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Post by Magic_Oli on Jan 26, 2002 12:22:24 GMT -5
More, more! This is not the end......is it? Dont say horrid things like that!
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Post by minihagrid on Jan 26, 2002 12:36:14 GMT -5
Chapter 7: Challenge
He crept through the darkened corridors, making himself as small as possible. His left hand was gripped tightly around his oak wand, and his other guided him using the slimy walls. After what seemed like hours, he emerged into a small rounded chamber, with a dim light emerging from a torch at the opposite end.
He raised his wand, and whispered ‘Lumos’. A brilliant white light erupted from his wand, and he could see around him. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing there, except the torch. He slowly made his way over to it, glancing over his shoulder for any signs of movement. He reached out for the torch, his hand trembling. As he touched it, he heard something move. Quickly, he spun around, and held his wand above his head. Still nothing.
Once more, he reached forward and took hold of the flaming torch. This time, he pulled it out of its holder, and quickly stepped back. Nothing happened, and Aeon relaxed. He looked at the torch, still flaming. It was an ordinary torch. No markings, no symbols, no switches. He took a step forward to get a better look at the holder, when he stepped on something, a raised floor tile. Immediately, his foot pushed down the tile, and the walls dissaparated. Aeon now looked around.
The room that he was in was now ten times the size of the round chamber that he was in before. The walls were surrounded with a bright blue glow, crackling with energy. High up above, he could see the twelve wizards & witches behind a glass screen, watching him intently. On the wall facing him was a variety of swords and blades.
‘Well, here goes. Better not mess this up Aeon.’ He said to himself, although for some reason he still longed to return to his home in the hills above the village. He walked into the centre of the room, and waited. Soon, he heard a whooshing noise, and turned around. ‘Nox’ he whispered, and the bright light at the end of his wand went out.
Then, a giant beast leapt upon him from behind. He felt the giant force on his shoulders, and fell forward, smacking his chin on the concrete floor. He tasted blood, and quickly climbed back to his feet. He could here snarling, but he could not see anything, despite the fact that the room was clearly lit.
‘Ok Aeon, It’s invisible. Just think about how to reveal it and…’ but the beast was upon him again. He could hear the snapping teeth, inches away from his ear. He rolled over, and used all his strength to push the beast off. He heard it crash into the floor, and slide across it. He lifted his wand, and yelled ‘REVELI!’ pointing in that general direction. An orange stream of light flew from the end of his wand, and struck an object in mid-air. Aeon heard whining, and the orange light steadily revealed the creature that had attacked him.
It was a giant black dog. It was about the size of a car, except with sharp yellow teeth, gleaming red eyes, and claws that looked sharp enough to shred skin. It growled at him, and prepared to pounce again. As it flew through the air, Aeon dove to his right, dropping his wand and landing nearer to the wall with the blades. He ran there, and grabbed the nearest blade. He turned to face the beast again, brandishing the sword.
Once more it jumped for him, and this time Aeon rolled underneath it. It crashed into the wall, and was trapped by a small force field of energy. It was held there for a few seconds, before being released, it’s fur on end. Aeon charged for the beast this time, and drove his sword forward. It caught the dogs’ right foreleg, and it collapsed to the floor. With a twirl, Aeon swung the sword through the air, and tore a hole in the flesh of the beast. But it kept going, charging at him. There was no way that Aeon’s sword could defeat it.
Aeon looked around for another way to attack, but this delay allowed the dog to jump on him, and send him flying into the nearest wall. The same energy that had attacked the dog earlier now trapped him, causing him pain beyond belief. Every inch of his body felt as if it were aflame. Finally it released him, and he fell to his knees. The beast approached slowly, growling louder. Aeon dropped his sword, and bowed his head.
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Post by Magic_Oli on Jan 26, 2002 12:56:34 GMT -5
Finally it released him, and he fell to his knees. The beast approached slowly, growling louder. Aeon dropped his sword, and bowed his head. Brilliant! The tension, the descrition! WOW!
