The Red Queen's Labyrinth
THE RED QUEEN'S LABYRINTH
(Group 14)
Whimsy was in the air, for it was the morning of the Wonderland Waltz at last! Many attendees shuffled and skipped around in their rooms, preparing their finest robes and accessories for the occasion. Though, not all were still sewing the last pearls onto their gowns or choosing their cufflinks.
Brave souls who have taken up the challenge of The Red Queen's Labyrinth have all gathered today in the Small Hall. Each possessed a key that had been delivered to them by an owl, each customised in pattern and shape to match only one door.
Players would feel as if they had entered a life-sized rabbit’s burrow upon entering the Small Hall. Numerous doors spanned the seemingly endless corridor, lying in wait for their chosen group of challengers. Some doors were round, others triangular. The possibilities seemed endless as colours and patterns blurred together from a birdseye view.
Upon fitting one's key into the correct door, the door will swing open to reveal an elegant European garden. Jade green hedges adorned with ruby red roses towered over the players, winding in all sorts of odd angles and curves. It was a maze, and players were faced with the mouth of the beast.
Obstacle 1
Upon taking your first steps into the maze, players will be led down a colourful checker-patterned path. Approaching the end of this path, it became narrow, looping once to reveal the first challenge in their way.
Upon stepping to the end of the path, the leaves of the hedge walls would begin to rustle violently. The ground trembled a little as the once singular hedge wall ripped itself apart, revealing THREE PATHWAYS.
Popping colours, vivid shades: The first path was colourful in many ways. Fungi of all colours and varieties were richly scattered across the path, making the dirt look more like a fruit cake from afar. If you lean too close, some might get mischievous and start to spit rainbow spore clouds at you!
The saying goes, “No journey is taken alone!” Come forth, social butterflies, for on the second path lies countless eyes. Beady-eyed garden gnomes danced in arrow formations in the centre of the path, as if inviting the players in. Even from the entrance, the faintest giggling and a peculiar song of gibberish filled the air.
Elegant, refined, a royal’s heart must never be satisfied. The third path was tailored fit for royalty. The golden arch at the entrance glimmered in the sunlight, and beyond it, beautiful ruby roses were intertwined into the emerald hedges. Opulence was in the air, and the gentle flow of a fountain could be heard down the perfect path.
A riddle is written on an oval sign in loopy letters:
Before you lay a path split in three,
But only one will be a breeze!
Will you go down the first path where life's abundant,
And flourishing nature is the ruler incumbent?
Or prepare for a party,
For the company of critters on the second path is nothing short of hearty.
Opulence, oh, a dream of many.
On the third path where riches a-plenty await,
It is up to you to seize your fate.
One last advice.
Heed it, it shall suffice:
To brave the jungle
is to have a knowing local in the bundle.
To go without, you'd best have an out!
Choices, choices, three too many choices! Which one will you take, brave challengers?
✥─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────✥
OOC InstructionsReducioRulesROUND 1 SPECIAL INSTRUCTION:
- To participate, you must have signed up and allocated a group. If this is not your group thread, please do not post here.
- Moderation will occur once a week, if at least HALF of the members in the group posted an action.
- If one or no members post an action that round, moderation will happen only the next week to give more time for members to post. This is for the sake of game progression.
- If there are any special circumstances (eg, members are ill), please owl us. We will consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
- Each participant is allowed one moderated action per round. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
- Please specify your character's action(s) in your post (as an OOC note).
- This includes moderated actions, which are actions that require dice rolls to determine their outcome, like casting a spell.
- Please follow all usual HIO rules.
- This includes 200 IC word requirements.
- Hold onto your heads, wandering travellers. Have fun!
Each group is only allowed to choose one pathway. Posted actions should say the same pathway.
Group 14
- @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera
- @Archer Duncan
- @Thales Amaro
- @Prat Pass
- @Nico Dawson
DEADLINE: 1 week from time of posting
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
From the depths of the Slytherin dungeons two figures would emerge, one leading the other to the Small Hall, transformed into a rabbit’s burrow with winding corridors and doors of assorted shapes. The flashes of colours were overwhelming, yet almost inviting as he walked the pathway down to his assigned group: fourteen.
