Reaching the top of the stairs I waved my hand over an indentation in the stonework. Glyphs sprang upwards from the small diagonal panel; Kenaz ᚲ , Ansuz ᚨ , Fehu ᚠ, one after another, connected concentric circular rings and the Valknut.
The internal defences of the school slowly lowered their magical voracity as the stone brick wall quickly melted into one another and rescinded backwards. Within moments a large fifteen foot tall and twenty foot tall gateway emerged, the doors a polished, glossy, onyx colour that managed to inwardly refract any single iota of light unendingly.
"Whoa!" Exclamations followed the unveiling as the stairs we had just traversed became space-like in colouration, small twinkling facets of light that mimicked real stars.
Strutting forwards confidently I lead them further into the hallways beyond. Small stairs guided us upwards to the next set of hallways, these passageways shifting colour lackadaisically, mimicking gas clouds within space. The hues themselves were all directed by small candle chandeliers that hung decadently from steepled rooves, the flames at their ends mimicking the changes in the walls around them. In my opinion the hallways looked magical beyond compare, the stones that created the structure outlined in a glowing silver that made everything pop.
"What is this place made of?" Sirius whispered his question as he watched the shift in tone once more, turning from a dark blue and a crimson red. We passed by some small alcoves that could be used for chatting or social gatherings, glass in these sections reflecting back different environments and biomes.
'What is it made of System?'
[Stjarnhǫllr, or Star-Hued Stone. Highly reactive to magical auras and emotional energy. This castle is attuned to your unique magical signature and fluctuating emotional state. However, as with all lesser constructs, it struggles to interpret divine-level presence. The result is chaotic expression, shifting unpredictably through its entire reactive palette.]
'Thanks!'
"Stjarnhǫllr, or Star-Hued Stone, Sirius. It reacts to my emotions and magic, though it constantly fails to do so and instead chooses to just cycle between every option it has."
"Cool!"
With a smile, I brought them further inside until we reached a breathtaking entryway. I clapped my hands, and the doorway ground open, its reverberations igniting the magical stone in vibrant radiance. My gaze swept upward as I examined the room, and I smirked at the magic of the moment... Candles clung to sconces emblazoned upon the Baroque pillars that guarded the flanks of the main eating hall. They were carved into fine spirals and depictions of animals, the rune work that wove in amongst them burring the senses just finely enough that one could almost swear they were moving. In the dance of these magical supports I couldn't help but find myself arching my head upwards, in the hope of finding the source of these magical displays... Alas, the source was not found, as other wonderful details expressed themselves. The whipping of flames, candles cradled within intricately stunning gothic metalwork, was the first to be noticed. In amongst black arches that reached high into the void of light above, like ancient spears or towers, it almost painted a vivid painting of mythological tales.... It was mesmerising. The Chandeliers from which the rampant flickers were sparked from, could be said to have come right from a fantasy novel or vampire tale... Ornate onyx gems hugged the sharply flowing metalwork that wove upwards, ornate symbols weaving deep into the crevices until such a stage that one could not follow the details any further.
Footsteps to my side brought me back into the moment, my will to go forwards reignited as my eyes dropped down to the end of the school's eating hall. There, at the far end, sat an elegant but intimidating table of polished magical wood. Shadows flickered and danced amidst its magical immensity, the light from the flames being consumed by shrouded Egyptian runes that sparked with just enough intensity to leave a faint lava-like glow around the legs and corners of the centrepiece. The space-shaded material itself lightly displayed natural phenomena from within the polished reflections that swallowed its many surfaces... From volcanos, forest fires, magical fire spells and cursed fire, the table almost appeared to scream of importance, danger and power. It was a purposeful design, meant to bring importance to those who sat behind it... The teachers.
"This is the main eating hall. It can expand spatially in whatever way one could wish for. This space can change based on the most senior staff's wish and can be themed by merely sitting upon the headmistresses' throne at the centre of the table... But, besides those details, this room can magically link to any of the other major sections of the castle."
Sirius, Harry, Hermione and the Grangers all watched me move beyond the pillars on the right side of the room. Following me, I watched them gawk at their surroundings whilst the feeling of magic thrummed against my feet, the school's sentience reaching out to me as if in a hug.
"From this small dial..." I turned and gestured whilst awaiting their full attention, "Any student, staff member or magical can connect this empty archway to one of a dozen similar constructs spread throughout the expansive grounds." Looking back at the archway I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that I was able to manipulate the dimensional travel of my own personal living space to create instant teleportation capabilities for my newly completed project. It had been a small detail, admittedly, but it made the school much more magical.
"Let me showcase its capabilities." I turned the dial, the radiant stonework above the arch springing to life magically as words sprang forth from deep within the stone. 'Library', was the first destination amidst my tour as I wanted to interest Hermione with the plethora of books that had come with the purchase of this magical school. A spiralling whirlpool manifested in the once empty archway before it stabilized and snapped into clarity... In an instant a door-sized hole into the library could be observed.
