Death's Chosen (HP/BGIII)

AN: This one won in an incredibly close vote. There were only six votes in it in the end. It's the second closest vote we've ever had. I hope you enjoy.

There were countless gods and goddesses across every pantheon across every corner of creation. And in every one of those pantheons there was a god or goddess of death. Whether it was Thanatos, Anubis, Frejya it didn’t matter because beneath it all was the one constant Death.

The primordial force that existed across all reality and all time. The inevitability that all things had to face. It was an entity that all people knew, but very few would ever truly understand. And it was an entity that was rather peeved with one of the so-called, ‘Gods of Death.’

Myrkul, a once-mortal man who ascended to godhood alongside Bhaal and Bane, the gods of murder and tyranny, respectively, was a god in the land of Faerun. Together, they were known as the Dead Three. From their beginnings, when they sought out divinity with their every adventure until they found themselves at Jergal’s door, they’d always grasped for power. But even divinity didn’t seem to be enough, and their seemingly endless scraping had led them to a truly foolish plan.

‘The Absolute’ and their new cult, all a ruse to gather more souls for the Dead Three. Their bidding on Faerun was being carried out by three paragons, three chosen, that spoke directly to the Dead Three and enacted their will. They were using ancient Netherese magic, the sort that even Death found impressive, to contain the strength of an Elder Brain and infect thousands with mind-flayer parasites.

They’re fools! Shortsighted self-important fools! They don’t have the good sense to consider the forces they’re actually playing with. Even in the reckoning of a timeless force of nature, Elder Brains were powerful creatures. Adding Netherese magic was just begging for what she could only imagine would be an apocalyptic fiasco.

But as much as their stupidity infuriated her, there was nothing that she could do, at least not directly. For the whole of her existence, that had been her prerogative. She was shepherd of the dead, interfering wasn’t allowed. But then, there was something about their little plan that actually gave her an idea.

If they have their Chosen, why not pick someone of my own to deal with the problem. The only problem was that Death didn’t have hundreds, if not thousands, of worshippers to choose from who could enact her will. And none in Faerun.  That was one of the problems with being the silent primordial force rather than the gods and goddesses that they worshipped.

Then it came to her… it should’ve been obvious from the very start. It would require a little bit of bending the rules on her part, but nothing too egregious. And he should be absolutely perfect for the job.

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There was a solitary home, no bigger than a few hundred square meters, sitting on a sandy beach on a small, lonely island in the vastness of the Caribbean Sea. Walking along the shore, with a large snapper slung over his shoulder, was Harry Potter as he made his way back to his little abode.

Despite his time in the warm sun, his hair was still as black as ever. In fact, very little had changed about him over the years. He was still skinny, though not emaciated as he had been in his younger years. He was still as pale as you would expect from a Brit, and he still wore a pair of round-rimmed glasses, though he finally took the time to make sure his current pair wouldn’t break.

Nudging the door open, the little home was a good deal bigger on the inside. Where it looked like there would be barely enough room for a basic kitchen and somewhere to sleep, there was a quaint home. But then that was the beauty of magic.

As he threw the fish down onto the kitchen counter, he felt a change in the air. It made the skin on his arm pimple and his hair raise. It’d been quite some time since he’d felt that sort of sensation.

And just as long since he’d heard a familiar voice, “Quite a cozy place you’ve made for yourself here, Harry.”

Turning back to look at his uninvited guest, she was sitting on his couch facing him. Her jet-black hair hung loose over her shoulders and almost seemed to flow into her dress. Her eyes, a disquieting shade of silver that felt like they could see right through to his very soul, had a gleam that left him on edge. There was a little upturn at the corner of her pale lips as she looked around his home.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her, and he would’ve preferred if they kept it that way, “Death… to what do I owe this displeasure?”

“Oh, come now, Harry.” She laughed as she stood and approached him from behind, “That isn’t anyway to greet your servant.”

