After the old madman left to find out what was truly happening in the outside world, I suddenly had a lot more free time on my hand.
The elves were bringing food and cleaning spells, but apart from that nothing was happening. I tried to catch them a few times but it never worked. The guards no longer came to check on things in between meals, leaving me to try and find a way to break the door or unhinge it, but to no avail and most important of all was that I haven't seen the assholes since the surprise announcement that Voldy-twit was defeated. So that means I haven't been tortured since and I've been left to train on my own again.
I was so happy for a while until I realized how depressing all this sounded. I ecstatic at the fact that I won't be tortured and experimented on, how depressing does my life sound to others right now?
Putting that thought aside, it was time for another training result posting. And let me tell you that thinking of using what I learn against these assholes and escaping is a pretty powerful motivation.
About two months after being taken out of my cell I've got to say it did wonders for my body. Although I'm still malnourished, I've been able to keep my body healthy enough perform physical exercise and training making it so it shouldn't be too difficult to fix any issues when I ever get out of this hell hole. And yes I say when because I'm not going to doubt myself on this: I will escape this place!
I've also been able to transmute things into metal. I had to take it step by step, learning how to first change smaller pieces of rock into different things like buttons or the first class match. Then I slowly made my way up to make bigger and more complicated objects until I could finally make an actual weapon.
Magically speaking it's going pretty well. My cores haven't actually grown in sizes since the ritual, but what has been happening is that the magical energy in the form of fog has been getting denser and denser as I train, plus the use of wandless magic is getting easier with time. This makes me think that my body is adapting to it slowly but surely.
With this I've been trying to figure out how to make a magical shield like the protego charm, but it's been proving difficult to make a full body protective magic. What I did achieve was basically a small shield around the palm of my hand which should prove useful in some kind of situation.
All of my free time suddenly come to stop when I suddenly heard a door slam open and footsteps stomping in this direction. I felt one of the goons rush past my cell and to the others and could hear him stun someone and leave with them, without even closing the other cells door from what I could hear.
'The old bastard must have found something truly important for him be in such a hurry.' I thought as this was happening. Although hate isn't even close to being enough to describe what I feel for that abomination, I can't deny how meticulous the man is regarding his rituals.
It wasn't long until the heavy man came back once more. Twice more. Thrice more. Until he left with what I believe was the last occupant aside from me in these cells.
It was at that point when I knew it was my turn. I was either going to live through this new ritual of his or die without a grave like the rest. So I prepared myself. Transmutated a sharp enough knife and put myself in an corner near the door.
My cell opened and I burst into action. I pushed of the ground and bent low. The overweight goon didn't see me until I was close to him. I point my knife and stabbed at his gut. I was able to pierce into him and felt blood on my hands. But before I could pull it out for a second stab, his big fist was a mere inch away from my face forcing me to let go and push off the man. It still connected with my face, but at least i reduced the impact. He pointed his wand at me to take me down but I quickly dodged to the side and ran to get out of the room. He shot a few spells at me and I was able to deflect a few with my palm shield and reflexes. I burst past him and ran towards the stairs when I suddenly heard "CRUCIO!" From behind me. I fell forward with my momentum and screamed for the pain. He kept casting the Unforgivable with an enraged look on his face until he was right next to me. He then started to kick me while cursing.
"Damn filthy half-blood brat! Fucking half beast mongrel! You dare to attack me! You dare harm me! You're lucky you're the last one and that sir Avery wants you or I'd have killed you already!" He yelled until finally he kicked my head and I fainted.
I was woken up by talking between the old bastard and the over weight goon, and being strapped onto a table with the old bastard again was not goin to end well.
"This is the last one sir. The fucking mongrel tried to escape! He fucking stabbed me in the gut! He's lucky we don't have anyone else. We have to leave after he dies and start again somewhere else. After we stole that egg the aurors are hot on our tail and can find us at any moment." Said the goon in his heavy voice sounded quite worried and angry about the situation.
"I know! You don't have to keep telling every single time!" Snapped the old bastard.
"I know it'll succeed this time. I calibrated it properly after the other trials just to get this one shot right. He's the perfect test subject for this. If this succeeds the Dark Lord can regain his power almost immediately and take his place at the head of a new world!" He continued will sound completely insane.
He was moving around writing things on the floor in blood saturated with magic. It felt like the blood was almost bursting with it. But what really drew my attention was what was in a small box near me. The thing was almost like a small sun in terms of magical energy. It felt almost limitless. Like there was no end or beginning for it. I had to stop trying to prob into it or I felt like I would dull my senses.
The old codger was done whatever he had been doing and got into his position above my again, not the most pleasant memory. I heard him unsheathe his small dagger and open the box and lifted something above me. I could now feel the little sun above me. He started chanting in a low voice. Until he built up his momentum, raised his dagger and stabbed me in the chest while shouting "Quod est ad coniungere cum sanguine!"
I was going into shock, screaming at this fucking old man in my mind. 'It wasn't enough that they took my new family and shoved me into a dungeon! It wasn't enough when he took my eyes and almost made me explode the first time!! It wasn't enough when this motherfucker tortured everyday for months!!! Now he wants me to die for this bullshit too!!!!'
As all this was going through my mind, the crazy bastard yelled "quod est ad coniungere cum flamma immortalem!" And shoved the little sun in the stab wound.
