Chapter 7 - Meeting New Partners

****** A/N: Hi all! Here's the next chapter! I've started working on the stockpile btw! Just a reminder, releases will be Sundays and Wednesdays while I'm saving up. Also started mapping out future chapters and events. Not gonna lie, im pretty excited to share them with you all. Side note: it's my first time using this timer publish release. It'll be uploading while I'm at work so hopefully it works out ok Ahaha. Anyways, enjoy the Chapter!*********

"Indeed!" Teek responds in obvious excitement, ears flapping in happiness.

While Khan always had his suspicions, nonetheless he was still stunned by the revelation.

'This is Deek's family!' Khan thought to himself. 'Why the hell didn't I think of that before? All my friends and family might be dead, but their relatives and descendants might not be. Maybe I can locate them!'

A new temporary plan in place, Khan felt revitalized as he had a new goal to work towards. He turned back toward the two elves, with new resolve.

"Shall we go into my vivariums?" He addressed the house-elves. "I would like to see all my old beast friends!"

The two house-elves nodded in agreement.

"Zeke has just finished tending to all the beasties!" Zeke added happily. "They were all playing when Zeke got a summon and had to leave."

Stepping away from his "Coastal" vivarium, he excitedly heads downstairs temporarily, before heading up the opposite set of stairs towards his "Castle Ruins" vivarium. While he was excited to visit his coastal vivarium beast friends, his "Castle Ruins" contained all of his battle beasts partners and friends.

Located at the center of his RoR, his CR vivarium was the most recent vivarium created by the ROR when he rescued his phoenix companion and friend, Sol. Uniquely suited for her, it was the most open of the vivariums, with Castle Ruins overlooking a spacious mountain region.

Having arrived upstairs, he walked across towards his vivarium, thinking of his beast friends/partners.

With a Phoenix watching over this specific vivarium, Khan had started to place all his 'sentimental' beasts here for safe keeping.

Highwing and Caligo, his two uniquely colored hippogriffs, had been relocated to this vivarium when Highwing became pregnant, Khan setting up a unique breeding pen for Poppy's good friend. Khan likes to think that their baby, the uniquely named Silverwing (named after her signature-colored wings), will take after her parents, becoming a fierce partner and protector of all the beasts.

Sepulchria, similarly, had been moved here as well when she had fallen pregnant suddenly. At the time, Kahn was furious, as none of the male thestrals he had saved, were 'owning up' to having impregnated her, leaving her to forage and care for herself during pregnancy. Leaving the rest of the thestrals in his swamp vivarium, Sepulchria had been set up too with a unique breeding pen, Khan conjuring a small study room close by, so he can tend to her while studying.

Thus, when Yama was born, to nobody's surprise, he had bonded with Khan almost immediately. Having been so involved with the All-White Thestral's pre and post birth care, it seemed almost a foregone conclusion.

Finally, his other beast friend, Lord of the Shore, was in this vivarium. Originally, Khan had placed him in his coastal vivarium, as it was similar to the environment he was used to. But Lord of the Shore was a large and intimidating beast, scaring most of the other smaller beasts also living there, that had been subsequently rescued by Deek and him. Strangely enough, only his battle beast partners and friends, Sol, Highwing, Caligo, and Sepulchria where able to live with him in the same vivarium.

Thinking it over, it did make sense to Khan, as his beast partners had been battling alongside him against all the poachers, goblins, and trolls.

Excited to meet his partners once again, he stepped into the small glass structure, immediately into his vivarium.

Sunlight suddenly hit his face, shining through the clouds, overlooking the mountain range in the background.

Shielding his eyes, he walked down the hill towards the open field.

The castle ruins stood off to his right side, his beast feeding pen and toy box close by, in excellent condition, considering its age, showing little signs of wear and tear from use.

Off to his left side, his beast pens were placed neatly close to the small pond nearby.

Right beside one of the beast pens, stood a small study tower he had built himself during Sepulchria's pregnancy.

Looking around, he didn't spot any of his friends at first.

Walking forward anxiously, he went towards the edge of the cliff, hoping to get a better glimpse of the surrounding area. With 3 out of 4 of his beast partners here capable of flight, he glanced towards the skies first, eyes scanning the horizon and mountain tops, before continuing down into the valley and lake region below.

In the distance, he spotted 2 larger objects, flying gracefully around each other in some sort of aerial dance.

Whistling loudly to get their attention, he begins to wave them over.

Hearing the loud whistle, the 2 stop their dance, before flying over rapidly to the waving boy.

As they approach, Khan gets a better look at the 2 of them.

A giant and powerfully built Silver Hippogriff, and an equally huge, and somewhat muscular pure-white thestral.

'Holy shit! Is that Silverwing and Yama?' Khan wondered to himself.

They approach quickly, landing in front of Khan and the 2 house-elves.

While Silverwing is eying him suspiciously, Yama recognizes Khan instantly from his bond, rushing over just like when he was a baby, leaping on to Khan.

