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Chapter 14

Vesryn held out his arm as his owl, now named Leithon, swooped down from above to perch on his forearm. He sat on the edge of the mountaintop, his legs dangling over the side as he watched the sun rising from behind the far off castle. Looking over his shoulder he watched the red-haired form of Charlie stepping out of several tents set up on flat portion of the mountaintop. A week had passed since he returned from Diagon Alley and ran into the creature known as Umbridge. Dumbledore was able to speak to and smooth things over with the giants several mountains over easily enough, but the ministry was a difficult problem. It wasn't until two days after he left that the headmaster returned to relay the disappointing decision to the group of dragonologists.

According to Dumbledore, Cornelius had informed him that the ministry did not have the personnel available to facilitate the transfer of so many dragons. As a result, Dumbledore, Maximus and Marisa, after consulting with her father, decided that it would be better just to create a miniature sanctuary here in the mountains of Hogsmeade until a better solution could be found. This way, if anything were to happen, Vesryn would be close by even during the school year and if need Dumbledore could assist in event of an emergency. Marisa was left in charge of the makeshift sanctuary, while Maximus assigned Charlie and two other members of his group to help the young woman in managing the sanctuary. From what Vesryn understood of the arrangement, Marisa was selected to manage the operation as a test of some sort from her father for when she took his place. Charlie and the other dragonologists, a older bald man named Zachariah or Zach, and a shorter, black-haired woman named Rebekah, would work to study and manage the operation for six months before switching with another team.

'Maybe I should return to Camelot at some point. I could make a home for the dragons there, though I'm not sure how if the key lets in entire groups or just individuals.' Vesryn thought to himself as he looked down at the village of Hogsmeade.

"You're up early, Vesryn. Most of my brothers would still be deep asleep right now." Charlie said as he walked up to him by the mountainside carrying a brown mug in his hands.

"Habit. I try to get some training done before breakfast when I don't have anything else to do." Vesryn answered as he watched the sunrise. The pair sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Charlie finally spoke up.

"So, you lived alongside dragons?" Charlie asked before taking a sip of what smelled like coffee from the mug.

"I did."

"What was that like?"

"It was hard but rewarding. Living and training high atop a mountain is a constant challenge. But when you finally get the chance to fly, there's really no feeling like it." Vesryn took a deep breath as he looked back at the sleeping form of the black dragon, that he named Duxarion or as the dragonologists have taken to calling him, Dusk.

"That sounds incredible. Think I'll get the chance to experience that one day?" Charlie asked as he looked back.

"Maybe. But I'd recommend getting a saddle unless you trust your grip strength to keep you safe the entire time. Speaking of, you don't know anyone that can make one, do you?"

"The goblins maybe? Though I wouldn't trust them. They'll likely charge you an arm and a leg or maybe try to get you to do something extreme for them. My brother, Bill, had to go curse-breaking in Transylvania to get his job. Alone. He had a scarf that he soaked in garlic extract that he refused to take off for a week when he came home to visit. I think he still keeps a vial of garlic extract on his person in case he runs into more vampires." Charlie said before continuing to sip from his mug.

"Sounds like they were trying to get him killed." Vesryn replied, as he turned his head away, his eyebrows raised with a look of concern on his face.

"Yeah, probably. I remember Bill saying that particular goblin was extra difficult to deal with. He is thankfully working with someone else now though." Charlie added as he finished the last bit of his coffee.

"But that aside, what are you doing today?" Charlie asked as he stood up and dusted off his pants.

"Originally, I was just going to look through some of these books. But now I'm thinking I'll head into town. Maybe someone will know where I can get a saddle made." Vesryn answered as he rose to his feet.

"Ah, well maybe you should get a broom to go back and forth? I don't think the people of Hogsmeade appreciate waking up to a dragon flying above their heads." Charlie said as he looked back at Dusk and remembered the incident that occurred yesterday evening. A resident had come back from a business trip by apparition, only to faint on the spot when he realized that he was staring a dragon in the face.

"I'll consider it but I don't think it'll work out. Pretty sure they don't sell to first-year students." Vesryn replied as he walked over to Dusk. The dragon slowly uncurled itself from its slumber and stretched in a manner that seemed reminiscent of a cat. His claws digging into the rocky soil as his wings unfurled completely before tucking back against his body.

"Hey, Dusk. Let's stretch your wings a little more and then we can head into town." Vesryn said as he petted the dragon's snout. Dusk growled softly as Vesryn jumped onto his back before the dragon broke into a run, and dived off the side of the mountain, unfurling its wings to transition into a glide. Each flap of his wings sent waves through the air, their forms casting the land beneath them in shadow as they flew through the air. During their flight over the countryside, as they circled around Hogwarts castle, Vesryn couldn't help but cast a glance at the forest below them. There was an odd feeling in the back of his head, as though someone was looking at him but when he tried to find the cause of that feeling, it faded away.