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Nimuee Macor
Slytherin Alumni
Ah....it's nice to see you in your physical form..
Posts: 621
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Post by Nimuee Macor on Jan 26, 2002 15:33:21 GMT -5
'Aeon looked around for another way to attack, but this delay allowed the dog to jump on him, and send him flying into the nearest wall. The same energy that had attacked the dog earlier now trapped him, causing him pain beyond belief. Every inch of his body felt as if it were aflame. Finally it released him, and he fell to his knees. The beast approached slowly, growling louder. Aeon dropped his sword, and bowed his head. '
Oh wow.....
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Post by minihagrid on Jan 26, 2002 17:18:24 GMT -5
Then he noticed his wand lying on the floor, a few feet away. He quickly stood up, and jumped across, once more narrowly missing the beasts’ jaws. He stretched for his wand, and snatched it up. Rolling onto his back, he screamed ‘IMPEDIMANTA!’ The spell struck the chest of the beast, and stopped it in mid-stride. It allowed Aeon to grab hold of his sword once more, and bring it crashing down on the skull of the beast, splintering it, and leaving a gaping hole through which its life rapidly escaped.
Aeon dropped to his knees, inhaling deeply to try and re-gain his strength. He had a feeling that this test wasn’t over yet.
As soon as he thought that, one of the rooms four walls started to slide up, revealing yet another corridor. He looked up into the Orders’ room, and saw them filing out, all except Snape. He remained and watched Aeon, and Aeon was sure that he had given him a wink. Then he too walked out.
Aeon took the hint, sheathed his sword in the belt of his blue cloak and started to head for the newly revealed corridor. It was as dark, if not darker, than the one that he had first entered. He lit his wand again, and started down it. He noticed a small trickle of water coming out of the wall. ‘Just a leak’ he told himself. He ignored it, and carried on going.
As he got halfway down the corridor, he saw a small glint in the corner of his eye. He stopped, and turned to get a closer look. It was a beautiful, ornate necklace, with a golden chain, hung around a skeletal arm, reaching out through the wall. He reached for it, and grabbed it in the palm of his hand. As he did, the arm recoiled, and a loud crashing noise from the room that he’d come from made him jump. A huge roar followed it, and Aeon drew the sword again, preparing for the beasts’ attack.
After a few seconds, Aeon saw it. It wasn’t a beast it was water. Heading straight for him. His eyes widened, and he turned, running down the corridor. The river behind him was catching up; he could feel the splashes on the back of his neck. He jumped over a rock, and stumbled on his landing. Then, a force struck him, ten times more powerful than that of the beast. He dropped the sword and necklace, and was sent flying through the air. All the torches were extinguished, and he was plunged into darkness.
He was forced along the corridor, thrown against the walls, and his head hit against the roof. He reached out above the surface, trying to grab hold of something, anything, to regain his control. Finally, his hand hit something hard, and caught on. Aeon used up all his remaining strength, trying to stay still, and allow the water to pass by him.
He hoisted himself up above the surface, and wrapped his arm around the ceiling support that he had grabbed. He withdrew his wand from his pocket, and rubbed it dry. ‘Lumos’ he whispered. He waited there for a while until the rushing waves ceased, and then dropped into the now still water. He hadn’t noticed how cold it was before, or the fact that it was so pure like the water that he drank before the war, when he was a child. He swam along it, until he reached a large round metal grid, suspended half in the water, and half above the surface. Spread evenly across it were several large spikes, all pointing at him. Aeon was prepared to bet that if he hadn’t held on, he would have been impaled on one of them now.
He slowly edged around it, sticking close to the wall, careful not to get his now wet robes caught. He pushed his way off the walls, until he reached the end. Up above him was a hole, letting in some light from the outside. He clambered up through it, being held back by the weight of his cloak. Suddenly, a pair of hands clasped his arm, and he was tugged out of the hole.
