The wet ground continues to be slick down to the fanged flowers.

Your spell hits a section of them, slicing through their stems and dropping them to the ground. The severed ones snap a time or two more before dropping dead.

Still more continue to snap. There's a small path through, but it borders the slick, dangerous edge, and the remaining flowers look as if they'll snap at you if you try.

Moving from tree to tree Brielle was careful to test all the branches for strength before completely applying her weight. It was good that she was a waif-like as she was, otherwise it would have been highly likely that she would have fallen, into the dark mysterious waters below her.

Hanging for a moment like a lying leopard, Brielle rested her hands; they were full of small splinters and covered in small cuts and nicks. If only she had had of worn her leather gloves maybe the tree climbing would not have been such an unpleasant experience, or the branch grabbing….yeah gloves were a definite for the next task, that was if she got through.

But enough of outfit selection Brielle needed to get her wand back.

Her wand?......Her Wand!

In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, in the corner of her rich brown eyes, Brielle saw what appeared to be a glowing tick, but it was not just any stick, it was her wand, 10½ Inches of Cherry, with a Siren Hair. It was so close all she had to do was reach out and grab it.

But why didn’t she?

“It’s too easy” she muttered to herself, as she slowly began to close the between her and the wand, being sure to be as quite was humanly possible. It was only when she was mere meters away that she saw why it was so easy; Bowtruckles. The wand tree was littered with them. They were currently dormant, but she knew all it took would be her hand reaching in too their nest to set them off.

She needed to distract them long enough so she could reach her hand in and grab the wand. She had seen Fairy eggs on the other shore, but without a wand the only way to get them would be to climb all the way back, she had also winced as a rotting stump that was spewing woodlice, but again she would need a wand to get at them.

It seemed she whas just going to have to face the attack head on, but she was not going to take it lying down.

Unclipping the thick, snake-skin belt that was so chicly hanging around her waist, Brielle looped that over her arm and began to undo the buttons of her gold studded mini-trench jacket, exposing her singlet top below. The plan was simple Distract and Whack.

With her body wedged into a perfect position, Brielle threw her belt into the hive of Bowtruckles, her hand ready to reach out and grab her wand, her other hand ready to swing her jacket into the faces of the puny moving twigs.

His spell indeed worked like he had hoped, and he was beginning to wonder why he was second guessing his own spell work. He had practiced for years and studied his heart and mind out. Why second guess when he knew he was good at what he did?! Maybe it was the injuries he had, making him lose his self confidence. He should have had no injuries, but his aching and stinging body told him otherwise.

Scowling at himself, he stood up a little more, only to have his feet slide down the path slightly. Alright, no standing up; bending down was good. It almost did little help however, since his feet would every now and then slip, but not as quickly as he was standing up. It also gave no help to his hurting leg. It was probably strained; he knew it wasn’t broken thank Merlin.

"Diffindo!" he said again, pointing his wand to another section of the monstrous plants, however he spoke in a way to keep his jaw from moving as little as possible. If he could get those to die, then he could slide past the little opening rather quickly. On the other hand, those plants looked as if they would be able to reach him if he did…

"Loricatus." He muttered, rolling his zebrawood wand in his finger tips and giving it a small flick up at the end, feeling the slight heaviness surround his body. The temporary self-armoring spell should be enough to get past. He was NOT going to be slowed down from these silly little plants.

Slipping down even further, right in front of the plants, he could not help but to just lean back, sit down on the rocky path and hold his feet up slightly so the resistance in keeping himself from sliding would disappear. The pants he was wearing would probably only add to helping him slide. It was a shame that the path had to be made of rock though.

Ouch.

The bowtruckles had become agitated when you arrived, and as you throw your belt into the tree, they go into a frenzy. It is not the distraction you would have hoped as a few claw at it, but others make their way to you, lunging after your hands, arms and face.

Your eyes seem to be a particularly favorite target.