Narrowing his eyes, Vesryn drew his wand from his pouch and tucked it inside his tunic. After looking around one last time, he turned his attention back to the front as he continued his flight with Dusk. A robed man stepped out from within the forest, watching with greyish-blue eyes as the dragon landed on the northern side of Hogsmeade to allow the Platinum-haired boy to dismount. The wolf-like man grinned with joy, revealing dirty fangs as he reached up with his hands, every finger tipped with long, yellowish nails, and pulled his hood over his matted grey hair before walking toward town.

"Alright, you can head back now. If I need you I'll shoot some fire into the air, okay?" Vesryn asked, petting the large dragon as it raised its head to allow for easier access beneath its neck. He had learned over the last couple of days that Dusk and the other dragons that followed him appeared to be capable of discerning when he used magic and when someone else did. Since then, Vesryn had the dragons grow accustomed to his fire magic, assigning different meanings to different colors of fire, a trick he figured out was possible by changing the temperature of his flames. Dusk gave Vesryn a nudge before he turned around and ran for a short distance before leaping into the air, his wings carrying him into the air. Vesryn watched as the black dragon circled the area for a brief moment before heading back to the mountain sanctuary.

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"For as big as he is, he acts like a child." Vesryn muttered to himself, smiling and shaking his head as he turned around to walk into town. He stopped for a brief moment as he looked into the distant forest, his smile fading from his face.

'Am I imagining things? Maybe I need to relax a bit more.' Vesryn thought to himself as he turned away and started walking through the streets. Vesryn waved to the occasional passerby as he walked through town, over the last couple of days he had gotten somewhat acquainted with some of the various shop owners and other residents.

"Morning, Thomas. Your garden's not burning today. Mary, how's your husband? Oh, he fell off his broom again? Right, anyway. Eliza, can I get a bundle of oranges today? And jerky, please." Vesryn stopped in front of one of the numerous grocery stores and looked over the variety of fruits that were offered. Putting away the bundle of fruits and bag of jerky into his pouch, Vesryn continued south through what he learned was called High Street. Along both sides of the road was a variety of other shops and services, Gladrags Wizardwear which sold clothing and robes, the Three Broomsticks pub and inn, a sweets shop called Honeydukes, and Madam Puddifoot's small little tea shop that despite its cramped, tacky interior did admittedly serve a wonderful cup of coffee.

Leaving High Street behind as it became gradually more populated, Vesryn continued further south looking for the large stable-like building he had seen before flying overhead. Thankfully it didn't take too long to find the location as he spotted the large black carriage parked in front of the building as reached an intersection. Taking note of the Hogwarts crest embroidered on the side of the carriage, Vesryn stepped into the hanger.

"Oh, good morning. You're the dragon boy, right?" An older man called out as he stepped from behind one of the carriages.

"Do people really call me that? Whatever, my name's Vesryn."

"Some do, yeah. Bartholomew, everyone calls me Barry. So what can I do you for?" The salt and pepper-haired man asked as he threw the towel in his hands over his shoulder.

"Well, seeing how you have a bunch of carriages and it looks like you're working on one I was wondering if you made saddles or knew someone that does." Vesryn asked as he looked around the building.

"Wouldn't happen to be for one of your dragons, would it? If so, you might have some difficulty. I don't think anyone has ever made a saddle that large. Not that many would be willing to get close enough to get measurements. Not to mention the kind of material you'd need to make a saddle durable enough to last won't come easy." Vesryn crossed his arms as he thought for a moment before responding.

"How much material is needed?"

"Depends on the dragon. They come in a lot of different sizes but I would assume at the very least, maybe half a dozen yards of fabric. Granted it would have to be enchanted fabric or the hide of some magical creature." Barry answered as he looked at the young boy.

"Okay. And what about the craftsman?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can manage the job. I might have to get some help from Dervish and Banges but I'm sure I can handle it. I did have someone ask for a hippogriff saddle before, it should be similar enough." Barry explained as Vesryn raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, can I have you design a saddle for one of my dragons? I'll get you the materials afterward." Vesryn requested as he thought about the roll of wyvern hide in his possession.

"Are you sure? Those materials won't come cheap, you know." Barry looked surprised as he cautioned the boy, only to take a deep breath when Vesryn simply nodded in response.

"Alright. Well, why don't we work out the details and specifications you want to be met and then we can set up a time for me to take the measurements." Barry said as he walked over to a desk in the corner of his workshop and pulled out a large roll of parchment. Vesryn walked over to take a seat next to the man and the pair spent the next couple of hours going back and forth as they went over the details for the saddle. By the time Vesryn finally left the workshop, the sun was beginning to set.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Vesryn decided that he would just grab something to eat before heading back up the mountain. Heading back north up High Street, Vesryn had to squeeze past the small crowd that had accumulated on the street in front of The Three Broomsticks. People enjoying a few drinks before they had to go home for the day. With a bit of effort, Vesryn made his way inside the door and moved to take a seat in the back.