Archer was both shocked and, in some odd, boyish manner, proud of himself that he was the first arrival. Clutching the key that had been delivered to him by owl post, he awaited his teammates, names that would have sounded daunting if not for the reassurance of familiarity. Amongst faces he did not know were two foreign students, yet another two of which were delightful additions. While he would not yet deign to deem a friend, Nico Dawson was a student taken under Archer’s battered wing, and one he found entertaining, if not enchanting. The other, however, was both his lifesaver and his damnation, the one who had dragged him into this mess, and the one who would no doubt drag him out of it.
Archer, arriving with his curse and his blessing, through an arm around the shoulder of his best friend. “Es-tu prêt?” He asked in playful, flighty French, something of a code language between the two of them. Whether he was ready or not, however, would be irrelevant as the rest of their assemblage would inevitably arrive, and the game would begin.
The group spilled into the maze, taking their first steps across a checkerboard. Archer, feeling an inexplicable liveliness, hopped from black to black, and urged the others to join in his impromptu game of “the white is lava”. His satchel bounced on his shoulder, and he let out a loose laugh he would never remember. He continued his childish — blissfully childish — endeavours until the path tapered, and three choices were presented before them. Ignoring the riddle and the opinions of his peers completely, hazel eyes drifted across the scene, and landed on a particular way with indisputable determination.
Among the three paths, Archer was immediately drawn to the leftmost. The other two, one swarming with zealous graden gnomes and thronging with countless throbbing eyes, the other an opulent display of ostentatious prowess and decked with a golden arch leading to a land of flowers, looked both more dangerous and more akin to a trap. Beyond simple matters of exclusion, Archer, forever prepared with notebook in hand, was entranced by the various colours and shapes of the fungi, many of which he reasoned were poisonous. Immediately he knelt down at the side of the path, flipped his notebook open to a collection of other exotic species, and began his artistic endeavours, wishing he had brought coloured pencils and wholly distracted from the group’s true task. Perhaps he would even be lucky enough to have spores spewed in his face….
“Hey!” Archer said, when he would inevitably notice his group heading in a different direction. This one,” he said decisively, and awaited at the pathway expectantly.
action: second pathway (?) | banner by Adeline Spinks
I am not even singed. My wings are untouched. You use them for everything, except flight.
Liliya Starkova| Anthonie Engelbrecht
Liliya Starkova| Anthonie Engelbrecht
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
date ; xx/xx/xxxx
mentions ; @Archer Duncan @Thales Amaro @Nico Dawson @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera
languages ; english | thoughts
xxxx ; wordcount
More ready than ever1 ; ooc notes
Prat arrived to the small hall, dressed to the 9 in a tux with a distinct imagery and style, those who'd have ventured even a little into the theme, had forayed into the story, would be acutely aware of who he had dressed as. Prat's mind however was a little distracted, he'd been attending this thing with Archer, but he did make a mental note.
A note for himself, to go seek Siobhan once he was done with the formalities and this place, after all, he did need to dance with her tonight, they'd already missed their chance the last time and he wasn't really looking for a repeat.
Fortunately, Archer too was in presence here, one of his few trusted companions and his very own roommate. Archer slung a hand over his shoulder, asking something while Prat replied with a carefree "Plus prêt que jamais1." Prat was drawn towards the second path, something about that one just felt the right choice, or perhaps he had decided on the second path and now his mind was lying to him, to ensure he wouldn't stray from a path he's already chosen.
Before they moved forward, Prat made it a point to exchange pleasantries with the two new faces.
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coded by elena clarkxx | x |
| Prat Pass - Slytherin | |
Sta: 7 | Eva: 10 | Str: 6 | Wis: 7 | Arc: 7 | Acc: 13 |
Sta: 9 | Eva: 15 | Str: 0 | Wis: 7 | Arc: 5 | Acc: 15 |
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
banner by Esme Hestridge
Interacting with: @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera @Archer Duncan @Thales Amaro @Prat Pass | wc: 691
To say Nico was excited was an understatement - their entire being brimmed with energy from the moment they woke up. Today was the fateful day of the Labyrinth game, one they would participate in with great company. They couldn’t wait to hang out with their beloved upperclassman, as well as their newly met exchange student buddy. The other two members of the group remained shrouded in mystery, which should’ve been uncovered soon. Not that they were worried of course; they firmly believed that anyone Archer deemed a friend must’ve been as cool as him.
