Quote:

Originally Posted by The Narrator

The key fits perfectly. Just a twist and you'll be able to open the door.

Behind it, a steep, empty corridor, well lit from light streaming in from an opening at the end.

If you take a deep breath, you'll smell something you haven't since you entered the cave. Fresh air.

You're out. You're done. You're alive.

Just a little walking left.

A perfect fit. It was miraculous, that for once, for what seemed like the first time this entire task, Fletcher had done something right. A grin started to spread across the boy's face as he slowly turned the key and the door creaked open.

Light was the first thing that Fletcher's senses registered. A lot of bright, clear, fresh SUNSHINE.

"HAAAAAALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!"

He was going to sing now, he was so truly gleeful to be able to breathe the fresh air and bask in the clean sunshine. Grinning, Fletcher paused at the threshold of the exit and remembered the mirror behind him.

Hmm. Better take it with him. Ya never knew how much something like that would fetch on the black market. The boy tucked it under his arm and then set off out of the cave at a light, happy jog.

WAAAAAAAAAAH!

It bounced off the walls in a cacophony of echoes. She was freaked. More than freaked. She was absolutely petrified of her OWN scream. She was such a wimp.

The bouncing bulbs were freaking her out. Had she mentioned she hated plants? They bounced off the walls and then back at her.. and then off the walls. Her shield wasn't going to hold for much longer. In fact, it wasn't going to hold for very long at all. Her only option was up.

Man.. she felt like Jack in the Beanstalk.

Would she find a golden goose?

[/lame]

The stalk tilted exuberantly to one side as she climbed, but it steadied the more it grew. It was an incredibly weird feeling. When you climbed tree's - they werne't usually moving and growing with you. She just went up. And up and she could see the ledge! Could she just take a jump and land on it?

Her arm stung with the pus - she was going to have to get that checked out soon. Tears stung her eyes, but she was stubborn and determined. She'd make it to the top. The ledge was there! She could SMELL it. .. Not literally.

Would freedom be just behind it?

With her luck, she'd have to face another plant.

HMPH.

The ledge was right in front of her now, she was at the same height as it. She was just going to have to jump. Would she make it? Putting her wand between her teeth, she stood on one of the stalks, took a deep breath, centered herself and then prayed to Merlin that he'd spare her. Cut her some slack.

Then she jumped.

As the champion exits, the door closes behind him.

You'd better find something to hold on to, because there are no walls here. Just perilous drop offs into nothingness should you lose your balance or misjump.

Tread carefully, however, as the path quickly narrows and there are no walls. Instead, perilous drop-offs await on both sides should one slip.

Soon, you come to another fork. From where you stand, the only different you can notice is that one path looks wider, at least as far as you can see, that is. Nothing else betrays what may lie ahead. Which way? Left and narrow or right and wide?

Somehow she managed not to wobble and fall. It was such a narrow cliff. It was bloody frightening standing upright on it. But she walked slowly and deliberately along it, arms outstretched, wand between her teeth. That made lighting awkward as it was illuminating to one side. Her foot slipped for a moment, rocks tumbling down to what looked like a sheer drop and then rocks.

*gulp*

However, she managed not to fall. Somehow. Maybe the plant/rocks/life was giving her a break. Oh that was nice. Just burn her with bubotuber pus and then let her survive a fall. SWEET.

She took her wand out of her teeth and came upon another fork. Oh.. fer Merlin's SAKE!

Did she HAVE to choose? *groaaaaaaaaaaan* But she'd gone left the first time and she'd ended up tackling a stupid evil plant that had acidised her. But she took it anyway.

Heh.. it was left or right. Either way she'd probably come across MORE evil plants. Didn't relaly matter if they were biteing azaelea's or.. fanged gerbra's. THEY STILL WANTED TO EAT HER!

So she started to jog. She wanted to get out and surely.. there couldn't be that much further to go?

It may be narrow, but at least it's flat. The only danger, from the terrain at least, lies in the rocky stumbling blocks jutting up from the floor. Watch your step, the rocks down below don't make good cushions.

As you proceed forward, the path becomes more difficult to navigate until your path is completely blocked by a number of greenish yellowish plants. At first they seem like normal plants, until you get closer and see that they’re covered in a number of big, yellow thorns. In fact, as you venture even CLOSER, the plant shoots one of the thorns in your direction! Thankfully it misses, the thorn flying over the edge into the abyss, but hopefully you’re good at dodging those thorns, because the only way to proceed is to defeat these plants!

