"You recognize it?"

And Ellas just nodded and said

"Indeed it was the most prized possession of Hecate, she and my own brother forged it . It provides the wearer with complete protection of a cloaking charm , other than Perseus with his helm , no one will be able to see past it . it is called the ring of Evisque . "He paused and then asked in excitement

"So you are a descendant of Hecate"

"I am afraid, I do not know" Tyler said in a small voice and understanding dawned upon the elf who then said again

"know one thing child , there is something different about you , I sensed it the moment I laid my eyes on you"

"What did you sense?"

"Power, an ancient power just below the surface, it flows through you veins . but I see it clearly that it has been bound in chains , and not just recently , probably for over a millennia , when I return we will talk more about it" Ellas said and with that he bid everyone goodbye and left to meet the others .

unknown to everyone , Tyler's world was about to be turned upside down.