Nico wasn’t sure if the event required any sort of dresscode. It was technically separate from the ball, but they were obviously somewhat connected so perhaps a fancy outfit would’ve been welcome. They could always see what’s going on at the ball after the game as well. A few minutes of pondering led them to pull out the only set which seemed appropriate for the occasion. In fact, it was the only “fancy” outfit in their entire wardrobe - neither them nor their parents cared that much about elaborate clothing, living under the pretense that a clean shirt will work in any situation. Such was unacceptable to their uncle William; he for one always cared about appearances, brands and all that, perhaps because he needed to keep up an image at his work. Nonetheless, some time ago after learning Nico would perform in front of quite a decent crowd in their hometown, he decided their usual clothes were not enough. He showed up at their doorstep with a high-quality, red costume, saying that a magician must bring attention to themselves. Nico wouldn’t perform this time, but they would not pass on the occasion to wear it again.
They made their way to the location of the game just in time to notice a familiar figure in the distance. They would’ve broken into a mad dash to catch up to the boy, but Archer seemed to be in no rush, jumping along the black tiles in an uncharacteristically carefree way. They smiled at the rare view and quietly followed at a distance. The student walked with another boy, one they assumed must’ve been Prat; between the two remaining names he didn’t quite look like an Ariana. As it is, they would have plenty of time to get to know each other, being stuck in a labyrinth and all. They followed the pair, taking their time making sure they didn't step on any black tiles. They finally caught up as the way split into the. “Hi! Sorry for sneaking behind you like that. You must be Prat; I’m Nico as you might’ve guessed,” they nodded at the new face.
A quick glance at the available options showed that all of them were enticing in a way. The middle one caught their attention especially - a group of (in Nico’s opinion) adorable gnomes stood in front. “Oh, hi there little ones! Guys, look, aren’t they so fun?” they exclaimed, immediately drawn to the path.
Nico stopped to ponder - this couldn’t have been a choice of which path they simply liked the most. There had to be some sort of challenge, a trick. At least one of the paths must’ve been a trap; the third one, the fanciest of them all looked inviting, but could’ve been hiding something dangerous within it. The one with the fungi seemed interesting as well, but they quickly felt uneasy seeing the fumes some of them let out. The last thing they wanted was to be choking and coughing the whole way.
Just as this thought had appeared, to Nico’s horror, Archer spoke pointing in its direction. Normally, they wouldn’t think twice and follow the boy, but this time, the spore clouds didn’t look that friendly. “What about the middle one?” they rebutted, pointing there instead. “Those little guys look so jolly. Maybe if we’re nice to them, they’ll show us the way out?” they wondered out loud. Their eyes went towards a sign they did not notice before. After a quick read, a lightbulb turned on in their head.“I bet that’s what the knowing locals are!”
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ability: charmer
sta 3 eva 9 str 3 wis 6 arc 6 acc 8
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
───────────────────────────────────────
 ───────────────────────────────────────
─────────────────────────────────────── ACTION: picking the second pathway. ─────────────────────────────────────── |
xxxxxxxx | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx room 14; red queen's labyrinth; small hall. DD/MM/YYYY roleplaying with: @Nico Dawson, @Archer Duncan, @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera, @Prat Pass x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x STA: 7; EVA: 8; STR: 10; WIS: 0; ARC: 0; ACC: 10; out of character notes: 1 mano ─ brazilian portuguese slang for "man," "dude." |
Last edited by Thales Amaro on 18 Apr 2026, 11:06, edited 1 time in total.
