October 15, 2012
Late at night

It was a clear night over Scotland, a dangerous night for flight by broomstick. It was far more likely to be spotted by muggles flying on a night without much cloud cover, but flying through clouds was a wet, miserable experience. Most broomists preferred to fly in clear conditions; it was far more pleasant, but no one wanted to be summoned to the Ministry for a violation of the Statute of Secrecy. This was why Elijah Grimlish chose to make the flight to Hogsmeade Village on a night when the moon was barely a sliver in the sky.

He didn't know his reason for going, only that he needed to go. An invisible tether like a fish hook dragging him forward, a current too strong to overcome. Elijah's life was in shambles and he needed guidance - there was one place he might be able to find it.

Over the last few miles of his trip, comfortable on his Leaf broomstick, Elijah contemplated all the decisions that had led him to this point in his life. There were several things he could not control. As a Seer, Eli was aware that life was vague and that there were many things one could not predict. He could accept the fact that he wasn't always in control but he found it difficult to accept other people's choices without it affecting him.

He could do nothing about his twin sister leaving for places unknown, and couldn't help but feel abandoned by her. Elijah and Evelyn had always had each other, even before they took on the name Grimlish. They had been born together, yet now they had branched apart and Elijah was still trying to figure out who he was as an individual.

His friends from school were all busy with their own lives now, not that he had many of those to begin with. Through no conscious decision on anybody's part, they'd all drifted and now rarely saw each other. Eli did have a hand in that problem though, and was on his way to repairing the situation. His job at the Ministry of Magic with the Vampire Liaison Office had kept his schedule flipped: his nights had become his days and his days had become his nights. It was hard to maintain communication when everyone he knew was on a different sleep cycle. That, however, was no longer an issue.

Elijah had quit his job at the Ministry out of protest for their treatment of Vampires and Werewolves[1], but that only created a new set of issues. Elijah had not planned for a future in which he didn't work for the betterment of Vampire-kind and was left floundering without that job to rely on. People with experience working with vampires usually only found employment as freelance hunters or at the Ministry, both of which Eli found unpalatable. He had been working as a pot-wash at Calaveras as a stopgap, but newly passed vampire legislation[2] had created opportunities to create positions and career paths.

Eli was proud to announce that he had just been hired as the official Bite Registrar for Wolf & Lamb, an upscale establishment catering to both Vampire and Wix patrons. His job was newly crafted and they were still figuring out all the details, but Elijah was hopeful that it was an environment in which he could thrive. This was especially good news, as Eli had finally moved into his own flat and he had bills to pay.

Living away from Grimlish Manor was an experience like no other. Elijah had never been alone before and it was thrilling and terrifying. When he and Evie were young they lived in group homes, crowded with loud and energetic youths. After being adopted by Marietta they moved into the manor, where they were two of fourteen inhabitants[3], one being a ghost and another being a muggle. Eventually he went to Hogwarts, surrounded by housemates even when he felt isolated. His flat at Burgoyne-Burbidges was his first taste of true independence and he was soaking it all in.

The big problem, the issue that had Elijah flying cross-country in the shadows of the night, was Elijah's sight. Something was going on in the space between now and when, something that Eli was coming to realize was greater than himself. He had felt a disconnect for quite some time, but now there was an added urgency to his plight. He hadn't had a reliable prophesy in awhile, but he had felt something when he'd looked into the gazing orb with Fig and Wav over a month back now[4].

Trials ahead. Prepare for danger. Remember memories. Look behind you. These were the impressions he manifested that night. Not quite a prophesy or vision, but better than nothing.

Using those thoughts for guidance, Elijah had gone to the Hall of Prophesies hoping the things he'd foreseen in the past might lead him to answers. Instead, he'd met up with Mr. Virgil Carstairs who was not only an Unspeakable, tasked with exploring the mysteries of wixkind, but he was also a fellow Seer. The trip had answered absolutely no questions, but Carstairs had added several. He had implied that there was something going on cosmically, something that might affect people with strong ties to the unknown but not unknowable[5].

He knew of only one person to consult in these matters, someone who knew the universe and the tapestry it wove better than Elijah could ever hope to.

1.	In Resignation
2.	Wizengamot Passes New Vampire Feeding Law
3.	Grimlish Family
4.	Close One Eye to Open a Third
5.	Send Us a Light Ahead

He stepped off his broom on one of the mountain peaks on the outskirts of the village and cast his eyes about. Eli was clad in all black, traditional wizarding garb, and his dark hair helped him to blend into the surrounding gloom. He hadn't used any light while flying and he had excellent night vision, but he'd crossed the village on his way in and the lights from the taverns, homes, and shops had blinded him considerably.

"Hullo," He called out tentatively, releasing his broom and pulling his wand from within his pocket. As his bloodwood wandtip alit, he could see more clearly his immediate surroundings, but if his light source were to be extinguished, he would be totally blind. It was a risk he was only willing to take because he felt comfortable around the being he was there to meet, who stepped into the ring of light and offered Eli a formal bow, which he returned without hesitation.

"Farsight," came the deep, rumbling voice of the centaur. Like all of his race, he had the torso, head, and arms of a human and the body, rump, fetlocks, tail, and hooves of a horse. In this creature's particular case, his hair (both that on his head and that on his body and tail) was the deepest black. The skin of his body was just a few shades lighter. He had called Elijah Farsight since their first meeting, probably in reference to Eli's abilities as a Seer. It gained him a great deal of respect among the herd and even those who were against the fraternization of centaurs and humans rarely gave him trouble.

"The night is long and the stars are dim," Elijah said in response to the centaur's greeting. It was one of the few traditional centaur greetings that he knew, one that offered to share his illumination and also to indicate that he was in need. They had a unique culture and Elijah had no desire to offend.