Unfortunately for Khan, Yama is no longer a tiny baby Thestral. Having grown up safely away from poachers and other dangerous beasts, Yama had gotten quite large. And unlike the other extremely boney thestrals, he was built more like a purebred racehorse; extremely lean, but strong and tough with solid muscle.

Laughing and hugging Yama, while slightly being crushed under him, Khan was getting feelings of relief and joy from the bond him and Yama shared.

A few minutes later, Yama had finally gotten off of him, giving him an opportunity to get a better look at the silver hippogriff.

Similar to her parents, Highwing being all white, and Calipo being all black, Silverwing was the color of her namesake, silver.

Every bit as smart, big and powerful as her parents, she appeared quite intelligent, staying weary of him, having not recognized him after so long.

'Perhaps shes even bigger than her parents.' Khan mused to himself.

Bowing towards her slightly while keeping eye contact, remembering hippogriff etiquette, Khan waited for her to reciprocate before approaching.

Still eying him wearily, Silverwing stared at him for a few minutes, forcing him to stay in a bowing position while waiting for her to return the gesture.

The staring contest lasted a few minutes before Silverwing bowed in return.

Finally reciprocating and bowing back, Khan approached excitedly, petting Silverwing and nuzzling her just as he had done Highwing so many years ago.

Looking back towards the two house elves happily watching him and his 2 beast friends, he asked them something that had been bothering since he had reunited with Yama.

"How long has it been in these vivariums? I know Yama was just born a month before my coma, but its been over 100 years! Surely, hippogriff lifespans aren't that long? Not that I'm complaining mind you…."

"The Room is very mysterious Great Khan Sirs!" Zeke answered in response. "Grandfather told Zeke that when The Great Khan went missing, something happened to the room! It knew what The Great Khan needed. It knew that The Great Khan was not dead! Instead of feeding each beastie daily, Grandfather told Zeke that Grandfather would feed them once every week instead."

Doing quick math over in his head, Khan was soon shocked! 1 day in the vivarium was equal to 1 week when he was in his coma. That means for his beast friends, its been a little less than 15 years! Still a long time to be sure, but nothing compared to 100 years.

Turning back to his beast friends, he asks them fondly. "Is Lord of the Shore around? I didn't see him anywhere. Normally he stays pretty close to the castle, using the ruins to rub and sharpen his various horns."

Feeling emotions from Yama, he notes to himself he needs to explore this bond he shares with Yama now that he is an adult, before clarifying while still petting Silverwing absently. "Do you know where he is Yama? Would you like to show me?"

Pulling slightly on his arm, Yama yanks Khan away from Silverwing, back towards the edge of the cliff, before crouching down to allow Khan to mount him.

Khan sits down on Yama, a bit surprised at how much comfier Yama is compared to his mother Sepulchria.

'It makes sense with how much more muscular Yama is' Khan muses to himself, before grabbing on tightly, as Yama begins to run off the edge in preparation for take off.

Jumping off gracefully, the pair fly with ease towards to other side of the lake at the bottom of the valley.

As they approach, he notices a Giant Graphorn napping by the edge of the lake.

Him and Yama both land gracefully, a short time later, off to the side of the still sleeping Graphorn.

Getting a closer look at the Giant Graphorn, Khan remarks to himself how the Lord of the Shore hasn't changed in almost 15 years, chuckling amusedly.

Chasing something in his dream, The large Graphorn started waving his paws in the air, almost like he is running.

Khans chuckling soon turned into full blown laughter as he watches his old friend act like a small puppy.

Walking slowly toward the sleeping Graphorn, intent on waking him up, he pauses as he starts to feel the ground shake.

'Holy shit! Is that an earthquake? I thought we're in the ROR!' Khan thinks while attempting to steady himself.

*BOOOM* *BOOOOM* *BOOOOM* *BOOOM*

The ground-shakes intensified and grew louder.

The Giant Graphorn, no longer sleeping, stared at Khan with weary eyes, before letting out a loud

*****ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAR!****

Eardrums ringing slightly from the loud roar, stilling feeling the ground continue to shake, Khan was beginning to worry.

'Was his vivariums all right? Why is Lord freaking out? Is there an earthquake? Maybe I should move him out of here for now...'

A large bit of drool falls on his face, interrupting him of his thoughts, as he notices, the shaking has stopped.

Wiping off the drool on his sleeves and looking up, he sees an even bigger Graphorn standing over him, his horns themselves being larger than him.

Looking back in front of him towards the smaller (in comparison anyways) graphorn, who is looking a bit scared, he is a bit shocked to say the least.

If he stood as tall as Lord of the Shore's legs previously, comparatively now, he barely reached the larger graphorn's knees.

But as he got a better look at the enormous Graphorn, still staring at him in obvious fondness, his tail wagging back and forth happily, he grew even more certain that this was his old friend, and the smaller one previously sleeping, is his son.

A little confused, he mused to himself. 'Did I get Lord of the Shore a mate?'