esme hestridge. second year slytherin duelist. |
katherine townsend. professor of charms, former thunderbird. |
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
~ banner by Elena Clark ~
THE RED QUEEN'S LABYRINTH
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
date: 16/04/26 | place: Small Hall | outfit: tba | cc: #4d6c84 | wc: ooo
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| xxxx | ───𝕿he huntress awoke on April 17th in a country far, far from home. Scotland was where the academy that she was currently visiting was located, never warm during the gala seasons and often rainy, but it would do. Ariana was certainly not the biggest fan of balls – quite the contrary in fact – but didn't mind the other activities such as the one that these particular ball planners had put together: the Red Queen's Labyrinth. As a child, the girl had been told the story of Alice in Wonderland, and that being the theme of the the event intrigued the second year. After all, navigating through the forest had always been a skill of hers, given her childhood living partly in the forest beside her with only herself and her bow and arrow to guide her. The group Ariana had been places into was interesting to say the least. Prat Pass, Thales Amaro, Archer Duncan and Nico Dawson. She had previously met Prat at his booth during summer camp, and knew of Thales due to him being a Castelobruxo student just like her. Archer and Nico were new faces to her, and she wouldn't make any assessments before properly meeting them. There was nothing more to be said of the strange assemblage as of now, as Ariana reached the Small Hall, as it was called, room fourteen as they had been assigned. Prat had arrived with Archer, and she greeted them both as she arrived. "Hello, Prat, it's nice meeting you again." A pause. "And you must be... Archer?" They had both come from the Slytherin dungeons it seemed, and she knew that Nico was a Gryffindor after researching both of their names. "It's a pleasure." Looking over at the other two, the huntress saw Thales first and gave him a mere nod to acknowledge his presence. He would remember that she was from Castelobruxo like himself, she presumed, and did not feel the need to give the first year a courteous greeting. Nico had arrived as well, and before the event began, Ariana chose to introduce herself to him. "Hello, I'm Ariana. Nice to meet you." Once they had all come together, they each read the first riddle to commence the adventure ahead, and discussed the three the plausible options. The final verdict that they had decided upon was the center path, small gnomes showing them the way with an arrow, and as much as the moonchild thought that it could be a trick, it was the best way to go. Thales even kicked a gnome, to which Ariana raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes, hoping he wouldn't spoil it for them and turn the little creatures against them. As they all walked forward toward their chosen fate, Ariana remained on the alert, wand in hand, hopefully ready for what the maze would throw at them. ──────────────────────────────── action: taking the second pathway STA 5 | EVA 7 | STR 2 | WIS 8 | ARC 4 | ACC 9 - @Archer Duncan @Thales Amaro @Prat Pass @Nico Dawson - | xxxx |
| xxxxx | ⊹✧𝖠𝖱𝖨𝖠𝖭𝖠 ~ ency ☽ 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗄 ☾ |
⋮ ⋮ |
⊹ Sta 5 | Eva 7 | Str 2 | Wis 8 | Arc 4 | Acc 9 ⊹ ─── ‿︵˓ ʚ✩ɞ ˓ ︵ ‿ ─── |
⋮ ⋮ |
xxxxx |
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
ROUND 1 MOD POST
(Group 14)
The fourteenth group was very well mixed, with students from all around the group, and this would work in their advantage, as they came from different magical educational system, with very different experiences, leading to them deciding it would be sensible to go down the SECOND PATH, following the arrows of the gnomes. They managed to avoid the allure of the jems all down the third path, and they were successful in avoiding the first path, which would lead to some very unpleasant smells from the plants. The students all seemed to be getting along quite well, with some cheerful exchanges of names passed between them. Let's hope that it would just stay that jolly.
For players who chose to brave the SECOND PATH, they would find themselves rewarded! Players who walked down the path would be excitedly crowded and shuffled along the path by the dancing garden gnomes present. Despite their excited gibberish, the gnomes would soon prove to be the “knowing locals” that the riddle hinted at. Without trouble or hurdles, the group would find themselves in overly friendly, but safe hands. The peaceful passage through the breezy, grassy path with the cheery gnomes would eventually lead them to the second obstacle in the labyrinth…
Obstacle 2
At the end of the correct path lay the next obstacle for our brave challengers. Before them stood a door buried deep in neat, jade hedges. The air smelled of fragrant roses, and there was nothing around other than roses, hedges, and that mysterious door. If players were to try and twist its shimmering rose-gold handle, they would find it locked. A keyhole could be found beneath the handle. It was unusually small, smaller than most keyholes. To the right of the door, between a trimmed hedge and a stone wall, players would find a table. Resting on the table was a silver key, the metal glinting in the sunlight.