"Vesryn! How are you?" Madam Rosmerta's voice cut through the bustle of the crowd.

"I'm good. Things seem busier than usual today."

"Well, it's a full moon tonight. Most people don't want to risk going out during a full moon so they come earlier." Rosmerta explained as Vesryn looked past her to see the servers rushing back in forth with drinks in hand and floating on trays behind them.

"Why? Are there werewolves around here?"

"There used to be. Dumbledore allowed a small group to stay in the Forbidden Forest a decade ago. No one knows if they moved on or not but better safe than sorry, I suppose. So what can I get you?"

An hour later Vesryn stepped out of the building and into the open street. The crowds were dispersing, as everyone seemed to be on their way home for the evening. With the last rays of sunlight fading from the sky, Vesryn headed north toward the forest so he could summon Dusk away from town. However, as the streets grew increasingly empty and he drew closer to the edge of town, Vesryn picked up a strange scent in the wind. A scent that reminded him of a wet dog mixed with old blood assaulted his nose the closer to the forest he got. The feeling that he was being watched returned, as he drew his wand from his tunic and held it in a reverse grip in his left hand, concealing it from view as he continued forward. His right hand, however, went to the pouch on his waist, reaching inside to grab hold of the hilt of the longsword stored within.

Vesryn stayed quiet as he walked between the trees, his senses focused on everything out of the ordinary. The claw marks on the nearby trees, footprints leading off from the road and into the treeline, the sound of breathing and cloth flapping in the evening breeze from behind a tree, and the smell of wet fur and blood that was now clearer than ever. His violet eyes locked onto a large tree on the side of the road as he took a deep breath and held it. With a rush of air, Vesryn leapt backward and disappeared into the canopy of the trees behind him. The branches swayed briefly before coming to halt as his form was obscured by the dense leaves and shadows. The tip of his wand peeked through a gap in the leaves as his violet eyes peered through the darkness of his hiding place as he honed on the figure behind the tree.

A small bolt of red pierced through the air, impacting the singular tree and sending flames wrapping around the trunk. Vesryn retracted his wand as he watched a robed and hooded figure roll out from behind the tree pointing a wand toward the road. Their hood fell back to reveal a large vicious-looking wolf-like man with matted grey hair and whiskers. Vesryn could see the pointed teeth in his mouth and the long, yellow nails wrapped around his wand. The man looked from the road toward the tree he was hiding behind and saw the flames dying on the bark. Turning back to the street, the man had a wide toothy grin as he hunched over.

"Oh. You have some fight. Good, I love when they resist." The man said as he sniffed the air and took a deep breath before tearing the robe off his body and revealing the shirtless form that was covered in hair and scars.

"Come on out, we'll have some fun. I'll just have a nibble. I don't think he'll mind as long as you're alive." The man growled as he looked around while occasionally sniffing the air.

'He? I thought it was the toad pulling some shit.' Vesryn thought to himself as he watched the man sniffing the air as he got closer. Vesryn aimed his wand at the man as he felt the magic around gather at a significantly faster pace.

"I can smell you!" The man rushed forward and reached his arm around the tree, clawing at the air on the other side only to pull his arm back in confusion.

"What?" The man looked at his empty hand when suddenly he felt a chill run down his back as all of the hair on his body stood on end. His head jerked upward as he saw a pair of violet eyes staring at him. All of his senses screamed for him to move as he turned and dove away from the tree, waving his wand behind him to protect himself. Waves of heat assaulted him, wrapping around his shield charm as an explosion erupted where he was previously standing. His body was sent spinning through the air and he felt as though a giant had just kicked him in his chest and sent him through a wall of lava. Smashing into a tree on the other side of the road, he groaned and struggled to his feet, clutching his side where he felt several of his ribs crack.

Shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the infernal ringing in his ears, he looked up to see broken trees smoldering around a small crater where he was previously standing. Just then from the upper corner of his vision, he noticed a small shadow falling from high in the air. He watched as the boy he was after landed softly on the ground without so much as a bend in his knees, almost as if he was as light as a feather.

"Hmm. Not bad. Guess having a wand does make it easier." He saw the boy look over his shoulder and gave a slightly satisfied nod of his head before he turned to look at him.

"Well, look at that. You're still standing. Good." Vesryn said as he pointed his wand at the man, the smoldering trees behind him framing his silhouette, and accentuating his glowing violet eyes.

"What did you say earlier? Right. Let's have some fun, shall we?"