"Indeed," The centaur's tone was flat, unemotional, "I desire to be amongst the protection of the trees, what is your need?"

Blunt - that was the way of the centaurs, and it was a sentiment Eli could understand. He had no desire to be in the open any more than the bare-chested creature standing before him. "I cannot see," He replied, just as bluntly, "My vision is blurred, and past a certain point it is blocked. I fear that doom approaches and that none of us are prepared,"

"It is not our place to mettle in the affairs of humans, you know this," The voice was firm, unyielding. Perhaps offense was taken regardless of Eli's attempts to avoid it.

Still, this was important and Elijah couldn't very well let it lie. "Yes, and I understand that. My fear, however, is that whatever approaches is bigger than wixkind. It's as if the very universe is closed to me and if anyone is capable of giving aide, it's you and your people," Flattery rarely worked on centaurs, it was important for Elijah to remember that they were not human, no matter how their upper bodies might appear.

His guest was silent.

"Unless..." Elijah continued, his voice soft, "You know what's going to happen, don't you? You wouldn't have said that shite about not getting involved with mortals or whatever unless you knew. Tell me!" His voice had grown as he spoke, and by the end he was practically shouting.

"I know not the future, no more than any other," The half-horse, half-man was definitely offended, his voice had turned icy, "I'll say this and no more: the stars are dim, but Ara is bright,"

Ara was one of the lesser known constellations. Known as 'the altar', Ara was often overlooked in favor of it's flashy neighbor: Scorpius, but it was vitally important in the grand tapestry of the universe. The altar was a barrier, the place bridging the natural and the divine, a gateway into the universe. If the centaur was right, if Ara was indeed 'bright', that could be invaluable information. It wasn't an outright answer but with his conversational companion, it was the best Elijah was likely to get.

As he readied himself to make his exit, disappointed but ever more hopeful, the centaur spoke again, "Would you like to know why you came here this night?" 

This brought Elijah up short; had he not already discussed the reason for his visit and been summarily dismissed? "I'm here to speak with you and for no other purpose, unless you know something I don't?"

"I know several things you do not. For example, in the cave behind me lies one of the only known colonies of myotis myotis in the country," Came the reply.

This was news to Elijah, who was unaware of any documented cases of current colonies in the area, "You mean there's a colony of greater mouse-eared bats in that cave? Wicked!" He, as an avid bat lover, was eager to know more. "How large is the colony? Are there enough breeding females to sustain the group? This is perfect terrain for them, however did you know they were here?"

Though Elijah loved bats, he well knew the dangers of interfering with a wild colony. It wasn't the dangers to himself he was worried about, but disturbing this colony might cause them to move and their comfort was of vital importance. "It is not a large colony, nor is it particularly small. I would estimate their numbers to be around two gross,"

Elijah knew that one gross was a dozen dozens, so two gross would have been close to three-hundred bats. His companion may have thought this not to be a large colony, but for Elijah it was a very large amount indeed. Colonies of their same breed were known to gather in groups of up to five hundred in some areas, but there weren't any certified cases of their existence in the United Kingdom. Three hundred bats were hard to hide, even in the magical village of Hogsmeade.

"Incredible," He breathed, completely in awe. He raised his wand above his head, pointing it toward the cave for better illumination.

"Indeed," Eli was getting tired of his friend saying that particular word at this point, "And in payment for me answering your queries, you'll enter the den of the leather-flappers," Eli wasn't so sure about this plan, but it didn't take long for the centaur to continue, changing Elijah's outlook entirely, "Inside you'll find a pup without a mother. She has been abandoned by her kind and is in need of your assistance,"

Without another word, the centaur backed up carefully, turned his massive body, and headed off into the darkness.

Inside the cave Elijah was sure to take deep, even breaths. He was nervous, undoubtedly, but not scared. Bats were usually not aggressive, they'd likely fly out of range as soon as he approached, but things didn't always happen as they were likely to.

He had extinguished his wand before entering the cave and had given plenty of time for his eyes to readjust to the darkness. He didn't want to cause the colony any undue stress and a flaming twig wielded by what a bat would think a giant was very stressful. Eli relied more on hearing than sight, thankful that bats were a vocal bunch.

Greater mouse-eared bats were more difficult to catch than many other breeds because they did not behave the same way as others. They used echolocation only for navigation, not for hunting, so those not in flight were often silent. An abandoned, starving pup was unlikely to be up flying about with the rest of the colony, who would perceive them as weak and would bully them - possibly to death. Still, Elijah knew well what it was to be abandoned and he wouldn't allow that story to be written again if he could help it, so he began his search.

It took hours. The cave was longer than it appeared, it twisted and turned at odd angles - blocking out all light. He had to be extremely careful, as myotis myotis hunted from the ground and not the sky - he didn't want to step on anyone. He grew hungry and weary, but he persisted and just as the sun was beginning to rise in the sky outside, Elijah stumbled upon a tiny bat pup, no more than three months old, shivering and thin.

She was small, no more than three or four centimeters, her wingspan maybe double that. Her furry body and her flesh-covered wings were a startling white - a vast contrast to the surrounding environment. She was bright in a place that was dim. She bit him, tearing at his skin, clawing his arm, but Eli just took the pain and gave the poor creature words of love and comfort, "You'll be okay now, little one," He crooned, "You'll be loved, cared for, and you never have to worry about being abandoned again,"

"Your name is Ara. Ara Grimlish," He said, nuzzling the snarling creature to his chest, "You have a brother named Vlad. He'll probably be an arse at first, but he'll learn to love you,"

"Don't worry, I wasn't born a Grimlish either, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're a Grimlish now, and you always will be," Maybe the centaur actually had answered his questions, though perhaps he hadn't been asking the right questions either.