Above the door, a wooden, heart-shaped sign swings with the following riddle:
A key that’s right but far too tall,
Will never fit a door so small!
Shrink the problem, not the door...
Then the key may be used once more.
Oh dear, such a predicament. Perhaps this will be a job for those wands!
✥─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────✥
OOC InstructionsReducioRules
Congratulations, your group has made it to the second obstacle! Please note the following rules for this obstacle:ROUND 2 SPECIAL INSTRUCTION:
- Similar to before, moderation will occur once a week, if at least HALF of the members in the group posted an action.
- If one or no members post an action that round, moderation will happen only the next week to give more time for members to post. This is for the sake of game progression.
- If there are any special circumstances (eg, members are ill), please owl us. We will consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
- Each participant is allowed one moderated action per round. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
- Please specify your character's action(s) in your post (as an OOC note).
- This includes moderated actions, which are actions that require dice rolls to determine their outcome, like casting a spell.
- Please follow all usual HIO rules.
- This includes 200 IC word requirements.
- Wave those wands and good luck, challengers. Have fun!
As hinted above, a spell should successfully be cast in order to pass on to the next stage. Procedure will go as follows:
- The moderator will moderate the actions by order of whoever posted first.
Moderation notes will be left for each player.- If the obstacle is successfully passed before the moderation of some of the later posters’ actions, we will disregard the other actions and automatically let the group pass.
Group 14
- @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera
- @Archer Duncan
- @Thales Amaro
- @Prat Pass
- @Nico Dawson
DEADLINE: 1 week from time of posting
Cinder Blaze Mirada Johnson
Je suis comme un dragon : dangereuse, fougueuse et magnifique.
Moonlight Dreams!
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
~ banner by Elena Clark ~
THE RED QUEEN'S LABYRINTH
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
date: 16/04/26 | place: small hall | outfit: tba | cc: #4d6c84 | wc: short ;-; 233
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| xxxx | ───𝕺bstacle one, check. Who knows what could've happened if Ariana and the other four in her crew had taken the wrong path, but even the huntress' curious mind didn't ponder about it further, as they quickly approached their next endeavor. Nothing was merely a guessing game in the Red Queen's Labyrinth, that much was already clear. Logic and calculation were the key to success, each riddle a test of their wit and skill. The first clue had hinted at the "knowing locals" being their best chance at success, the gnomes being the only presence that fulfilled that role. Now, the problem was much like in the book itself: the key provided was too big for the lock. In the original story, it was the same concept, but in that scene it had been the door itself rather than the lock that was too small. A cookie and a drink had done the trick in that scene, but here, the answer was much more simple than that. Picking up the key with one hand and pointing her wand at it with the other, Ariana uttered a simple "Reducio", expecting it to shrink to size. If successful, she would unlock the door and allow them all to continue forward. She would not fail. Should that be the unfortunate fate that had been decided for her, however, another soul in the proximity would surely help out. ──────────────────────────────── action: casting reducio on the key and unlocking the door STA 5 | EVA 7 | STR 2 | WIS 8 | ARC 4 | ACC 9 - @Archer Duncan @Thales Amaro @Prat Pass @Nico Dawson - | xxxx |
| xxxxx | ⊹✧𝖠𝖱𝖨𝖠𝖭𝖠 ~ ency ☽ 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗄 ☾ |
⋮ ⋮ |
⊹ Sta 5 | Eva 7 | Str 2 | Wis 8 | Arc 4 | Acc 9 ⊹ ─── ‿︵˓ ʚ✩ɞ ˓ ︵ ‿ ─── |
⋮ ⋮ |
xxxxx |
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
banner by Esme Hestridge
Interacting with: @Ariana Westonfield-Rivera @Archer Duncan @Thales Amaro @Prat Pass | wc: 726
Nico was leaning over, observing the gnomes’ cute dance when they heard a voice somewhere above their head. “Mano, they look so stupid,” said the boy, giving them a slight nudge which they felt more than intended as his elbow landed on their bony ribs. They quickly brushed it off - they were filled with a sort of satisfaction that Thales started acting all buddy-buddy with them so soon. They did however catch a glimpse of him touching one of the gnomes with his shoe. Such behaviour was much more despicable. “Be nicer to them! If you’re too mean they could show you the wrong way and you’ll get lost,” they stated, their tone more pleading rather than scolding. They crouched next to the bullied creature and attempted to shake its hand, which due to the size difference ended up looking like it was shaking their finger. A form of peace was made, so next they extended their palm and invited the gnome to hop on. To their surprise it actually climbed on and made itself comfortable. A wide smile brightened their face.