REALLY!!?!?!

REALLLLLLLLLY!!?!?!

Cameron glared at the plants and then gasped as a thorn came spiralling past her. Releasing a breath, she hadn't even realised she was holding when the thorn spun down into the abyss, she turned her attention on the plant.

She was NOT in the mood for more.. plant pain. No. ONE freaking Bubotuber pus plant was enough. Sore, tired, weary and still wet from the lake, Cameron disregarded the fact that doing this would probably lose some brownie points with Professor Dodson and muttered, "Incendio."

She didn't particularly care. Did anyone really need thorny, ugly planty things? Now.. to see how far her spell got her.

Would the exit be somewhere near? Hm.. perhaps then she could just.. skip around and climb whatever random thing and get out?

Her little plan sounded wayy to easy to be right..

The plant blocking your way begins to burn, but continues to hurl thorns at you, one after another after another.

The light from the fire dances off the rocks but is still not enough to light the deep dark below.

The thorns are coming quickly, now as the plant attempts to defend itself.

THORNS!

She gasped slightly, hastening to put up a sheild. Sheild. Come on!!

"Protego!" She shouted, breathing a sigh of relief as the the silvery transluscent shield came up. Pressing herself against the side of the cave, she frowned. There had to be a way to get passed this. The Incendio charm seemed to be working. She could just try that again.

But there was still the problem of the thorns. She could kill the foliage - but the plant would just get angrier and fight back. She'd cross that bridge, though, when she came to it. If she could just.. BURN the whole thing, it would die.

Right?

RIGHT!?

Aw..

She felt sorta bad.."INCENDIO!" She yelled, feeling extremely exposed as her sheild came down to accomodate the new spell. She was vulnerable to the pointy spikes. Casting two more flame charms, she sighed. How long would it take to kill all the plant?

Now.. what to do with the spikes? "Protego," She mumbled, laying flat against the wall. They zooooomed past her, she could feel the hot thorns whip past her face and gulped. She didn't need another injury. Her arm was throbbing horribly and the heat against the boiled flesh wasn't pleasant. She felt like she was going to throw up.

Just a little more..

"Freezing charmm.." She could stupefy the thorn - but that would only stop so many at a time. "Stupefy!" She yelled at a cluster. Again - she felt so vulnerable without her shield.

Would those plants hurry up and DIE!? "Grr.. INCENDIO!" She yelled again before putting up a shield. How much longer would this take?

Take care! The drop is perilous and there are no walls to cling to... just the end of ground and a fall into the dark.

The thorns continue firing from the prickly bush, the fire not working. Flaming thorns fire rapidly at you, stupefy only knocking down one at a time.

The heat is rising from the flames, but the burning bush continues to defend itself. Perhaps there is another way?

STUPID FRIGGIN' ...

Cameron continued to swear loudly in Welsh. What now? The plant - even despite the fire - seemed to if anything find it fun to send pointy, hurty spikes at her. How kind of it. She scowled. She needed to kill it.

Kneeling, she maintained her shield - counterly trying to maintain her balance. This was a lot more difficult that she would've thought. A lot more difficult. The thing about magical plants was that they weren't charmed to act weird - they just did. Wasn't like she could just whip out a massive Finite Incantatem and save herself.

Dang.

But.. she could cut it. Do some heavy pruning? Diffindo against a giant, thorn-throwing tree? "Diffindo.." But her heart wasn't in it. She didnt' really think that would work.
It wasn't a small bush - it was GIANT. "Reducto!" She shouted, at the oncoming thorns.

She needed to get out - and soon. The longer she stood on this ledge, the more likely it was that one of these stupid spike things would hit her. The ledge was small, slippery and while casting her spells, she was both vulnerable and open to attack. She didn't fancy one of those ultra hot thorns hitting her.

"Reducio!" She shouted at the plant, with a small smile. If it was little, it might be easier? "Congringo! Bombardus Maxima!" And then blast it.

But in a cave..? Maybe she hadn't thought that one through..

A simple diffindo, uttered with conviction, would have been enough to severe the plant from its roots and stop the defensive response.

But the spells you fire at the plant after hit, one after the other, exploding the plant, sending a spray of thorns in every direction, and blowing a crater in the pathway where the plant once stood.

Rocks fly, and the ground beneath your feet shakes, threatening to topple you over the edge.

