Chapter Thirteen
Third POV
Over the night, the forest gently urged the trees to move Harry to its heart, wanting to set up the best defenses around their Lord. As the trees cautiously moved Harry branch to branch, all of the animals inside the forest got to see him, some even just seeing a human for the very first time. While most creatures looked on in awe or respect, a few noticed the sadness in Harry's face, and the slight shiver of his body. Worried, they gathered their families, or sometimes just themselves, and followed Harry as he was being carried deeper through the woods.
Once Harry had reached the heart, the tree carrying him bent his crown and placed his Lord at the roots of the oldest tree surrounded by a clearing that symbolized the heart. Upon arriving, a family of deer silently began to graze while one of the fawns walked over on slightly uneasy legs to rest her body at Harry's back, being careful of his wings and tail, and laying her head on his shoulder. Harry shifted back into the fawn, but that was all the response he gave, encouraging a little asiatic lion to sneak up and curl underneath Harry's chin, purring at the warmth. A family of rabbits hopped over to sniff him, but they left their Lord in peace and began to create a burrow in one of the trees' roots surrounding the clearing. A small american badger crept up to the asiatic lion, and laid down next to him, curling into Harry's stomach while a raven began creating a nest in a different tree on the outskirts of the clearing. A family of falcons and squirrels also began creating their nests while a unique snake slithered near Harry's legs, coiling up to the side of the fawn. All of the animals fell asleep like that, while a few more came up to look at their Lord, most just settled around the clearing, contributing to the body heat.
Harry woke up to something licking him. He rolled over, not wanting to wake up with how warm he was... on the ground? Harry finally connected the dots and sniffled a bit, sitting up. Opening his eyes, he came face-to-face with a lion. Harry shrieked and jumped backwards, hitting his wings on the bark of the ancient tree. Harry stiffened and the lion prowled towards him playfully and pounced, licking Harry's face. He giggled when he realized the little lion's joke and stroked the lion's back, marveling at the power the creature already possessed as a young cub. "Well, aren't you a beauty?" Harry cooed at the lion as he looked around the clearing, only to see many creatures watching him from their new homes. Harry waved his hand sheepishly, and some animals yipped back at him, a fox even slyly lifted up his paw to wave. Harry giggled again and noticed the fawn, unique snake, and american badger staring at him. Harry gently reached out a hand and pet the fawn as it tried to lick Harry's fingers. Harry smiled warmly and stopped petting the lion's back to give the badger some attention. "How are you, little one?" The snake's many eyes locked on Harry, as it's tongues flicked out of it's mouths rapidly. "You are a speaker, my lord?" Harry shook his head, but smiled. "Yes. But there is no need for titles, please, call me Harry." The lion nuzzled Harry and he giggled, conceding to pet the lion instead of the fawn. "Alright, my lord." Harry shook his head and smiled, continuing to pet the badger and lion as he thought of exactly how he gained the ability to speak parseltongue. Reminded of the mate that he left, Harry's smile slipped off his face and his actions stilled. The fawn, lion, and badger all nuzzled Harry sadly when they felt his depression, but the snake only slithered up his body so it sat on his chest, staring at him. "Why do you not question why I have three heads, my lord?" Harry locked eyes with the center head, the one that was speaking, and shrugged. "I don't care, honestly. Everyone is different in their own way, outwardly or inwardly. I'm magical and have antlers, a tail, and wings. I know what it's like." The snake's three heads 'looked' at Harry's antlers for a moment while the left head's tongue flicked out rapidly, before the right head turned to the center and began hissing. "I told you he was different! But nooo, you said he'd just shun us!" Harry giggled while the center head shushed the right head. The left head knocked it's head against the center one and it's tongue flicked out rapidly. The center head understood the Morse code and transferred the message. "But we also have an internal difference. Kane can't see, I am Kingki, and I can't hear, and Kumasi can't speak. Kumasi is to my left and Kane is to my right." Harry gasped and gently picked up Kumasi, Kane, and Kingki, to bring them closer to his face. "That's incredible! You three use each other as a team, don't you?" Kumasi nodded his head, and Harry giggled. "You three are so smart. I can't imagine what it would be like." Harry shuddered and pulled the snakes to his chest. "Well, I'll never discriminate against you because of things you cannot control; there is no need to be afraid." Kumasi, Kane, and Kingki all hissed happily and slithered up Harry's hands to curl themselves around his whole forearm. The lion growled softly and pawed at Harry's chest while the fawn nudged him lightly in the shoulder. Harry giggled and pet them both, giving in to their cutely pleading eyes. "Now, what are your names?" A masculine chuckle resounded in the clearing, and Harry stiffened, protectively pulling the lion cub and Kingki, Kumasi, and Kane to his chest. "Who's there?" The same chuckle rang throughout the clearing. 'Why, it is I, the heart that you rest upon, that speaks, young Lord.'
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