He looked up at the owner of the hands, and saw that it was Severus Snape. He was grinning, and was surrounded by the rest of the Wizards Order. ‘Ten seconds to spare’ said an elderly wizard at the back.
‘Just in time Aeon, very impressive, not even I can do it that quickly. Although you fell for the trap, we were most impressed by the way that you got yourself out of a tricky situation.’
‘TRICKY SITUATION? I was almost KILLED down there!’ Aeon spluttered, coughing up some water.
‘The dangers that you will be facing on your quest are a lot worse than a little fight with a hound. We had to prepare you properly, and hopefully you have prepared yourself. Your journey begins here Aeon.’
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Post by Magic_Oli on Jan 26, 2002 17:23:00 GMT -5
Brilliant! as always...
How do you do it? That style makes it sounds so real!
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Nimuee Macor
Slytherin Alumni
Ah....it's nice to see you in your physical form..
Posts: 621
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Post by Nimuee Macor on Jan 28, 2002 3:26:57 GMT -5
Minih's just very talented.... ;D
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Post by Magic_Oli on Jan 28, 2002 16:42:27 GMT -5
Minih's just very talented.... ;D Yep, regardless of his signature
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Katharina Lioncourt
Slytherin Alumni
"Why? Because I love her more than life." -Severus Snape, in reply to Everett Sarandon's challenge.
Posts: 523
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Post by Katharina Lioncourt on Jan 28, 2002 21:17:44 GMT -5
[quote
"It was the legendary Severus Snape, the person who destroyed the Dark Lord Voldemort and saved the life of millions of muggles and wizards, the last headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the administrator of the Wizards Attack and Defence Order, and also the owner of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch Club. But he was supposedly…"
Awesome!!! ;D[/quote]
Severus and I agree wholeheartedly!! 8) If only we could give house points out for flattery!
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Post by minihagrid on Feb 8, 2002 16:39:31 GMT -5
This is volume two now. I like to call it: The Release. Great huh? Anyway, in it Aeon starts to search for the first of four artefacts. Enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 8: New Friend/Old Foe
Aeon gasped at what was in front of him. For the first time in twelve years, he was looking at a green tree. A living tree, with birds nesting high up in the branches, leaves dripping with moisture and roots that burrowed their way deep into the soil around them. In fact, the whole field he was standing in was like a vision of the past. All sorts of animals ran through the long grass, and various types of vegetation sprung up everywhere.
‘What is this place? Why is it so…alive?’ Aeon asked, turning to look at Snape for answers. They had just used the box portkey to arrive in this field, before looking for the village and the entrance to the temple. It was two days after Aeon had successfully completed The Orders challenge, and Snape and the other sorcerers had finally been able to enchant the portkey to take them to this hidden land.
‘Strong magic surrounds this area. It has been untouched by anyone for a thousand years or more. Presumably, the effects of the war have not found this place either. Nor has Vanadium.’
‘So, no-one knows what lives here?’ A worrying tone sounded in his voice. ‘Shouldn’t we get a move on to try and find the village?’ He started walking towards the nearest end of the field, straining his neck to see over the tall, pebbled wall. There was nothing but green fields, and tall trees stretching for miles around, as far as he could see.
‘How big is this island?’ he questioned. All he could see was fields stretching into the distance. Surely in this age of satellites and advanced sea travel someone had found this place.
‘It is unknown. It is believed that the coasts here are watched over by merpeople, who lure any approaching ships away and onto rocks nearby, preventing them revealing the secret. But from the air, I cannot say. Perhaps invisibility?’
Snape chose a way for them to go, and they headed there, through the fields and heading for the unknown. Suddenly, Aeon stopped. His ears pricked. He had heard something behind them. He turned, and scanned the surrounding area, searching for the source of the sound.
‘What is it?’ asked Snape, also stopping.