Another group of bowtruckles stands back, sharp fingers ready to strike, as they huddle around your wand.

More flowers are severed and stop their movement, leaving room for your human bowling ball adventure.

The weight of your spell-made armor causes you to hurtle down the path at breakneck speed, through the snapping plants.

Behind you, something glimmers in the leafy carnage, though who knows if you had time to see it as you whizzed by.

Hope you have a plan for stopping, though, because if you don't, you're about to hit something bigger than you... and hard.

What a waste of Vintage Burberry!

As Brielle’s belt feel into the water, having failed to distract the bowtruckles, the girl snapped into survival mode.

The Bowtruckles shot at her like darts from a blow gun, mostly headed for her eyes, the air was alive with the sound of wood rubbing on wood. Armed with only her jacket, one that had been selected for its gold studded shoulders for a reason, Brielle began to swing widly, her movements scary in their speed. Her arms whirled like the cape of a matador, but rather than trying to tempt a bull, she was trying to whack the bowtruckles into the water, into the wall, anywhere that was not her face.

At the same time, she tried to edge herself just that tiniest bit closer, however making sure not to jeopardise here balance of position in the trees.

Swooosh, Swoosh the jacket cracked the air like a whip, the metal studs crawling at the army of Bowtruckles. In one fell swoop, the French girl, launched an attack at the battalion of Bowtruckles that had held back ransoming her wand.

WOoooaaahhhh…

This was a bit quicker than he would have wanted to go down the steep hill.

His hands scraped on the ground to try and stop himself, being a bit more careful with his wand hand since he didn’t want to scratch up his wand. He barely even noticed the glimmering shine in the pile of plants as he passed by, but he did happen to notice what was in front of him.

O____O!!

Without a second thought, he quickly cast a sticking charm to each shoe of his and…

SLAM!

Placing his feet down on the ground, his eyes widened even more as the action caused him to stand up and then, fall forward…

Oowwwwww.

Merlin! Those stick bugs were not going to give up any time soon it seemed. If only Jermaine could reach his wand he would be able to stop them from attacking him.

Feeling the blood dripping down his arm he continues to swat the sticks off of him. It was a good thing he had long sleeves on or else his arms would probably look like they had been in a grinder.

Yeah, he would need the healer after this ordeal.

Taking a final step up he is finally close enough to grab his wand. Reaching up he wraps his hand around it.

Yes! Finally...

The jacket proves to be a useful weapon as bowtruckles are knocked into the water. However, others break through your whipping defense and dig their fingers into your skin.

The bowtruckles guarding your wand have joined the fray, leaving your wand exposed. You're almost there!

You just.. have to deal with this latest wave, lunging for your eyes.

That must hurt.

But luckily you didn't careen off the edge of the cliff.

As you lay there on the hard ground, you hear a rumbling and the floor beneath you shakes as the beanstalk has continued to grow and has, indeed, broken through the top of the cave. The holes are not large enough to climb out of, if you could even get good footing on the stalk. But, they are large enough to let light stream in. Slight tendrils curl off the main stalk and the light shining through reflects off something attached to one of them. It's just out of reach, unless you'd like to try to stretch and risk falling.

Elsewhere in your general vicinity, one aptly placed hole allows light to shine down illuminating a door. A door! Upon further inspection, however, a large, rusted padlock stands between you and what looks like your best exit.

Your wand! It pulls free easily, but the bowtruckles are most upset as they continue their assault, trying to pry the stick from your hands.

Screaming in a mixture of fury and pain, to anyone watching, Brielle would have seemed to be possessed by something, as the girl broke into a rage.

As the claws of a Bowtruckle dug their way into her flesh, Brielle threw all her might behind the whirling jacket and launched another assault on the twig people. With a stream of blood running down her arm the Beauxbatons Student became detached from her pain, it was their but just as a reminder in the back of her head that she was still fighting.