He snorted out a derisive laugh at that. The Hallows hadn’t made him the Master of Death. Something eternal and primordial didn’t have a master. It gave him certain gifts, gifts that he would’ve happily given back had he known how things would play out. But the worst gift was being tied to Death for the rest of his days. Which seem as though they’re just never going to end.

Taking a thin knife, he gutted the fish, banishing its entrails without even so much as a wave of his hand. As he started descaling the snapper, he said to her, “The last time you came knocking on my door it was to destroy a horcrux that irritated you… so, something tells me this isn’t just some social call.”

The truth of their relationship was that he’d become her servant when he united the Hallows rather than the other way around. He wasn’t compelled to do the things she requested of him, but there was very little sense in actively angering one of the oldest things alive in all of creation. It was arrangement that he disliked, or at least one that he liked to make her think that he disliked.

“You’ve always been rather clever.” That didn’t sound remotely genuine, but then some of his exploits from his younger years made it hard to argue with that assessment, “There’s something I require of you.”

“Out with it then,” He insisted, “you’ve never been one to beat around the bush when you want something.”

Death pouted, “You’re being no fun today.” She sighed before getting to the point, “We’ve had many conversations since we first met and there’s one in particular that I want you to recall.”

“Which one?”

“That I am the Death of every world and every reality…”

“I remember,” he couldn’t help but laugh a little at the memory, “I believe you were trying to intimidate me when you told me. You were trying to convince me take care of a necromancer problem that you were having and implied that you could drop me into a nightmare dimension for a few hundred years if that’s what it took to convince me.”

She actually looked rather embarrassed that he remembered that fact, “Yes, well, glad that you remember. There is something… irksome happening on a world called Faerun. There is a God of Death behaving abhorrently, and I don’t have the patience for it.”

“You made it quite clear to me that you are the true Death, so” He sliced a fillet from each side of the fish and pulled the small bones free, “why not just reap this would-be god yourself?”

“I can’t interfere…”

“That’s right. That’s why ever since I united your bloody Hallows you’ve come to me.” He seasoned his fish before setting a fire beneath a pan on the hob.

Even when they didn’t get along, she was always straightforward with him, “Exactly. I wish for you to go to Faerun, to thwart the plans of Myrkul and his cohorts, Bane and Bhaal.”

He scraped some coconut oil into the pan and let it heat before dropping two fillets of fish on. As they sizzled away, he said, “This is a new one for you. I can’t remember you ever throwing me at actual gods before.”

“Their plan is… ludicrously stupid. They are playing with things that could have serious ramifications for their own world as well as others. And I won’t have the good name of Death besmirched by some up jumped necromancer!” He’d never seen her quite so angry.

Despite the heat outside, a biting chill went through the room before she calmed herself, “They’re working through their Chosen… and since, I cannot interfere directly, I intend to do the same.”

“And if I say no?”

Her smile was dangerous, “Well, there’s always the nightmare dimension…” He turned to her with an arched eyebrow, and she pouted again, “Really? You’re just miserable today…” and that seemed to give her an idea, “Which is exactly why you’re going to agree to this.”

The fish was done. He served it up onto two plates and added a spoonful of seasoned rice that he’d made earlier in the day to each. Sliding one over to Death, he asked, “How do you figure that?”

“Because you’re not meant for this.” Death said as she looked around his little home, “You might be content here… but you’re not happy. You need an adventure to go on, a problem to solve, and here, you don’t have any of that.”

There was some truth to that. Harry hadn’t been truly happy in quite some time. His life had become dull and repetitive, the last bit of excitement had been dealing with that horcrux problem for her. And the proposal that Death brought him seemed as though it would at least be something new. Very new. A whole new world…

“This is good, by the way.” Death noted as she took a quick bite, “I sometimes forget that you can cook.”

Harry just watched her silently as he ate, weighing his options. When the last of the fish was off his plate, he wiped his mouth and gave her his answer, “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“I knew we’d come to an understanding.” Death beamed, “We always do.”

