Master Of Death

Chapter 12

Harry POV

I woke up to the sounds of battle and persistent whispering in my ear. The whispering was coming from the forest behind me, tugging me towards it, urging to follow to come closer. I hesitated though, Merry and Pippin had been with me just moments ago, hadn't they? I don't know anymore, maybe we were split up while I was unconscious, while my magic replenished itself? I had drained myself doing everything that I could heal Legolas. I knew it would completely take me out of action, but honestly, it had been worth it to save him. Looking around, I tried to spot the Hobbits in the chaos of battle, but there was no sign of them. The Uruk-Hai that had taken us were being slaughtered by fierce men on horseback. I knew I had a choice to make, join them and see if they know anything, and risk them being yet another enemy or I can follow the voices from the forest.

The whispering only got louder, as though the person speaking was right next to me even though the words are completely indecipherable - gibberish. It made the choice for me, I double check that I hadn't somehow missed either Merry or Pippin in the skirmish, and I turn to the woods.

'Maybe they went into the woods? They could be looking for me as well. If we truly hadn't been separated.'

I silently creep towards the trees, noticing the whispering calms down the closer I get. I don't stop until the sounds of battle have long since gone, focusing on the surrounding trees. Placing my hand on the nearest one, I jerk back as a sudden jolt of something like electricity thumps through my fingertips, heading straight for my core and settling there with an odd sense of warmth. It seemed to have come from the tree, from exactly where I had touched the rough bark, settling into my core. The whispers come nearly to an abrupt halt, and then one voice rose back up, this time startlingly clear; "Welcome to Fangorn Forest, child born of Magic and Death."

"Did the tree just speak to me? You're imagining things Harry – trees can't – don't talk, whisper or even murmur!" I mutter irritably to myself, slumping down to sit on the ground.

It would be a good idea to see exactly what had just happened to my core. Slipping into myself, down to my center where my magic rests, I am surprised to see a completely stabilized core thrumming happily. It's large, with at least a dozen colors swirling about, the main chords of my core are thicker and more pronounced, black, sky blue, and bright orange. I don't understand what they mean, but I assume the black is from being The Master of Death? The main question is how my core was stabilized in the first place. It was especially unstable when the Uruk-Hai had captured me. I have a theory that the trees somehow fixed my core.

'How could the trees fix my core? They're trees, so I guess that the wild magic in them could have helped, but completely replenishing my exhausted core? That seems just as preposterous as the idea that the trees were talking.'

I scrunch up my nose in frustration, standing up from the cold ground a moment later. Regardless of how it happened, my magic will be more reliable now – I can deal with the 'how' and 'why' later. Right now, I have a fellowship to find.

It's not long before I end up completely lost, that's if I wasn't lost from the moment I walked into this labyrinth-like forest. I stumble upon a docile snake curled up at the base of a tree, and it's head slowly lifts in my direction.

*Are you Harry, the one who can speak?* it - she? - Asked. I'm not too surprised at the question, the snake I had met when I first arrived in this world has likely spread the word quite far by now.

*Yes. I apologize for disturbing your rest,* her pale brown body shifts, then she begins slithering towards me.

*It is alright. You seem lost.*