"Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" — William Blake,
…
Emma had prepared dinner and woke up Charlus to eat before they went back to sleep.
"They haven't come back yet?" Charlus asked, noticing the absence of Regulus and Hestia in their base.
"No. I am afraid something might have happened to them. Hestia is known to be…" Emma stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip worriedly.
Charlus, noticing her unease, assured her, "Emma, Hestia is not alone. She is with Regulus. Most dangerous situations are handled with ease when Regulus is involved. Do not worry about them. They will be back tomorrow. If not, we will inform the school."
Emma looked at Charlus, surprised by this different side of him.
He didn't even mind the idea of failing the trial to rescue his friend. He cares about him a lot.
Meanwhile, Charlus was thinking, If this trial is proving difficult even for Regulus, we might be in danger trying to do it alone.
They both reached a silent conclusion and ate their dinner before going to sleep. Charlus had the decency to avoid making a ruckus like in the morning and slept further away from her this time.
…
Mr Morrow POV
Mr Morrow, who had been listening to their conversation from the tree line, was now sweating buckets.
He had assumed Regulus could manage himself, so he chose to shadow Emma and Charlus in the morning. By the time they had safely arrived back at the base, Mr Morrow grew secretly anxious as the hours ticked by. Listening to their conversation now, he realised Hestia and Regulus were going to spend their night in the forest.
Even if he started to search for them now, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. If he used a tracking spell, he would trip the trial wards, and they would be disqualified.
He decided to wait until morning, praying nothing catastrophic would happen.
Where the hell are they?
…
Earlier that Morning...
Regulus and Hestia had started their journey peacefully. Hestia was not known to talk, so Regulus spoke only when necessary.
At some point, Regulus broke the silence. "I noticed you wanted to talk about something when we first encountered the Ashwinder. What was it?"
Hestia replied simply, "I wanted to capture it alive."
"Oh. Well, we are in a forest. I am sure we will find another," Regulus said.
Hestia simply nodded.
Regulus was getting used to her form of conversation. He didn't find it dragging; it was purposeful. She was silent most of the time, so he just had to keep an eye on her to ensure she was still following him and not stopping to inspect some poisonous creature. He let her take the lead occasionally, following closely.
They had formulated a plan to search for Nettle plants in dark areas. So far, they hadn't found any. They had encountered some magical creatures, but Hestia had shooed them away, deeming them harmless.
As they went further West, Regulus noticed the magical signatures of animals becoming sparse. He started to notice an abundance of fauna but significantly less flora in the region. Hestia, proficient in Magical Creatures, noticed the difference in the ecosystem too.
Regulus cast Tempus. It was two in the afternoon.
He wanted to search for one more site before heading back to base. They could continue the search the next day. They had covered two dark spots already—a cave and a huge hollow tree—but found nothing they came for. Hestia, however, had made a variety of collections that made Regulus cringe.
They moved on. In about half an hour, they found a dark cave emanating magical signals that pricked at Regulus's senses.
Hestia was wary, too. There was no sound near the cave, which denoted one of two things: either Glumbubles were inside, or a huge predator claimed this territory.
They noticed Nettle plants growing near the cave mouth.
They decided to wait behind a bush that gave them a good vantage point. They watched for half an hour but saw no signs of movement.
Hestia wanted to explore the cave to see if they could find the insects. If not, they will exit and return tomorrow. Regulus, who had detected a magical signature earlier, found it missing now. Still, he was wary.
He decided it was the right time to enter and search quickly.
They approached the cave. It was dark but significantly larger than they had expected from a distance. Now standing near it, they felt that a dragon could enter without any resistance.
The first thing they noticed was the smell. It stank of rotten eggs—sulphur—emanating from the depths, making even Hestia wrinkle her nose. Regulus, who could block his sense of smell, did so instantly. He simply couldn't bear the stench.
They entered the cave to find a pile of ash in the centre. The cave was not a dead end; there was light coming from the far side, though the middle remained shrouded in darkness.
Hestia, ever curious, approached the ash and waved her wand. The air disturbed the pile, revealing a black, obsidian-like surface underneath. It was the kind of glass formed by extreme heat, usually found in volcanoes.
Hestia was stunned for a second.
Noticing her reaction, Regulus joked, "It is not a dragon's nest, is it?"
Hestia whispered, "No, Regulus. It is much worse…"
Before she finished speaking, Regulus's magical sense screamed an alarm. He felt a massive magical source approaching from the other side of the tunnel.
He didn't wait to hear Hestia's explanation. He grabbed her hand and started running back towards the entrance. They had very little time before they were exposed. They dove behind a rock near the entrance, just big enough to hide the two of them.
Regulus swished his wand without a chant. They both vanished. A Disillusionment Charm.
They peeked out from behind the rock.