“When do I leave?”

“Why, now, of course.” With that she took his wrist.

Traveling with Death was more disorienting than any apparition or portkey had ever been. He found himself waking with his face pressed against something fleshy, soft, and discomfortingly wet.

Pushing himself to his feet, it felt like every bone in his body was burning. His vision blurred at the edges, and he had to force down the fish in his stomach as it threatened to make a reappearance. I really should’ve seen that coming, but you’d think she’d at least give me a little bit of time to prepare.

He felt a shiver go through his spine as her voice reverberated through his mind. No need, I took care of things.

He could feel the press of a wand against the inside of his forearm, and he knew without touching it that the Elder Wand was there. There was a pouch on his hip, one that he was hoping was bottomless and contained, at the very least, his cloak. My cloak. And don’t worry, I didn’t forget it.  

Taking stock of his garments, it seemed that Death even took the time to dress him. Though, it wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. He wore a set of robes that were gold and crimson because Death had an annoying sense of humor. They were wrapped fully around the front and were sinched together with a belt. He had a pair of white linen trousers and simple leather boots to finish it off.

As his head finally stopped spinning, he was able to take in his surroundings and he suddenly wanted to find Death and curse her… repeatedly. He was on some sort of air ship, the only reason that was obvious to him was because of the gaping hole in the side of it where he could see a blood red sky going past. In the distance, he could make out  the peaks of mountains where lava like veins in  to the unseen ground below.

Just beside him, there were pods with people in them, most of whom appeared to be dead. In the center of the room was a pool of fluid in a bright orange apparatus that appeared to be otherwise empty. It was a grimmer start than he was expecting to his time in this new world.

As he made his way toward the break in the hull, he could feel the heat from outside and he would wager that he was looking at a literal hellscape. Brilliant… But then, as angry as he wanted to be, there was no denying that adrenaline running through his veins as his heartbeat just that little bit faster.

He hopped away as something scurried about at his feet. It looked like a walking brain, with two tendrils protruding off it from either side. Well, that’s already something new… horrible, but new.

He saw a pathway that led further in. There was an odd membrane webbing that would lead him to the next level and another doorway. Then there was a roar.

A red dragon screeched as it dove toward the ship, he could feel the heat as it belched a great torrent of fire onto the air ship. As it soared up and over his head, Harry watched it, only to be surprised by another entirely new thing.

A woman clad in jewel-encrusted, engraved armor leaped with surprising grace from above him. Her sword was drawn and poised to kill. For most people that would’ve been their immediate concern, but that’s not what caught his attention. It was the green skin, dotted black around the eyes, and sharply pointed ears that he noticed first and foremost.

Her voice was severe, angry, “Abomination… this is your end!”

“I think not.”  His wand was in his hand, a silent spell ripping her sword from hers faster than she could blink. It didn’t seem to deter her in the slightest. It was clear the woman was a warrior. She tried to charge him but found herself wrapped in thick ropes that bound her arms to her side.

“Now, that doesn’t seem like a good way of introducing yourself.” She struggled against the ropes as he leaned over her, “I’m guessing you don’t want to be on this ship any more than I do, but you seem to know what’s going on here and I don’t. If we work together, I wager we have a better chance.” He knew that he’d have no problem surviving on his own, but it would help if he had someone who had some thought as to where they ought to be going.

Something about what he said brought her up short, and she looked at him in a whole new light. “T’skva, you are no thrall. Vlaakith blesses me this day!” The last was said with a fanatism that bordered on worrying. But beggars can’t be choosers.

“You don’t even appear to be tainted with one of the disgusting ghaik mind parasites. This is good!” She tried to wiggle free again, “Now free me and we will escape this place together.”

Mind parasites… that sounds horribly unpleasant. He assured her “No, definitely nothing wriggling around in my head… at least nothing that I’m aware of.” Deciding she was no longer a threat, minor as it might’ve been, he sliced the ropes and handed her sword to her, “Who are you?”