The onslaught continued and much to Brielle’s pleasure she saw, the Wand Guarding Bowtruckles abandon their post, and enjoy the foray. It was all the chance she needed; launching her body forward, by kicking off from a branch, Brielle held out her jacket as a net trying to scoop the bowtruckles out of her way, she only needed a quick moment, to wrap her hands around her wand.

Landing on her stomach, painfully wedged between branches the girl could only pray she had gotten all the Bowtruckles out her way.

Groaning, he lifted his pounding head up from the ground, feeling the blood rush to his face as he looked to the edge of the cliff. Not good. Good that he stopped. Not good that he could’ve just fallen to his death.

…

Maybe he shouldn’t think of these things. He didn’t want to fall to his death in the beginning and now it almost happens a million times. Just brilliant!

Hearing a rumble however, the Beauxbatons wizard stretched his neck to look up the steep hill, suddenly seeing a few strands of light seeping into the cave. Ugh. Pushing himself up onto his knees, no matter how hard it was while at a slant, he looked to his shoes and then the cliff’s edge. Brilliant. NOT! Shaking his head, he took off the sticking charm and placed a gripping charm on each shoe instead. Easier to stand up without sliding down the hill now.

Breathing in heavily to calm himself down, Noel began to laugh and rubbed his head, thinking of just how crazy this task has been. It was only mere seconds later though he saw the tendrils that curled off the main stalk. Lowering his arms, he stared at the tendrils, only to have one of the strands of light reflect off of something shiny that suddenly caught his eye. Wait, didn’t he see something shiny as he tried to stop himself from falling off the cliff? Yes? No?

This shiny object was closer. "Diffindo!" he said as he pointed his wand to the tendril just above where the shiny object was. What was an object such as this doing in the caves anyhow?

Monique yelped as the spikes hit her arm. "You are so going to pay for that." she said with eyes blazing. She yanked the spikes out her arm and threw them on the ground. She was going to feel that later when the adrenaline wasn't running so much. But for now she was just angry. And nobody (or thing) would ever want to be on the receiving end of her anger.

Hmm... blazing eyes... that gave Monique an idea. Taking a few steps back she aimed her wand once more at the bush. Incendio!" she yelled.

You've knocked most of the bowtruckles away, save for the few tangled in your hair. You're free to grab your wand, but quick!

The stick men are regrouping!

The tendril falls away, heading for the abyss, taking the shiny circular object with it. It's too far away to grab as it falls. There must be another way to get it!

The plants burst into flame, warmth and light filling the cave. Yet, the light still does not reach the deep darkness over the edges of the cliffs on either side of you.

The thorny attacks have stopped, and the plants burn brightly, something at their base shining.

You killed the plant.

But the fire now blocks your way.

Once the spell hit the tendril, Noel took a slight step up the hill before pointing his wand towards the falling object. Noo! The shiny was falling awaaay!

That was totally HIS shiny!

"Accio tendril!" he called out before wincing. He really did need to use the least amount of spells as he could at the moment. The pain in his jaw was beginning to make him feel sick.

Besides, he shouldn’t be all too far away from getting out of here. He had his wand. Why shouldn’t he just blast a whole through one of these roofs and climb out?! Oh, right. The fear of a cave in entered his mind and he destroyed the thought immediately. Don’t need any cave-ins. But then again, that light that was shining in the cave, it had to come from the outside.

Taking a quick peek at the light, his eyes crossed over something he did not see before. Was that…a door?

To things happened at once, One her wand became easily accessible and two, a bowtruckle or two began lodged in her hair.

“Oh no you don’t!” She cried as reached out, rolled her hand around her wand whilst whipping her head in a circle to dis-lodge the squatters. Pointing her wand into the regrouping mass of Bowtruckles, “Immobulus!” she cried in her thick French accent. “Immobulus!” She chanted again, and again!