When the dust settles, the path dips where the plant once stood, a crater filled with sharp rocks. Nestled between them, something glints. You will need to cross the crater to continue... there is no way around it. Just a fall. And an unpleasant end.

Oooooooooopsies. Cameron resisted the urge to laugh, but then the humour was over as the cave gave an almighty shudder. Casting a protego to save herself, she cringed, coughing and spluttering as the boom's resounded in the cave.

She was really doubting her sanity. Honestly. A bombaring spell. In a friggin' cave!?

Mann..

But once everything stopped moving and she didn't feel like she was going to get thrown from the tiny little ledge, she moved forward. Waving the dust away from her face. The plant was gone. Utterly and totally demolished. In it's place was a huge crater and from the side was a deep. Cameron frowned and kicked piece of rock. DId she have to cross it? Maybe something was on the other side?

So started to look around the cave for clues. There had to SOMETHING around here that would tell her what she had to do next. She was growing impatient when she looked directly into the centre of the crater and noticed something glint.

That was it! The thing she had to get. But.. now? She was standing at the top of a crater looking into the remainds of a charred and vaporized plant. It stunk like anything. Wiping her eyes, she blinked away the dust and coughed slightly. Another spell and the ledge would've disappeared and she would've been cracked bones and concussion at the bottom of a dark cave.

Could she accio it? "Accio glittery sparkly thing." She didn't THINK it would work, but it was worth a try.

She had to go through it. It was the only way. HMPH. Smart one, Cameron, she thought to herself irately.

Slipping down so she was sitting on the edge, she levered herself down. The sharp rocks cut into her hands but she was past caring. Was there anything else in there? She needed to get to that.. shiny.. thing. Perhaps that would give her some indication of what she had to do next.

She kept going down - slowly and deliberately. How far to the end?

The shine starts to come to you, but it is caught on a shard of rock. So, instead it wobbles. But you can see what it is. A key. A large, old, rusted key. It is warm from the fire and, later, the explosions.

On the other side of the crater, the path continues. But, while you are in there, the ground begins to rumble and shake again.

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.

It was the scariest thing. Inside a HUGE cave, with the ground wobbling and then suddnely.. this giant bloody beanstalk. HEY...

THE beanstalk? The one from whereever she'd come from!?

*gasp*

That thing grew faaaaaast! Her movements became quicker and she scrambled to the bottom of the crater. There'd been a lot of slips and slides ot the bottom, but she was there. And now.. to get that key. She ran. Tribbling, stumbling, and shaking until she got it and when she did, she fumbled for a moment, scratching her palm in the process as she pulled it hastily from the earth. Cursing slightly as the warm metal touched her cold skin, she smiled. A key. A key which unlocked something? Perhaps her exit?

She was too short to see the door at the other side of the crater, but she knew she had to go up the path. Perhaps there would be something that the key unlocked? Her exit? She gulped. The beanstalk was growing at a ferocious rate. And the rumbling was getting louder. SHe started to sprint, forcing uncooperative limbs to work.

Run, damnit, RUN!

She clawed at the sharp rocks, fumbling up the path and then she saw it. And in the same moment a HUGEEEEEEEEE shake made her fall. Landing palms out on the floor, she turned, wand in one hand to see the beanstalk unearth the ceiling. Light. Light streamed in. Blinded by the intense light, she didn't notice the glint of the mirror. She was both relieved to see sunlight and worried about what the beanstalks interior renovation would do to cave. She got up. Steadied on the thin path, she lit her wand again and saw the door.

A door.

To her freedom?

She sprinted. To it. Jammed the key in the huge padlock and prayed to anything that she was right. That this would be the end.

Did the key unlock the door?

The key turns in the lock as the light continues to stream in, the one tendril of the stalk still shines, and the cave grows still once more.

Behind the door is a steep, empty corridor, well lit from light streaming in from an opening at the end.

If you take a deep breath, you'll smell something you haven't since you entered the cave. Fresh air.

You're out. You're done. You're alive.

Just a little walking left.

Cameron felt her stomach churn. Her heart flicker and her eyes broaden as the key turned.
And then a little more. And then even in the noise, she felt and heard the click. It was music to her ears. She could've sung.

Fresh air greeted her like an old friend and she let out a jubilant giggle. SHE WAS OUT! It was overrr! And despite her arm, she was fine. Tired. But overall happy. SHE DID it. By herself.