A lion-like shadow emerged at the far entrance of the cave. It had the head of a lion, but with massive goat horns spiraling from its skull. Its tail was not a tuft of fur, but a dragon's head, snapping and hissing.
It was a Chimaera. Also known as the Wizard Killer.
The Chimaera stood two adults tall. It spewed fire from its mouth—and presumably its tail—scorching the surroundings into the obsidian surface Hestia had found. It was classified by the Ministry as an XXXXX-rated beast. There were almost no recorded feats of a wizard defeating a Chimaera alone; the only recorded victory ended with the wizard dying of exhaustion shortly after.
Regulus remembered seeing one in a textbook. The section on "Defence" had contained almost no information, except for a single word: Run.
The Chimaera was holding a fully grown Thestral in its lion jaws. The blood of the invisible horse dripped onto the floor as it walked.
When it reached its ash pile, it paused. It sniffed the air, detecting a disturbance. It looked directly at the rock where Regulus and Hestia were hiding.
Regulus realised with horror that he had blocked his own sense of smell—but he hadn't masked their scent. They both stank of the rotten eggs and ash from the cave, mixed with their own fear sweat.
Regulus had only one thought before he started sprinting.
Fuck.
He grabbed Hestia and bolted.
Hestia, who was momentarily fascinated by the majestic creature, found herself being dragged out of the cave just steps ahead of death.
As they ran, Regulus swished his wand over them.
"Inodorus!"
The scent-masking spell took effect immediately, making them scentless. But it was too late. The Chimaera had already detected their location despite the Disillusionment Charm.
It roared in anger, a sound that shook the ground and swished its massive tail, smashing rocks aside as it charged.
They found themselves running in the opposite direction from the camp. Regulus knew Mr Morrow would be back at the base to save them, but they couldn't turn back now. The massive beast was gaining on them.
The Disillusionment Charm started to waver. Before it failed, they had to hide.
Regulus changed direction, plunging deeper into the dense forest. The Chimaera roared again, snapping trees like matchsticks as it barreled through the woods. The forest floor shook with every step.
The worst situation happened: their Disillusionment Charm wore off completely.
Regulus was firing stunning spells over his shoulder blindly while running. Suddenly, Hestia spotted a small hole at the base of a massive tree—an opening only a child could fit through.
She pulled Regulus towards it and dove in first. Regulus followed closely behind, his heels inches away from the snapping jaws of the Chimaera.
The hole led to an underground tunnel structure.
ROAR!
The Chimaera spewed a torrent of fire into the hole.
"Protego Maxima!"
Regulus cast the shield charm instantly, blocking the flames. The fire washed over the magical barrier, unable to reach them.
The creature stopped. It sensed that its fire was useless against the barrier and that the two intruders were too deep for it to reach with its claws.
It roared in frustration, prowling around the hole, waiting.
Regulus and Hestia waited for what felt like an eternity before daring to breathe normally. Hestia's hands were shaking violently; Regulus, still holding her hand, could feel the tremors.
She let go of her anxiety and collapsed onto the dirt floor. She didn't cry or weep like a little girl; she was simply in a state of shock, her legs refusing to support her weight.
Regulus lifted her gently and moved further into the underground bunker. The space had the touch of human hands; the stones were arranged to prevent mud from collapsing the walls. It was an old hideout.
They rested for an hour. Regulus checked the time: 6:00 PM.
The sky had already started to darken. This was bad news. Many creatures possessed night vision far sharper than humans. Out there in the dark, they would be fish on a chopping board.
Regulus, having rested enough, moved back towards the entrance hole. Hestia sat up, alert. Regulus made a silent gesture and approached slowly.
He peeked his head out of the hole.
He didn't see the Chimaera.
But he wasn't convinced. His magical sense screamed at him not to go out.
He turned his head slightly and scanned the tree line.
There.
A pair of predator eyes glowed in the darkness, staring directly at him, muscles coiled to sprint. The Chimaera was waiting. It was an apex predator; it knew exactly how to wait for its prey to flush itself out.
Regulus broke out in a cold sweat. If he hadn't had his sensing ability, he would have been captured the moment he stepped out. He locked onto the magical signature of the beast to track it while remaining underground.
He retreated into the tunnel.
He decided not to inform Hestia about the waiting monster to avoid panic. Instead, he told her it was simply too dangerous to travel at night and that they would begin their journey back to base at first light.
Regulus and Hestia conjured some leaves to make a makeshift bed. They couldn't hunt for food, so they chewed on the backup jerky they had packed.
The underground space was vast, but they slept huddled together. Hestia, lying next to Regulus, was still shivering from fright and the damp cold.
Regulus hugged her close, and they both fell asleep in each other's warmth. After all, it is natural for the soul to search for a companion to get through the aftershocks of a near-death experience