Valerie’s face fell when the charm did not work. It should have worked.

“What more do you want from me?!” she found herself roaring at surprising volume despite her vocal chords feeling charred and raw from the heat and humidity she had endured for far too long. Her had slid into her pocket and clutched the Isa rune fiercely in her fist, her nails digging and boring into her flesh enough to draw blood. The combination of pain and icy blast was welcoming and reassuring that she was still alive and conscious, but it did little to calm her temper. Not even her Bombarda Maxima had performed the job she had intended it to do.

The need for water was becoming apparent once more, but with the runespoor ever approaching there was no time for pause to catch her breath and conjure herself a jet of water. She would have to depend on Isa for now to at least keep her from overheating. But as the runespoor came in and out of focus (sometimes there appearing to be six or even nine heads rather than three), the Wampus knew she was spent and had very little left having thrown what energy and focus she did still possess into the casting of Animalis Fidelis. What the hell was this thing? A runespoor’s hide was not that of a dragon and spells ought to be able to penetrate it, thus she could only assess that this one had been magically modified to resist spells and charms. Physical restraints were not working either and her surroundings were providing little aid (that damn tree had not been brought down by her enraged blast). Her hand tightened even further around the conjured wood in her pocket as she slowly backed away (stumbled back was more like it) and fought with her body to not faint even as her eyes rolled subtle.

A loud crack alerted her she had snapped a sizeable piece of wood under her heavy combat boots and momentarily drew her attention away from the runespoor to it. It was jagged and sharp from where it had snapped in half, prompting her to wonder if she could somehow manage to stab the creature or at least blind it by using the archaic weapon. But something told her that that would prove futile despite her crouching down and plucking it from the ground.

Another glance at her surroundings brought her attention back to the damn cherry red door and her crude carving of Sowilo that remained from her initial attempt at a Safe Travel Rune.

Wait.

Mind racing with a sudden burst of inspiration triggered by her previous failures, her wand was pointed towards the piece of wood in her grasp. “Intaglio Ehwaz,” came her raspy voice, thick with desperation and eyes stinging with tears. Tears that meant losing precious water but she was helpless to the emotional strain and physical exhausted at the moment. “...Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz.” A rune that literally meant horse (perhaps why she had not weighed it as an option), the rune could also do what her intended charm had failed to. It could in theory bestow her with the ability to talk to snakes. To tame the nature of the beast. She just needed to finish carving the ‘M’ shape of the rune.

As she did her eyes flickered up towards the beast and she encouraged her loud thoughts to help keep her conscious. It too was a rune that evoked thoughts.of travel, a journey from one point to another which was precisely what she needed to accomplish in this moment. Getting through the door and the hell out of here, to be precise. But she supposed if she were feeling sentimental (of which she certainly was not) it was also rune that could represent what the competition was meant to embody: international magical cooperation, communication, and harmony. The ideal of trust and friendship allowing for forward energy and movement, without which there would be none.

Although all she felt when she thought about IMPS at present was bitterness and rage. Feelings that even overshadowed her dire need for the scholarship funds.

Glancing down and seeing her rune carved into the piece of wood, Valerie clutched it close to her chest and attempted to wet her lips. Her voice was hoarse (ironic word choice considering things) but she pushed through the burning to speak and enunciate as clearly as possible. “Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o. Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o. Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o.” It was a faint white glow to start (reminiscent of a weak Lumos in the distance) but not for long and soon the ethereal white glow was illuminating her pale features, eyes locked on the beast.