She turned back to the cave and smiled to herself. She wasn't so fail. In fact, she'd managed to do this. She was pretty proud of herself. The beanstalk had stilled and she grinned, her eyes catching on the shiny thing. HUH?

She pushed the door wide open, and walked towards the glint. Another thing she needed to get? "Accio plate," She muttered. Oomph. It came through the air and she struggled to catch it, so it just clattered to the floor. Well.. that was nice.

"Thanks Mr. Cave.." Weird.

Eyeing the fireseed caves one last time, she trudged through the door, up the stairs and 'little to the left'. The fresh air greeted her and then there was sunlight.

The first task was over.

As the champion exits, the door closes behind her.

Miles watched from the water as the branch hit the tree and the wand fell angering the bowtruckles. Seeing them circle around the wand and others in the branches he tried to think of a way to get them away long enough for him to grab the wand and jump back in the water. He still had his fairy eggs but with them being in the water he didn't think it'd keep their attention for long.

Looking down at his hands he saw the fins were starting to shrink but he couldn't do anything until they were completely gone. Then....hmmm he needed to distract the bowtruckles trying to attack him near the shore. Maybe take off his shirt and throw it at them.? There might be some dead woodlice on it still though that wouldn't appeal to them he knew, least not long enough to take his time.

The next breath you take, you'll get a mouthful of water, instead of oxygen, your gills having disappeared.

The bowtruckles still clamor on the roots, waiting for you to come close enough to strike.

As he inhaled again he chocked on a mouthful of water and came up sputtering to the surface. "Well...note to self...don't do that again..." he said still choking on the water. As he calmed himself down he eyed the bowtruckles and prepared to make a run for it. He needed to get the hell out of here and to find Fia.

Taking off his shirt he swam a little closer to the shore and with one last deep calming breath threw the shirt at a group of nearby bowtruckles and jumped out of the water, running to the circle around his wand. He reached his hand in his pocket on his way taking out the soggy fairy eggs and holding them up for them to see placed them away from his wand hoping they would go for it otherwise he was just going to grab, run, and hope that he was faster.

The bowtruckles shred your shirt and come for you, but are distracted by the fairy eggs. There a little soggy, and so there's no telling how long they'll hold the bowtruckles attention. It's hardly an ideal offering.

But, for the moment, you're free to grab your wand. Just be quick about it. Their fingers are sharp!

Seeing the bowtruckles rip his shirt to shreds without hesitation he swallowed but was glad when they were distracted. Good thing he didn't like...need that shirt or anything. Shirtless, shoeless and sockless now thanks to the gillyweed he quickly ran toward his wand, grabbed it and then raced back to the water.

He looked over his shoulder at the bowtruckles hoping they were still busy as his legs carried him as fast as he could to the water and jumped toward the dark water.

Your quick action has spared you a painful clawing as the soggy eggs were deemed unsuitable and the bowtruckles turned to you once more. But you are safe (from them at least) in the dark water.

Wand now in hand, you may 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 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 trees are anxious to be appeased, as well.

Feeling the water hit him again and no claws he smiled happily. He beat them. Floating to the surface he looked around unable to see anything and holding up his wand he said, "Lumos." With a look around he found he was in the middle of a lake and there was a different shore in front of him. Now...swim or take the lily pads.... He didn't have any more eggs or lice for the bowtruckles in the trees and he was pretty sure if he tried to summon them that they'd hit the tree and defeat the purpose so... "Swim it is...since I'm already wet," he said with a frown.

A smirk formed on his face at the last time he had to use the bubble head charm and Cela messing up his hair. He missed her. Pointing his wand at his head he looked around for a brief moment and then cast the charm before diving back in the water and swimming toward the shore. He was going to be freezing when he made it outside...someone better have some towels ready...

The waves are of no consequence now, at least from the perspective of breathing, though if you're too tired, they could drag you under.

But the way to shore is clear, if not choppy, if you have the strength to make it.

When you touch down on the sand, an onslaught of bouncing bulbs begins. They do not target you directly, but as they careen off the cavern walls and the grass, they cannot help but pummel you in the process. There is nowhere to run, as the shore bumps up against walls of rock on all sides. If you can look around long enough - not likely until the bulbs are taken care of - one wall only goes so high. But, it is too high to jump and too sheer to climb. An errant bulb knocks a bag from a shelf in the wall, spilling a bean that burrows its way into the sand.

From that bean, green tendrils being to sprout, working their way toward the surface and breaking through.