Chapter 109: 109: Centaurs, Wizards, Vampires, and...

Nolan and Dumbledore left the castle, following the shoreline of the Black Lake until they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "I should have guessed," Nolan said with a wry smile, staring at the ominous darkness of the forest. "Scared, Nolan?" Dumbledore teased with a playful grin. "Scared? Oh no, hardly," Nolan shrugged nonchalantly. "A vampire, afraid of the forest? Of the night? Surely you jest, Professor. Honestly, walking into the Forbidden Forest feels like returning to Randall Gorge. My home is just like this—a place full of untamed wilderness and creatures of all kinds." "I've always wanted to visit the Draugr estate," Dumbledore mused, his voice tinged with humor. "Though I've never been sure how to do so without offending. Perhaps I should bring a gift—say, a Muggle with O-negative blood?" He clapped a hand on Nolan's shoulder. "Shall we? Let's see what this elf is up to." The Forbidden Forest wasn't nearly as terrifying as Hogwarts students often imagined. The deadliest creatures to young wizards—the Four-Eyed Spiders—usually dwelled deep within the forest's heart. Encountering one by accident was rare, even for the most adventurous. Nolan had ventured into far darker and more dangerous forests than this one. Yes, even the infamous Black Forest, the very place where Quirrell lost his soul. Though, in truth, that forest wasn't particularly terrifying either—just a village inhabited by necromancers. Nolan and Dumbledore walked briskly through the forest, their wands illuminating their path. Nolan's physical prowess needed no explanation, but Dumbledore surprised him. The older wizard's strength and agility belied his scholarly appearance, moving with a grace that spoke of discipline and resilience. After a while, the sound of hooves reached their ears. "They're here," Dumbledore said, his tone light and melodic, almost as if he were singing. "They? Centaurs?" Nolan raised an eyebrow in realization. "I know wizards and centaurs have an alliance. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History. In fact, I once considered inviting a few centaurs to live on my estate. Their skill with bows would make them excellent sentinels." "Centaurs would never stoop to serve as sentinels for evil creatures," a voice interrupted sharply. From the shadows of the forest emerged a centaur. The centaur—true to his species—had the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a man, his features reminiscent of a Native American warrior. His muscular arms skillfully held a bow, the arrowhead pointed unerringly at Nolan. This made Nolan frown. "Lower your bow, centaur. This is not a declaration of war." "Vampire," the centaur snarled, "the moment you stepped into our territory, you declared war. Leave now." The centaur's hostility deepened as he turned to Dumbledore. "Dumbledore, I don't recall ever giving you permission to bring an evil magical creature into the Forbidden Forest." "Oh, relax, Bane," Dumbledore said soothingly, addressing the centaur by name. "Nolan is one of my students. You see, he's just a boy." "A vampire learns to kill the moment it takes its first breath," Bane retorted coldly. "Leave our territory, vampire, or—" "Or what?" Nolan interrupted. As if answering him, dozens of centaurs emerged from the forest, their bows drawn. Over thirty arrows were now aimed squarely at Nolan. "Stand down, Nolan." Dumbledore stepped in front of him, holding up a hand. "Do not provoke the centaurs in their own land. Their territorial instincts are as strong as yours." Nolan's gaze swept over the centaurs, his expression unreadable. "I can't say I'm surprised." "One last warning," Bane growled. "Leave our territory, vampire. Return to whatever wretched lair you crawled from. This is not your place." Nolan's lips curled into a smirk. "I thought centaurs understood what vampires are capable of." "We are well aware of your strength," Bane said, his voice steady as he tightened his bowstring. "But centaurs have their own ways of fighting. Do not underestimate us. My arrow can pierce even your so-called impenetrable skin, creature of evil." "Nolan, enough!" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, his tone firm. "We can take another path." "That won't do," Nolan said, pressing down Dumbledore's hand as the professor tried to shield him. Taking a slow step forward, he continued, "As a pureblood of the Von Draugr family, if I were to retreat before these filthy magical creatures, where would my honor be? The pride of the Von Draugr family would be tarnished by my disgrace, and I cannot allow that to happen." "Fire!" Bane wasted no time. With a loud command, he loosed his arrow, followed by the bowstrings of over thirty other centaurs snapping in unison. The arrows flew with terrifying precision, each one aimed directly at Nolan. Not a single shot veered off course. It seemed inevitable that Nolan would be riddled like a pincushion. Dumbledore's eyes flashed silver as he raised his wand, preparing to cast the Shield Charm. But then— Clang. A metallic sound reverberated through the Forbidden Forest. Every single arrow was deflected by a long blade, wielded with fluid grace. When the chaos subsided, Nolan stood unharmed, tilting his head slightly as a faintly mocking smile tugged at his lips. Standing before him was a woman. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with alabaster skin and crimson eyes. Her hair, a pale pink that glowed like ghostly fire, seemed to burn brightly against the dark forest backdrop. She wore a white uniform reminiscent of a church vestment, her shoulders bare, and in her hand was a long sword. Her rose-colored lips parted, revealing sharp fangs characteristic of her kind. When she spoke, her voice was a melodious whisper, laced with a serpentine hiss. "Your Highness." Nolan nodded, his tone casual. "Sheila, it's been quite some time since I last saw you take human form. How does it feel? Can you still move your limbs freely?" "Of course," Sheila replied with a solemn demeanor befitting a formidable military officer. "I can command every finger at will, just as I could feel each scale when coiled as a serpent around your wrist." Nolan chuckled softly before turning to Dumbledore. "Allow me to introduce her, Professor Dumbledore. This is Sheila, the first Death Kin I created when I was nine years old. She has remained my most loyal servant ever since." Sheila raised her long blade, pointing it directly at Bane. "You centaurs," she said coldly, "do you intend to stand in my master's way? If so, you shall face me as your opponent." Bane furrowed his brow and took two cautious steps back, his hooves shifting uneasily against the forest floor. Something about Sheila unsettled him—an instinctive, gnawing fear. He doubted he could last even half a round against her. The bow he prided himself on suddenly felt useless. Good heavens, what kind of terrifying vampire was this? Dumbledore, sensing the growing apprehension among the centaurs, stepped forward and spoke in a placating tone. "Bane, we mean no offense to the centaurs' territory. We are merely passing through tonight. I can assure you that Nolan will not harm a single member of your tribe." Bane cast a long, wary glance at Sheila before addressing Dumbledore. "Remember your promise, Dumbledore. Unless you wish for the friendship between wizards and centaurs to end here." With that, the centaurs began to lower their bows, their hostility not fully abated but tempered by fear. ~~~---------------------- Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / HPdreame