Chapter 8
Two figures bolted through the dense thicket, leaves whipping around them, followed closely by the ominous sound of pursuit. The one chasing them was gaining ground.
Without a word, both brothers exchanged a nod, before dashing in opposite directions. Kaiser stopped abruptly, whipping round. In a seamless motion, he flung a glimmering disk, its metallic arc slicing the air, while bringing his body into a fighting stance.
At the same time,, Gellert whipped out his wand, casting a transfiguration spell that hit a nearby tree, morphing a branch into a makeshift step. Kaiser dashed towards it, leaping upwards and grasping a thick branch high up on the tree, while Gellert casted a Disillusionment Charm on himself, blending seamlessly into the forest's greenery.
As the figure closed in, a bolt of Stupefy erupted from the trees, followed by a Sectumsema, which slices through multiple branches and bushes. The figure fluidly dodged the attack, countering with a Banishing charm that sent Kaiser tumbling off the tree and onto the forest floor.
The moment Kaiser hit the floor, a pale red orb surrounded by lightning arcs appeared from the side and was propelled towards the figure. Reacting almost immediately, the figure waved his hand and a grey wall of mana appeared, blocking the bombarda spell, before following up with an Immobulus charm, hitting the target, through the Disillusionment charm, causing Gellert to fall on his side, frozen.
As Kaiser held his side, and deeply exhaled trying to numb the pain from the large fall, he called out to the figure: "Damn it, Yovar. That hurt..."
He turned towards the aged butler, who was walking towards him to help him out, as a grin suddenly appeared on his face.
"Kaiser, it wasn't even that big of a fall-"
Mid-sentence, a Chakram materialized in the air, hurtling toward Yovar, who dodged it effortlessly, before continueing towards Kaiser and reached out to help. Seeing his plan fail, Kaiser muttered to himself: "Damn old man, with impossible reflexes"
The latter just looked at hm for a moment before turning to Gellert and unfreezing his body.
"Exceptional teamwork, boys," he commended, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Gellert, good attempt at overcharging the bombarda. You overdid it a bit though." He raised his wand for a moment as a red ball, similar to Gellert's, appeared above it, with a noticeable difference. There were no arcs of lightning shooting out of the orb. He then pointed it at a tree further up and released it. He turned towards them and with a smirk said: "A bit more work and you'd be able to leave a scratch on this harmless body of mine."
As soon as he said that the spell reached the tree, causing a massive explosion that Kaiser felt from where he was standing.
"Hardly harmless," Gellert retorted with a grin. "And you were the one who told us not to use mental arts, Yovar. That's almost..." he paused for a moment and looked at his fingers while doing some math. "Merlin, thats quite literarly our largest advantage"
"Yes, yes" Yovar replied in a tired manner. "I know how much you prefer illusion magic and dark arts, Gellert. But we dont always fight with our advantages. Its better to get used to fighting disadvantaged. Alright, we need to get back. It's getting dark, and you haven't had any dinner yet." He grabbed them both by the shoulders before, apparating back to the manor.
As evening settled, and the twins finished up their food, a small bell chime resounded in the dining room, causing the brothers to turn round. "Masters, You have mail..." Endo squeaked and handed both a letter before vanishing.
"About damn time..." Kaiser muttered as he ripped open the crest of the double-headed eagle and read:
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Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning
Established 1294
Northern Europe
Date: 20th August 1890
Dear Mr. Kaiser Grindelwald,
It is with great pleasure and distinction that we extend our formal invitation to you to join the esteemed ranks of Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning.
We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into Durmstrang Institute's incoming class. Enclosed with this letter, you will find a comprehensive list of required textbooks and other essential items to prepare you for your academic journey at our venerable institution.
Your enrolment at Durmstrang is an acknowledgment of your intellectual prowess and your potential to thrive in our distinguished establishment. As a student of Durmstrang, you will be exposed to an environment steeped in tradition, excellence, and the rigorous pursuit of magical expertise.
We anticipate your arrival with utmost eagerness. Upon your acceptance, you will find enclosed detailed instructions regarding the commencement of the academic term and the requisite preparations you are kindly requested to undertake.