The rest of the group, as hesitant as some of them were due to the prospect of more interesting paths, seemed to become convinced of their choice. And so they took off, though none of them were as intrigued by the hoard of their new companions as Nico, who proceeded to pick up another one and place it on their shoulder; the one leisurely sat in their cupped hands pointed in the same direction as the rest of its kin. Thales’ earlier behaviour did not seem to upset it too much, or at the very least, it got over the grudge quite fast.
Thales. He brought a bit of disarray into Nico’s thoughts. They could not tell whether the boy was or would soon start to enjoy himself. For now he seemed painfully disinterested, both in the people around him and their chosen path. But in all honesty, he did not seem too interested in Hogwarts as a whole, so maybe that was his issue? A shadow of doubt passed over Nico; they’d noticed earlier how he was eyeing the third path, the fancy one. Perhaps if they’d gone that way he’d be having a better time and appreciate the school more. Though at the same time, Archer had also initially chosen a different route and they didn’t want him to be disappointed either; all they could do was hope the compromised way was at least the correct one, and both students would soon be engaged in new puzzles.
The group eventually reached a dead end. The carried gnomes (which numbers gradually increased before they even noticed) jumped off Nico’s shoulders and joined the rest which scurried off into the depths of the labyrinth. They were now faced with a door surrounded by flowers and greenery, posing somewhat of a romantic view. The door even had a heart shaped sign above it with another riddle written on it. Nico did not even bother checking the handle, simply glanced to the side to find a key which could only be described as obscenely oversized for the door provided. Reducio, huh…
They were familiar with the spell, but they wouldn’t dare to cast it themselves. They knew about it from scouring random books and textbooks of older years, but it was one officially learned during the second year. They did practice it either way, but without the “official” training there was always a chance they could mess up, and that’s the last thing they wanted in such a high stakes setting. Besides, they had two perfectly capable upperclassmen right there - their expectant eyes immediately turned towards Archer. The thought of eagerly offering to cast the spell just to fail in front of him sent shivers down their spine. They’d much rather cheer him on and observe; perhaps the boy’s technique would be something to learn from. “I’ll leave that to someone more qualified,” they said, throwing both him and Prat a cheerful look.
To their surprise, someone “more qualified” sprung into action before either of them could, and Ariana quickly made her way to the table. Nico’s eyebrows raised slightly at the unexpected movement, but the expression was quickly replaced by an encouraging smile and a thumbs up, this time directed at the girl.
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ability: charmer
sta 3 eva 9 str 3 wis 6 arc 6 acc 8
The Red Queen's Labyrinth
At their first obstacle, it was determined that the key would need to be reduced in size. Archer watched, still dejected that they had not chosen his desired path with the mushrooms, as a foreign girl and a foreign face stepped towards the object.
Distrust immediately arose in Archer, and even though he was previously distracted by the jade hedges gleaming in the afternoon’s night, a few swift steps between Prat and Nico brought him to the young lady’s side. An unfamiliar figure, Archer thrusted out his own wand, in fear that her efforts would not be enough.
At Nico’s words of competence, qualification was no doubt of Archer’s, being the only duellist in the room. Forget that victory was not a guaranteed outcome, it was his hours of practice that counted. Indeed, their eyes turned to his, and stepping up, Archer felt quite hyperbolically heroic, almost.
He tapped lightly on her shoulder, signalling for her to step aside. “With all due respect, stranger,” he said, the words hinting at distaste, or perhaps just uncertainty, “I don’t quite trust you, allow me.”
A flourish of his wand. One word uttered. It was enough. “Reducio.”
He stepped back, and watched his work unfold.
I am not even singed. My wings are untouched. You use them for everything, except flight.
Liliya Starkova| Anthonie Engelbrecht
Liliya Starkova| Anthonie Engelbrecht