“Your best chance of escaping this place.”

“That’s a great deal of confidence for someone who was just helpless on the ground a second ago.” She tutted in the back of her throat, but couldn’t seem to meet his eye, “Now, what’s your plan?”

“First, we exterminate the imps.” She looked behind her to where three red, winged, demonic creatures were feeding on the flesh of a dead thrall, “Then we find the helm and take control of the ship.”

“Lead the way.” He offered. It seemed like the sort of thing this woman wanted to do regardless, and he really didn’t know his way around well enough to do it himself.

Turning on her heal, she ran toward the imps with him close behind. She made to raise her sword and slash at them, but they exploded in a spray of blood and bone before she had a chance to let her sword fall. She looked back at him, perplexed for a moment before it quickly turned to anger, “What? I figured we’re in a hurry.”

“Tchk.” She made her way to the wall and climbed the membrane with impressive ease. Harry had no intention of touching any of that and simply popped up to the next level behind her. She arched an eyebrow, but whatever thoughts were on her mind, she didn’t voice them.

They made their way into another chamber, and Harry was suddenly glad that he’d found someone who knew at least something about where they were because it looked annoyingly like the first room. Must be dead easy to get lost in here.

The only glaringly obvious difference was the dull pounding of hands against glass from one of the pods that lined the sides of the room. Making his way over, he found a woman trapped within.

Her hair was dark, cut with a rather sever fringe in the front and held in a ponytail at the back with an ornate hairpiece that looked like flame. He could just make out pointed ears poking out at the sides. There was a circlet on her brow with a jewel in the center. She wore jewel-encrusted armor, just as his other companion, but of an entirely different style.

Her voice was frantic and demanding as she saw him, “You! Get me out of this thing!”

“We have no time for stragglers!” Harry just gave his first companion a look, and she seemed to realize he wasn’t convinced. She tutted in the back of her throat but didn’t argue further.

It didn’t take more than a cursory glance for Harry to recognize warding runes and the contraption they were tied to nearby. He placed his hand on the console and for a moment there was nothing, as though it was searching for something, something in his mind, before falling to his commands. He forced a connection and felt it cede control to him. All it took from there was a thought.

The pod opened and the woman within fell out face first into the squishy floor beneath. She pushed herself to her knees with a groan before managing to get out, “At last… I thought I was done for. I was sure that damn thing was going to be my coffin.”

It was only then that she took stock of his first companion, and he could feel her mood shift to distrust, “You keep dangerous company.”

Honestly, Harry wasn’t sure if the odd woman was all that dangerous but still, “In situations like this, I find that dangerous company is far more useful.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Her eyes flitted about the room, “as long as we all get off the ship alive, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Let me come with you, and we can watch each other’s backs.”

He’d already picked up one stray, he didn’t see the harm in grabbing another. I’ll need someone to tell me just where the bloody hell I am once I’m off this ship, after all. He gave her a cheeky smile, “The more the merrier,” He heard a noise from the green woman that clearly meant she didn’t agree, “I’m Harry by the way.”

“Shadowheart.” Harry had to resist the urge to snort a laugh at the rather… teenage angsty… sounding name, “Just a moment.” She reached back into her pod and retrieved a many-sided prism with small points on the outside. He caught only a glimpse of it before she tucked it away.

He didn’t much care what she was trying to hide, at least not yet, and merely told them, “Right, let’s go.”

“Finally! Let us make for them helm… we’ve wasted enough time already.”

“You know, I never did get your name…” Harry could tell that he was riling the odd, at least to him, woman up… and he couldn’t be enjoying it more.

She scowled, but at his unmoving stare, she relented, “If it will get us moving, it is Lae’zel.”

“Brilliant,” He reckoned that he was in danger of getting a sword swung at him if he pushed her any further, “now we all know each other, let’s go.”