‘I, thought that I heard… Never mind. It was probably nothing.’ He continued walking, ignoring the curious glance that Snape was giving him. Soon, Snape followed him, and together they walked off through even more fields. They walked for what seemed like hours, with no end to the greenness. Although he had been seeing the same fields for hours, he would never tire of the luscious varieties, from the damp grass beneath his feet to the tall trees way up above him.
They climbed over a fence at the end of the green, and finally found themselves on a pathway. It was winding and narrow, and descended deep into the depths of a dark forest. Aeon recognized it instantly from the map. This was the path that led straight into the heart of the village.
‘This is it!’ He yelled excitedly. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ He turned and started to race along the path. Snape followed him, although slower, still observing the new surroundings. Aeon had forgotten, but it was Snapes first view of life on this scale for twelve years aswel as his, and the great wizard was obviously desperate to take it all in.
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Post by minihagrid on Feb 8, 2002 16:41:17 GMT -5
Aeon raced along the path, not stopping to look at the trees around him. If he had, he might have noticed a group of dark shapes lurking in the woods nearby…
Snape was walking deeper and deeper down the path, following the footprints made in the soft mud by Aeons shoes. Looking down, Snape suddenly saw several tracks made by an animal paw, heading in the same direction. Even further down, another pair joined the tracks, this time human feet. He hurried down, but stopped dead when he heard the ear splitting screams and howls up ahead. Cursing himself for letting Aeon go off on his own, Snape started to run after the prints, hoping that he got there in time.
As Aeon ran into the clearing, he heard the first noises around him. Snapping twigs on the floor of the forest behind him made him spin round. At first he saw nothing, but on closer inspection he noticed two very large black creatures, crouched down in the undergrowth. And then, without warning, they pounced on him.
He fell back on to the floor, and shielded his face. At the last moment before they were on top of him, he rolled sideways, and they landed smartly on the floor. They looked like black panthers, although they had no outline, and seemed to be made of a deep purple fog. As soon as he got to his knees, one of them started to change. It got thinner, and with a sudden movement a long sharp spike shot out, piercing Aeons left shoulder, and sent him flying off his feet, hanging him six feet in midair. Although it looked to be the same gaseous substance as the beast itself, it felt very solid to Aeon.
Looking back down at the other beast, Aeon saw it leap into the air. It twirled, before forming a large blade, which spun through the air, heading straight for him. He closed his eyes, and screamed.
Snape ran into the clearing just in time to see the blade heading for Aeon. He reached for his wand, but before he could do anything another creature leapt in between them, cutting Aeon off from the attacker. With a swift flick of its own sword, it sliced the blade straight across the middle. It fell to the ground, but before the impact, it vaporised, leaving no trace.
Snape stared in wonder at this, before turning to look at the sword wielder. To his amazement, it was another human, covered in a mask. Quickly, he ran over to join the attack, at the same time the creature holding Aeon in the air transformed back into its original shape. It bolted straight for Snape, knocking the third person over, and letting Aeon fall to the floor hard.
Before he could think, Snape yelled ‘Volatilizisi!’ aiming his wand at the creature. A bright yellow ray of light struck it, and it stopped in mid-stride. Then, a burst of heat covered them, focusing on the beast, before making it disappear completely. Looking up, Snape noticed the stranger, helping Aeon to his feet, whilst at the same time pressurising his wound with his hand, stemming the blood flow. As he approached, he saw that he was now fastening a bandage around it, very skilfully aswel. ‘Are you okay Aeon?’ Snape asked. Aeon nodded although he did look very pale. Now, Snape turned to the stranger. ‘Thank you for helping us, we are extremely grateful. May I ask who you are?’ Without saying anything, the man turned, and waved his hand, signalling that they follow him. Sheathing his sword, he departed into the trees, Snape and Aeon following hurriedly.
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Nimuee Macor
Slytherin Alumni
Ah....it's nice to see you in your physical form..