Should you require any further clarification or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at the provided address.
Once again, congratulations on your acceptance to Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning. We eagerly anticipate your arrival and the invaluable contributions you will undoubtedly bring to our illustrious institution.
Yours sincerely,
Headmaster Orlov
Durmstrang Institute of Magical Learning
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"I see you've got the letters" Yovar spoke up from behind them, causing them to jump slightly. "How are you feeling? Now that you've reached one of your most important moments of your life." He asked
"Not what I was expecting..." Gellert muttered quietly, but they heard him nonetheless.
"Yes, well. It's just a letter. Nothng special." Yovar shook his head for a moment, before returning back to the conversation. "Well?" He looked at them in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Kaiser asked in confusion. The result of the question was a strong slap on the nape to both of them, leaving them even more confused and in pain. They looked at him, with hurt puppy eyes. But Yovar had enough of their act.
"GO PACK!" He raised his voice in annoyance. Seeing realisation grow on their faces, the stood up and dashed towards their bedrooms in excitement, ready to pack, everything they need.
It took Kaiser a while to finish packing but in the end he realized much of what he wanted to bring there was no point, as it would have been provided by Durmstrang.
He sat perched on the edge of his bed, absently twirling a coin between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the floor. The rhythmic clinking of the coin echoed in the room, a soothing melody amid the silence. A knock on the door jolted him from his day dream. He pulled out his wand and flicked it, as the door unlocked. He looked back at the coin and tossed it upwards before calling out: "Enter," Kaiser called out as the coin found its place back in his hand.
Gellert entered, pulling Kaiser's attention away from the coin. "Are you done packing?" Gellert inquired, noticing his brother's contemplative demeanor.
"What is there to pack, Gellert. Most of the stuff will be supplied at the academy"
"It never hurts to pack just in case."
Kaiser nodded in response, his fingers never ceasing their fluid movement with the coin. Gellert observed this familiar action and chose to sit beside him, the bed dipping slightly under his weight.
They sat in a comforatble silence, the only sound of the soft swishing of the coin in Kaiser's hand. Each rotation of the coin seemed to change the icons on the coin, but that was just a simple illusion the coin produced on its own. It seemed like it was trying to tell a story but nobody listened.
"How do you feel Gellert?" Kaiser asked his brother.
"Nervous..."
"Yeaah" He agreed with a sigh. Kaiser paused mid-action, his words becoming faint. "It truly feels like a curse sometimes, you know, knowing future. What we have to change is not just how wizards have lived for centuries, its what our nature is. What we have to do, has to be done in less than 2 centuries. Ironically, time is what we lack," he mused, his tone ironic. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the coin into the air. As the coin spun, his right eye pulsed momentarily, turning pale white, before turning back into its usual amber. He grabbed the coin mid-spin and placed it on the back of his palm, hidden by his other hand. "Heads or tails?" he asked Gellert, his voice tinged with glee, his face filled with laughter as if he was about to tell an amazing joke.
Gellert, after a moment of thoughtful silence, responded, "The ones who use time, lack it. Funny... As for the toss. Neither," he surmised, his voice carrying a hint of the same excitement Kaiser's did.
Kaiser nodded, acknowledging his brother's words. As he extended his hand, that covered the coin, an inexplicable situation occurred. Instead of the expected coin nestled on top of his palm, a black mark materialized instead, which pulsed once and started to change and swirl. It danced as particles started to appear around his hand, that fascinated them
Their gaze locked onto the mark, as they watched the indescribable display.
Yet, as Gellert was about to ask something else Yovar's voice reverberated from outside the room, warning them that it was time to departure.
Kaiser and Gellert exchanged a glance, the relaxed smile on their faces vanishing replaced by an unnatural coldness. It was time to leave their home and begin their journey in the world.
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Idk, I wrote this long ago as a backlog chapter, but i never posted it. I stll have another 10k words which i have backlogged. Ill post them every now and then. For now please check out my First attempt at an original novel.
Dreams & Nightmares.
Thanks,
K.