The feeling of her wand in her hand was like being charged with electricity, Brielle had been injected with new life and the girl wanted nothing more to do with the Bowtruckles

The tendril, a meter long and thick, comes flying toward you, the object still attached to it as it is about to hit your body.

You can see the object now... a silver mirror, about the size of a dinner plate. The ornate silver frame is engraved at the top: the roman numeral III.

The light still streams in from the ceiling, illuminating the door...

and its padlock.



The bowtruckles freeze, but will only remain so for a moment. Time to act quickly.

Wand now in hand, you might want to see to some light. Once you do, a quick look around will tell you that you are in the middle of the lake, with the far shore in front of you. That is your destination. That is where you must go.

The lilypads below seem to bob in and out of the water as it churns and the trees spread further apart. Skittering among the leaves suggests that the bowtruckles in neighboring treesare anxious to be appeased, as well.

Woo hoo! That's right. Nobody got on her bad side without regretting it. And this plant was no different.

Moniuqe watched the plant burn for a moment and then took a quick look at her arm. Great. She was bleeding. Nothing too serious though. She'd be fine. Her robes on the other hand were ruined. But that wasn't news to her. She was covered in stinksap. She wasn't planning on keeping these robes anyway.

Then she looked around. She had nowhere to go but forward. But she had a problem. There was a fire burning brightly before her where the bush once was.

She'd have to put the fire out. "Aguamenti" she said aiming her wand at the fire. Hopefully that will put it out. Then she could get a move on and finally escape this horrible cave.

The plant sizzles and cools as the fire goes out, leaving behind the charred skeleton of the plant that had attacked. The glinting under the bushes is gone, now, without the vibrant light to reflect off of it.

Your path is clear, but as you're about to continue, you hear a rumbling and the floor beneath you shakes as the beanstalk has continued to grow and has, indeed, broken through the top of the cave. The holes are not large enough to climb out of, if you could even get good footing on the stalk. But, they are large enough to let light stream in. Slight tendrils curl off the main stalk and the light shining through reflects off something attached to one of them. It's just out of reach, unless you'd like to try to stretch and risk falling.

Elsewhere in your general vicinity, one aptly placed hole allows light to shine down illuminating a door. A door! Upon further inspection, however, a large, rusted padlock stands between you and what looks like your best exit.

Turning back to the tendril, he was surprised when it suddenly landed in his arms…and hitting his stomach. Wow, this thing weighed a ton! Or it was just because he could probably not be able to lift a cat at the moment. His right arm was practically destroyed.

Laying down on the slick ground, he kneeled in front of it so it wouldn’t slide off the cliff. “Lumos” he muttered again, letting the light shine on the object. A…mirror was it? A very large round mirror at that. Or was it a plate?

A mirror plate. Oh Merlin, look at his face! The scratches and cuts were everywhere, not to mention the large bruise on the side of his face. He looked awful! His jaw was a bit swollen too and extremely red from where it slammed into the tree’s branch. Running a hand through his hair, he breathed in a large breath, just happy that he had his shiny object and he could at least still move.

Whatever it was, he was keeping it; perhaps as a gift for his little sister Odette. A souvenir almost. Smirking, he tore the mirror out of the tendril and stood up, letting the cut plant slide down the hill. Holding the mirror by his side, he trudged over to where the door was that he saw only moments before. It was indeed a door!

But it was locked.

….Bahahaha! "Alohomora." He said, pointing his wand to the lock. If there were anymore bowtruckles behind this door, he was giving up.

As the Bowtruckles froze all, Brielle quickly charmed some Bluebell Flames, three separate tongues of flame that floated down, coming to rest on the water of the lake below, illuminating the cave, and showing to her that she was only half way across the lake.

But it also showed her that the trees around her were also buzzing with Bowtruckles, recalling what she had seen Brielle thinking quickly summoned some gifts for the wood guardians, “Accio Log!” she called remembering the woodlice infestation she had seen when she first enter the lake cave. With a quick few circular motions of her wand, Brielle shielded herself; “Impirano!” there was nothing like getting a dead log in your face to brighten up the day. Just to be safe she summoned the Fairy Eggs as well, “Accio Fairy Eggs!”