Posts: 621
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Post by Nimuee Macor on Feb 9, 2002 7:32:57 GMT -5
'Aeon gasped at what was in front of him. For the first time in twelve years, he was looking at a green tree. A living tree, with birds nesting high up in the branches, leaves dripping with moisture and roots that burrowed their way deep into the soil around them. In fact, the whole field he was standing in was like a vision of the past. All sorts of animals ran through the long grass, and various types of vegetation sprung up everywhere.'
'Snape followed him, although slower, still observing the new surroundings. Aeon had forgotten, but it was Snapes first view of life on this scale for twelve years aswel as his, and the great wizard was obviously desperate to take it all in.'
Wow. Such incredible detail Minih! Excellent writing! ;D When is your first book being published? (And do I get a signed copy?)
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Post by minihagrid on Feb 14, 2002 15:49:05 GMT -5
New Chapter. Quite a boring one really...but still a new chapter...
Chapter 9: Shayak Uni
‘So, who is this person?’ Aeon whispered to Snape. He was clutching his wound, his hand and robes covered with blood. The bandage once holding it had come loose, and he didn’t want to stop and replace it in fear of losing their guide.
‘I don’t know, but I suspect that he is one of the villagers of The Verteid. His fighting skills look useful. I suggest that we try to stay on his good side.’
They were out of earshot of the stranger, but still close enough to follow him along the path. Every now and then, they deviated from the stone trail, but the hooded man seemed to know exactly where he was going. As they traversed through the forest once more, a branch caught Aeon’s left shoulder, where his wound was situated, and he winced. Snape noticed this, and pulled out his wand. ‘Curiove’ he muttered, and immediately the pain seeped away. ‘Just a mere anaesthetic,’ Snape explained. ‘Only temporary.’
‘Thanks.’ Aeon said, and they continued to walk. After what felt like hours, the leader led them into a large field. At the far end, surrounded by wooden fences, Aeon could see some shabby huts with smoke billowing from their rooftops. There was also a large fire burning in the open-air, surrounded by people of all sizes. To his left, a pen trapped a small herd of cattle, which were grazing peacefully on the long green grass. There was also a small area of brightly coloured flowers, which were being tended by a woman who held a long stick. In the far distance, what looked like two or three miles away, towered a grand building, with a spire stretching up to the sky. The Temple of Coraggio.
The man who had brought them here had continued across the field, headed for the village. A group of small children ran over to him, welcoming his return. Also, a rather large woman strode over and embraced him. Snape suggested that they walked over there aswel, and they both rushed over to the villagers.
On approach, they could hear the man who had found them conversing with the woman in a foreign language. ‘Leave this to me,’ Snape whispered. He stood up tall, and stepped towards them. ‘Excuse me?’ he began, but the woman interrupted him.
‘Come,’ she said, more of an order then a request. They all walked over to the fire, and the woman barked some orders at the people sitting there. They scuttled off, and she indicated to Snape that they sat where they had been. As soon as they had done so, they were surrounded by villagers offering them food and drink, and trying to get a better look at them.
‘Welcome. I am the Head of this village. My name is Vatrana Uni, and this,’ she said, pointing her hands at their guide, ‘is my daughter Shayak.’ Aeon gasped as the stranger lowered her hood, revealing long black hair and a young woman’s face. Aeon could see that Snape was surprised too, although he didn’t say anything. Aeon just had time to think how beautiful she looked, when she spoke to them for the first time.
‘I was just telling my mother of your powers,’ she began, talking to Snape. He nodded, and she continued. ‘I knew as soon as I saw you that you were the people from the legend. No-one else could have found us.’
‘What legend?’ asked Aeon, but Snape quelled his questions with an icy glare.
‘First,’ he said. ‘ We must thank your daughter for saving our lives. Without her, we would most certainly be dead by now.’
‘It was no problem. I was tracking the beasts, when they were disturbed, as was I. I sensed a movement in the flow of magic here. As if more had arrived. And then you came. The forests around here are no place for you to travel unarmed.’