Stepping through I waved them all onwards, the adults squirming in concern as they tiptoed through whilst Harry and Hermione simply leapt through, their eyes alighting in excitement as they were met with a truly spectacular sight.
You see, unlike Hogwarts' library, where you were contained within a cramped chamber that felt constrained in scope and greatness by physics... Freyavellir's was dimensional. Monumental bookshelves lined the walls of the space as books flew from shelf to shelf, self categorizing and re-arranging themselves to suit the needs of those within the sanctum of knowledge. Similar baroque pillars maintained the many different level's stability, all coalescing into a hypnotic dome formed of glimmering white marble and enchanted with a complex system of golden constellations. More striking than even those however, was the massive sphere that resembled Sol, or as many 'muggles' would call it, the Sun.
Yellow, orange and gold roared from its surface and yet stayed perfectly contained. No heat vented from its seemingly random outbursts, nor did any radiation strike the room with an ill-conceived sickness... It simply hung there, in mid-air, like a puppet with its strings attached, all the while neon lights sparkled through the air around it and plunged deeply into the ball of what my guests were assuming was bilious plasma. Yet, the sphere's glow echoed the chandeliers' flames, a radiant heart of Freyavellir's magic that lay in one place that only I could ever know... My own soul and magic.
The tour in this particular room continued for half an hour as I answered Hermione's every question with as much detail, candor and discipline as I thought necessary. Eventually we left the comfortable British parlour furnishings, alcoves and studying rooms for the empty archway once more. Sirius had grown bored, unfortunately, amidst his worst enemy; books, and thus the growing desire to amaze him filled my mind. The emotion wasn't sourced from indignation, merely a sense of annoyance at his lacklustre response to the vast collection of knowledge that was tied directly to my own understandings of magic.
"The next room will be enjoyable for you all, no doubt." Sirius smirked cheekily, his hand rising to rub the back of his neck in mock embarrassment before Harry poked him in the rib and he flinched backwards. "Aye! Enough of that!" The boy-who-lived smiled evilly before raising his hand again, his godfather now narrowing his eyes and preparing a stinging hex on the end of his wand; though he couldn't hide the elated grin that smothered his features in happiness.
I turned the dial and ignored the antics of the Black and the Potter, Hermione standing beside me in expectation for the upcoming room. The words shifted easily once more, the stone revealing a single line that drew a gasp from the girl. 'Magi-zoology Classroom/Preserve'. The arch snapped into focus once more as a jungled expanse spread out before us. "Follow me everyone." I did not wait for their answer or their antics to cease before I stepped through into the massive preserve.
The space was enormous, truly gigantic. Stepping out onto a nearby balcony I looked down upon the ten thousand acre magical preserve. Jungles exploded from one segment, blending seamlessly into a magical elm forest... Desert mixed with tundra and Savanna... Arctic and Polar biomes mixed with snowy forests of many types and varieties... The one thing they all had in common however was the circular pattern that they all were arranged within, around this central wizard tower.
Based upon the current view no one could be able to possibly understand the scope and size of the tower itself, but I knew based off of my construction of it, that it stood at three hundred floors tall and three empire-state buildings wide. Dragon pens and landings hung from ten different floors whilst Unicorn preserves took another ten... Nundu breeding chambers and birthing chambers were next to the previous two. Every ten floors was dedicated to a mythical magical creature, many of them awaiting to be brought back to life with the aid of my powers and system.
Structures were built in each zone and protected by advanced wards, the magic both dimensional, eldritch, anima and psychic based. No one would be harmed by the creatures inside the preserve so long as they stayed within the structures and their wards. The fortunate aspect of these protections was the calming effect it had upon magical creatures... A truly awesome addition for the preserve, making my point purchase more than worth it even just to grab the knowledge of such wards.
"H-How many creatures are here Professor!?" Hermione and Harry leaned over the pinkish-gold railings as their guardians also looked out, but at a distance.
My smile dropped a touch at their question... I hadn't purchased any magical creatures yet.
"None. So far, I have focussed on the protective wards and the security of those who would come here. Now that I know it is safe, I will start bringing in magical species from around the world and hopefully breed them out of near-extinction." All of the processed my words as I stared out at the distant landscapes, a single line of thought spreading through my mind with eerie clarity.
'Yuna's going to need animals to scan when she gets back... May as well do it after the tour...'
...
Somewhere in Germany..
"ACHU...!" Yuna wiped her nose as she looked suspiciously towards the snow and ice surrounding her and her party.
"Come on Yu, we're going to miss the guards if you don't hurry up!" The other Yuna shouted towards her whilst her mischievous brother and girlfriend laughed.
'I'm going to get them back for being brats, I swear!' Her thoughts quickly cooled as another gust of winter wind smacked into her face. She spat her frustrations out, hurrying towards her current companions.
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