Surely the Bowtruckles would love her now!

If only it were so easy. The spell hits but the lock does not budge.

Charmed.

Rusty, old, and still locked.


It is a good thing that you cast a shield aura, because your summoning does the trick. The saplings infested with woodlice and all the fairy eggs in the cave come flying at you. Most smash into the other trees, but at least one sapling and a dozen fairy eggs are hurtling toward you.

Hope you have a plan.

The bowtruckles remain immobilized, but are only moments from reanimating.

…

Well wasn’t this just his day.

Growling in frustration, he all but stomped his foot in a tantrum. He just wanted to get out of here!! Glaring at the door, he kicked it with his good foot before going to trek up the hill, kicking rocks along the way. He didn’t see any other way out this way though. It was either through the door, down the cliff which he was not going, or go allll the way back to where he went.

Maybe he missed someplace back near the lake. Stuffing his hand in his pocket, he grimaced when his hand landed on something slimy and something hard. Gross. He forgot he had gillyweed in his pockets. And fireseeds that were cold. Letting out a frustrated breath, he rubbed the back of his neck, wary and exhausted, and suddenly realizing he was back at the plants. Eh…

Dead plants that is.

Smirking, he kicked a few of the dead ones before remembering that he did in fact see something shiny here. Maybe he can have TWO shiny things to bring back to Odette. She would just love that.

Monique began to continue forward when all of a sudden the cave began to shake. The force knocked her down onto the path. OUCH! How much abuse must she endure today?

She looked around to find out what just happened. It looked like the beanstalk had once again sprouted. Is that all that was different? Peering ahead she spotted a door. Was she almost out? She got up. She started forward when something caught her eye. There was something shiny on that beanstalk.

Wait a second... wasn't there something shiny under the bush too?

She turned around and eyed the bush closely. Was something under it? "Lumos" she said leaning forward. She kicked at the skeleton of the bush trying to clear away the dead sticks. Was she imagining things? Or maybe she was just seeing the reflection of whatever that shiny thing was on the beanstalk. There was only one way to find out for sure though she thought as she continued kicking.

As the wood and eggs came hurtling towards Brielle, the girl had to act fast. With a quickly swish and flick, the wand cutting through the air with the speed of a fencing sabre, Brielle levitated the log and eggs, “Wingardium Leviosa! Fixite!” she muttered stilling them in the air, before gently guiding them into the hives of Bowtruckles. "Locomotor Log and Eggs!"

When they unfroze they would have a piece offering, and hopefully enough of a reason not to chase the girl as she continued on through the cave.

Slowly lowering herself from the tree, Brielle tested to see whether or not this lily pad was going to hold her weight, unlike that first one.

Good thing you thought of that gripping charm as the climb is steep.

As you rummage, your foot kicks something hard and definitely not floral. It is a key. Old, rusted and simple, it is heavy in your hand.

Your light reflects off something under the bush, and as you kick, your hand hits something decidedly not floral among the wet ash.

A key. A simple, old, rusted key that still holds warmth from the fire you started.

Your quick thinking has saved your offerings and as the bowtruckles in your tree come to life, they do not attack, instead partaking in the goods you have brought.

Now, how to get to the far shore? The other trees appear to have bowtruckles, while the lilypads bob in and out of the water, which churns dangerously.

A key? It was a good thing Monique decided to kick at the bush before moving on. That might very well be the key to the door up ahead.

Monique began reaching toward the key when she realized that it had just been under a burning bush. She should probably wait for it to cool down. But who had time for that? She'd cool it down herself.

After turning off her wand light she aimed her wand at the key. "Aguamenti." she said once again watering the area. After a few minutes she stopped the flow of water and bent forward to pick the key up.

Hopefully it wasn't still hot.