‘What were those things anyway?’ Aeon blurted out. The look on Snape’s face grew fiercer, and Aeon looked away at Shayak.
‘We call them Darkness. They have no real name. It is our belief that they are created by the use of magic. Every time a spell is cast here, the extra magic produced forces the older magic to form those beasts. It is one of the many defences that our Lord Godric gave us.’
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Post by minihagrid on Feb 14, 2002 15:52:56 GMT -5
‘Godric?’ Snape asked. ‘You mean Godric Gryffindor? Is he here?’
‘No, no.’ It was Vatrana speaking now. ‘He died long ago. But his spirit is still here. He watches over us. Protects us from the outside world. He once told us that one day, strangers would arrive here from the outside, and bring with them a force so dark that all here would be vanquished.’
Aeon saw Snapes face fall. ‘So, you’re not pleased to see us?’ This put them in a very difficult situation now. How could they expect help from people who believed that they were about to cause their death?
‘Death does not worry us. What will come will come. And we’ll have to face it when it does. You cannot change the future.’
‘So you’ll help us?’ Snape asked.
‘Yes’ Vatrana smiled. ‘But before you leave, you must stay and celebrate with us. We are having a festival tonight, to celebrate the beginning of the end.’
Vatrana and Shayak stood up, and went off together into the nearest house, in rapid conversation, leaving Aeon and Snape alone. All the villagers who had surrounded them earlier had found more interesting things to do, so they could speak in complete freedom.
‘So,’ Aeon broke the silence. ‘Are these people wizards?’ He had seen no signs of magic, but there were no muggle energy sources in view either.
‘No. I believe that they are muggles. They seem to have been isolated from the outside world for so long, and any technology discovered elsewhere has not reached here yet.’
‘I’m gonna go take a look around. You coming?’ Aeon stood up, and walked towards the huts nearby.
‘No. I’ll just stay here for a while. You go ahead. But don’t leave the village!’
Why was Snape treating him like such a kid? Hadn’t he already proved his abilities? Aeon kicked a stone in frustration, and it flew through the air. It came to rest at a pair of feet, and Aeon looked up. It was Shayak. He gave her a nervous smile, and turned away, looking quite embarrassed. But she grabbed hold of his arm, and spun him around.
‘So, you’re coming to the festival tonight? Maybe you should get changed.’ She looked at his battered blue robes, stained with blood from his shoulder. ‘And maybe we should get that wound healed. Follow me.’ She turned, and headed to a small hut on the edge of the village, dragging him along. Aeon decided that it was best not to argue.
The hut was as small inside as it was outside. It reminded Aeon of his ‘house’ on the hillside. There was only one room, with a circular shelf running all round the walls. There was a straw pile, presumably for a bed, in one corner, and one window at the back, giving a view of the forest.
On the shelves were several bottles of brightly coloured liquids, as well as small containers of crushed solids. Shayak reached for a few, and asked Aeon to show her his wound. He pulled his robes over his head, and allowed her to examine the bleeding shoulder.
‘Relax,’ she said. ‘This may burn a bit…’ She slowly poured the liquids on one at a time, and allowed them to soak in. Then she sprinkled a fine white powder on it, and pain spread through his shoulder. He looked at the wound, and saw it smoking. The skin was melting before his very eyes, and stretching to cover the hole. In a few seconds, the pain stopped, and the wound had completely disappeared.
Smiling, Shayak spoke to him again. ‘There are some spare robes and clothes in the main hut. I suggest that you go there and change. I’ll see you in a short while.’ She departed again, and Aeon decided to have a quick rest. He lay down on the straw pile, and soon he was fast asleep.
Next chapter, Its party time! And then they re-join their quest to save the world...but the party's more important!
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Post by Me on Feb 15, 2002 2:00:38 GMT -5
[glow=gold,2,300]I will not read minih's story I will not read minih's story.
Oh heck I'll just read what he's written so far.
~Later~
That was actually good. Need more. I read an article on global warming today.[/glow]
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