Suddenly my whole body felt like it was on fire. Everything was burning, even my magic. And it was at this moment when I felt something enter through my minds defenses. It didn't tug or test anything. It simply went in. I did what I could do best when faced with old demons crazy ideas and went in to defend myself in whatever way I could. But when I arrived in my fortress all I could see outside of with was a bird lighting everything on fire. It screeched in madness and pain as it tried to destroy everything hoping that it would stop the pain. My defenses were trying to stop it but nothing was working. I mean how do you shoot down the species know for it's immortality? How do you stop a freaking Phoenix?
I stopped to think for a bit and adjusted my fortress. Since it wants to burn everything, I'll have to put the fire out. So I imagined enormous amounts of water getting shot out from the now transformed canons. I imagined hundreds of firefighters coming out to help me douse the flames. Hell I even formed a giant water golem like Aang did in his Avatar state. And everything started to put out the flames. Steam was everywhere as the heat was no joke. The flames were getting put out, but the bird itself was almost unstoppable while cutting through everything in its path. All of my defenses were being broken through and I couldn't make them strong enough to resist. It was a tug of war. I kept summoning new defenses and it kept breaking them.
It kept crying out in anger until it finally clicked, I don't need to put it down. It's suffering just like me. It was put in an unjust situation against its will for the rituals of one fucking old man and his hard on for Voldy-twat. It just wants out and to live it's life.
That's when I decide to pull back my defenses and do the complete opposite, I opened myself to it. I showed it everything I am. The pain I went through. The will I hold. The dreams I wish to fulfill. My ideals. Hell I even showed my first life!
Finally the Phoenix stopped and listened to who I am. I am not the one who trapped it here, nor the one who wishes to harm it.
"I am Aedan Bones and if possible I want to be friends with you who is suffering through the same pain as I have."
The Phoenix finally landed in front of me. Looking at me. Understanding what I have shown it. Understanding me.
"Will you be my companion in this life, if I have any after this ordeal?" I asked while stretching out my hand.
It stared into my eyes for some time until it finally nodded and placed its head in my hand.
"Thank you."
Outside, while this was happening with Aedan's mind, was a whole another story.
As soon as the old demon finished putting the Phoenix egg in the stab wound he made, flames erupted in protest and surrounded Aedan's body.
"No no no! Not this again! Why is it happening!? It should be perfect! How will I bring the Dark Lord back if I can't make it work?!" He shouted in a tone akin to madness as the flames were trying to burn everything in the room.
"We have to leave now! He's going to die like the rest. And the Aurors are already taking down all the defenses and curses in the manor. It's only a matter of time before they find the entrance to this place!" Yelled out the Death Goon.
"I cannot leave until the egg kills him! Without it the Dark Lord will not be able to return quickly!" Hissed the old man I response.
"I'm leaving now! I'm not get sent to Azkaban or given the Kiss just for your fucking experiment!" Yelled the goon as he stormed out of the room to escape.
"You traitor to the Dark Lord! Coward besmirching his great name! Flee while I earn his trust!" The old demon shouted in a frenzy.
He then observed the flames surrounding the boy with a determined madness in his eyes. It grew more intense by the minute until suddenly it halted and began to quiet. The old mans eyes widened in shock and then his face was filled with mad glee as he shouted "Success!!! The Dark Lord shall return to us soon, with me at his side!! Hahahahaha!"
The flames then enveloped the boys body in what seemed almost like an egg of its own. And at that moment the door burst open behind the old man as four men wearing a variety of damaged, bloody or dusty robes entered and were frozen at the sight of what appeared to be an egg made of fire. That is until the old man turned around with utter madness on his face and yelled out an otherworldly "Nooooo!!!!"
"You shall not interfere with my work! Avada Kedavra!" He yelled as the Aurors dodged, diving out of the way with haste.
The old man begin to fling every curse he knew to keep them away until the flames disappeared. Stringing Severing charms, exploding curses and some unforgivables as he tried to suppress the surprised Aurors. Unfortunately for him, that was his only chance. One of the Aurors blocker the majority of his spell chain while a second retaliated with a classic Expelliarmus-Impedimenta-Stupefy chain, forcing him on the defensive immediately. The third took this chance to throw a Locomotor Mortis-Stupefy-Incarcerous chain a step slower than his colleague to catch the old man off guard after blocking the first chain. This resulted is the old man blocking the chain and just as he was about to counter attack he switched to defense again only to block the first strike and be struck by the stunner and be bound immediately after.
After securely binding the old man they finally turned their attention to the egg shaped flame in the center of the room. They tried to figure what was happening until a hurried thumping could be heard through the door. They turned to see the leader of this raid: Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.
Looking as though his face was roughly carved from wood. Due to injuries from his long career as an Auror, it was covered with scars, and a chunk of his nose was missing, with a missing eye replaced by the enchanted one he now wears in its place. He had dark grey, grizzled hair. And the wooden leg which gave him his characteristic walk.
"Hmmm, good job. Dangerous man this is. Specializes in dark rituals and a devoted follower of You-Know-Who." He said in his growling voice.
He turned his enchanted eye the the flame in the center. "Now what we were defending so desperately Death Eater." He murmured to himself.
It didn't take long for the fire to start to shrink until they could finally see what was inside: I looked like the body of a white haired boy with a Phoenix on his chest.
"Well I don't think that's what any of us were expecting." Exclaimed one of the Aurors.
And that's how Aedan Bones, formerly Micheal Folster, experienced a second rebirth.