“Lead on.” Shadowheart agreed, falling in behind them. There was a glow leading down one of the tunnels that they followed. A door, odd and fleshy, like the valve of a heart opened as they approached. One of the brain creatures scurried about at their feet, but didn’t bother them.

As they approached another of the doors Lae’zel commanded, “We’re nearing the helm. Once inside, do as I say.”

Shadowheart clearly didn’t trust her and was quick to reply, “Who put you in charge? I’ll trust my own instinct.”

Just my luck. The two people I find in the middle of absolute chaos somehow already hate each other. “Let’s just get on with it.” They glared at each other briefly before they both accepted he was right.

The scene they walked in on was almost surreal for Harry. There were two winged demons, clad in armor that barely covered any of their vitals, so it was hard to understand the point. The only reason he was sure they were demons was the giant horns protruding from their heads and the flaming curved swords in their hands.

They were fighting two… squid monsters. Or at least that was the closest thing Harry could compare them to. They had tentacles protruding from their faces. They were long and gangly, wearing ornate robes. Their eyes were slanted, and a piercing yellow, clearly intelligent, but somehow empty, too.

As they watched, one of the squids latched onto the head of a demon and seemingly devoured its brain. Well, that was horribly unpleasant to watch. What a great day this has turned out to be.

The odds were quickly even as that same squid died when imp slashed it across the chest, once, twice, and a third time for good measure.

There was a blast of purple energy from the remaining squid that left the air tingling with energy, knocking back the remaining demon. The squid turned toward them and spoke, though Harry wasn’t entirely sure how, “Thrall, connect the nerves of the transponder. We must escape now.”

“Do it,” Lae’zel commanded, “We can deal with the ghaik later.” While Shadowheart wanted to be reluctant before, she charged off to meet the challenge head on.

Harry could see the blue command console from across the room. He just stood there for a few seconds and watched as things played out. Lae’zel took a swing at an imp and missed, only to take another and sever its arm. Shadowheart pummeled the head of a hellhound with her mace, but it wasn’t enough to kill it. That’s a tough bastard.

They tried to keep moving toward the console, but each took a swipe for their trouble. With a little shake of his head, Harry popped across the room and found himself standing right next to the ‘nerves of the transponder.’ No one in the room was any the wiser that he was there.

The transponder was a dozen tentacles, each with cilia on one face that would allow them to connect. Making an educated guess, Harry took hold of two of them and popped them together. They started hissing like a snake, and seemed to be doing something.

Of course, it was at that moment a red dragon decided to pop its head in and spew a torrent of fire into the helm. Dipping below the console, he hid from the heat. And then there was a ‘thwush’ and the heat was gone.

The world outside was a myriad of purple and blue all rushing by. Gravity became convoluted, pulling him toward the other end of the ship, but he rooted his feet in place with a quick spell. Taking a chance, he took hold of the tentacles again.

It proved the right thing to do as the entire ship popped out of the odd void and reappeared into the night sky. The ship was no longer under attack, which was an objectively good thing all things considered. The only problem… the ship was crashing. Standing on the edge watching as the ground slowly grew closer, Harry could feel eyes on him. The squid was staring at him with calculating eyes.

With a little salute, he jumped without a second thought. The air rushed around him as he plummeted toward the earth. It was a rush, one that he hadn’t felt in years. When he was barely ten feet from the ground his descent slowed rapidly until he glided gently to the ground.

There was a great boom as the airship collided with the ground. He was sure he could see two more dots falling to the ground further along the shore, and then they slowed. Given how things were going, he was rather confident it was Shadowheart and Lae’zel.

That’s probably where I should start. As he made his way down the shore, he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t enjoying himself.

AN: I'm curious to hear feedback on this one. Obviously, there's no guarantee that it'll get continued any further, at least for a while, but would you want the whole story of BGIII told with Harry included in the party with all that would entail, considering his magic is quite different? Or more the highlights of the story? Let me know your thoughts.