Chapter 10: A New Companion
Aidan found himself in the place he had only been able to see vicariously before. For the first time, he was truly there. He felt overwhelmed and safe, lost and comfortable. His contradicting emotions stilled the moment he felt the magic in the place set in motion —ancient and expectant. It resonated with his own, becoming alive in that instant. Becoming whole once again.
He was standing a bit further from the entrance he had seen before. In front of him stood a tall, wrought-iron gate that stretched wide across the old path, its blackened spikes tipped like spearheads, dulled by time. Twisting through the metalwork were delicate vines of enchanted ivy, long-dead but preserved in silver, curling like veins of memories.
Above the gate arched a cast-iron sign, its lettering elegant yet austere. Crimsonveil Manor was etched in curling Gothic script, the name weathered by centuries yet somehow untouched by age —as though even time itself had learned to show reverence here.
Two stone pillars flanked the gate, each crowned with a dormant lantern, their glass panes stained red and pale white, echoing the colours of the trees that lined the path beyond. The air carried the scent of earth and old magic. And though no breeze stirred, Aidan could feel the place breathing, waiting for him.
"I guess they don't greet guests at the door." Aidan commented, trying to calm his beating heart.
As soon as he approached the gate, the lanterns came to life, lit up by the magic of the Manor. The gate opened by itself, and Aidan soon came to know why he was standing there and not where he meant to Apparate. The magic woven into the land and the Manor itself offered him the answer.
Since it was his first visit, the wards did not allow him to Apparate directly into the Ancestral Home, Lord or not. But they had recognised him immediately. Or at least, they recognised his blood.
Feeling no apprehension, but pure awe and wonder instead, Aidan started walking towards Crimsonveil Manor. His eyes wandered, taking in the grove that encircled the Manor. Then he reached it. The place he had seen. And there, he still sat. Alone. Waiting. Forever waiting. Until finally, someone came back for him.
Aidan wasted no time in rushing towards Morgott's statue. He did not know how to awaken it, but he did not care. He wanted to do nothing but reassure the creature that it was no longer alone, that it would no longer be alone.
Aidan crouched before Morgott's statue, his hand resting on the cold stone of the statue's head, as if he was petting the Hemeris. He took a slow breath, trying to steady the nervous pounding in his chest.
"Well, Morgott, I'm not sure if this is the best of gifts, but... surprise. I've come for you." He paused, as if waiting for a response. "No witty retort? Beatrice would be disappointed."
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the rustling of leaves. Aidan's gaze dropped to the collar Morgott wore, then went back to the statue's unblinking, dead eyes. Something in the stillness felt like an invitation —or a challenge.
He focused on his hand, on the cool stone, feeling the rough texture beneath his fingertips. Slowly, instinct took over, urging him to reach deeper, beyond touch.
Closing his eyes, Aidan summoned the quiet pulse of his bloodline magic, the same that had whispered secrets before. It was tentative, uncertain at first, like testing a forgotten language.
The statue remained still.
Then, a subtle warmth bloomed beneath his palm —a heartbeat trapped in stone. The crimson eyes flickered, faint sparks of life kindling in the cold depths.
Aidan's breath caught. He opened his eyes, finding Morgott's own staring back at him. Human and creature, gazing into each others souls, sharing something deeper than any person could ever understand.
In that moment, Aidan felt something foreign to himself, much like when he was in the memory.
Relief. The long wait was over.
Morgott meowed and nudged his head against Aidan's hand, which was still resting there. It was radiating happiness, and Aidan vowed to make said feeling the new normality for the Hemeris.
"Who's a good boy?" Aidan said in that condescending tone people use with babies. "Morgott is, of course he is!"
The Hemeris jumped from where it stood to Aidan's shoulder without messing with his balance, as if it were weightless. Once there, Morgott started purring and rubbing himself on Aidan's neck, cheek, hair —everywhere it could reach.
Aidan sensed it wasn't merely territorial affection. It was something deeper. A need to mark him as its new master, to ensure it could always find him. Morgott wasn't rubbing his own scent onto Aidan —no, quite the opposite. He was imprinting Aidan's scent on himself.
"Ok boy, ok," Aidan said, reassuring the Hemeris that he wasn't going anywhere without him from then on. "You don't have to worry, Morgott. Besides, I learned you can hide in your very own shadowy dimension."
At his words, Morgott tilted his head, then slipped silently into Aidan's shadow, vanishing completely. A moment later, he re-emerged —this time carrying a book in his mouth.
"Now that I did not expect," Aidan muttered. "Where did you even get that from, you trickster?"
Morgott meowed and padded to the manor's entrance, resting a paw on the threshold with deliberate intent.
"You're telling me you took this from inside the manor?" Aidan asked, though he already knew the answer. "Are there more books in there?"
Another nod. Another soft meow.
"Guess I'll have to go inside, then." Aidan sighed in mock defeat, then glanced down at the book Morgott had brought him. "But first... what's this?"
The title made him blink.
'Obscure Materials for Wandmaking'.
"Right," Aidan said slowly, staring at the Hemeris with raised eyebrows. "You definitely understand more than you let on."
It was quite a magical thing, realising just how smart the Hemeris was. It understood, perhaps intrinsically, that Aidan had a problem with his wand. That in itself was fantastic, but the cherry on top was the fact that it knew to bring him a book that would help him solve the problem. And it brought him the correct book.
He wasn't sure if he should be impressed, unnerved, or both. In any case, the bar for intelligent magical companions had just been dramatically raised. Owls be damned.
"I'll take this one home, start studying —as per usual—" Aidan told Morgott, who looked at him —head tilted, as if waiting for him to continue. "And then I'll get back to Mr. Ollivander by tomorrow, maybe explore the Manor for a bit."
Morgott gave a soft meow in response, curling once around Aidan's legs before vanishing back into his shadow.
"Right. One thing at a time." Aidan muttered, clutching the book and heading for home.
Aidan had his priorities straight. He would first solve the issue with his wand, and only then would he explore Crimsonveil Manor to unveil its secrets. Hopefully, there would be many left for him to unearth, unravel, and enjoy.