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Ch 25 Double Surprise Part 1
🕑 Added 2023-06-05 15:06:56 +0000 UTC"Agh... Why in Merlin's name did I agree to this Shit!" Celine groaned, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and discomfort. She huddled against the ancient tree, attempting to her itty bitties with the meagre coverage of leaves that she could find.
"Because you didn't want to share any treasures that we may find in the tomb with anyone else... Now that we are so close! Or so you said," Sirius said, laughing like a shonen protagonist with his hands on his hips and standing as naked as the day he was born except for a few pieces of leaves covering little Sirius.
Turning his head slightly to the side, Sirius teased, "And besides, you shouldn't feel too bad... I don't think you'll be the first witch to strip for treasure—Oww!" His playful banter was abruptly interrupted as a sharp sting shot on his butt.
"Keep your eyes to the front, you bastard," Celine snapped, her voice laced with irritation. One hand instinctively covered her chest, while the other pointed her wand threateningly at Sirius's rear.
'Why am I getting a Deja Vu... It seems like I've been in a similar situation before...' Sirius thought to himself while absentmindedly rubbing the spot on his bum where Celine had used the Stinging hex before he shook his head.
He once more tried to sneak a peak while teasingly saying, "Hey! It's not my fault that I am a hot blooded male... I think it would be weirder if I could easily resist when a beautiful naked Witch was standing behind me completely Naked—Ahhhh" Sirius jumped with a abrupt scream and this time Sirius felt an even fiercer burning sting on both his asscheeks.
"Don't test me, Black," Celine warned, her voice low and menacing. "Your back presents a very tempting target at the moment, and unlike last time, my hands are not tied. I wouldn't mind burying you naked in this forest, understand?"
Sirius gulped nervously, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He nodded quickly, his eyes wide with trepidation. Celine's unstable tone left no room for doubt, and he knew better than to push her further.
"Get started then,"
Following her command, Sirius summoned the Black Grimoire, and started preparing for the "Heaven's Wrath" Ritual. This was also the reason they were naked in the first place as the ritual required some very strict measures like requiring the caster to have no magical item on him except for his wand as they would disrupt the Ritual's magic. And even something processed like modern clothes would not be allowed as they would be a hindrance in connecting to nature or so was written in Grimoire.
The towering tree they stood in front of marked the threshold of an ominous clearing. Within that clearing, a dense fog of bright purple poison, the essence of the Nundu, swirled and writhed. Its noxious presence seemed to pervade the very air they breathed.
Sirius placed the grimoire in front of him before he said without turning his head, "Before we begin... Do you remember that you can't do any kind of magic except for the one to supply me with your magic,"
"I know," Celine said as Sirius had already explained quite a few times that any kind of foreign magic would be disastrous to the ritual and the backlash would be too dangerous for the caster. Sirius nodded and asked, "And do you have the bracelet on you?"
"I do," Celine said looking at the intricate bracelet on her hand, a beautiful subtle piece of jewellery made of gold and diamond, it had a twin which was currently on Sirius's hand. Sirius had said that these were from his family's vault and would provide them protection against the poison field for a small amount of time and the most important thing was that they were made of a special material that wouldn't interfere with the Ritual.
"Let's begin then," Sirius said, inhaling deeply, steeling himself for the task ahead.
The ground beneath them bore the intricate marks of a massive Runic Circle, adorned with mysterious symbols that would only make sense to an Ancient Runes Master. Sirius had painstakingly etched these runes using his own fresh blood, a process made easier by the Blood-Replenishing Potion he had prepared beforehand. Without it, the arduous task would have taken him days just to gather enough blood for the intricate markings.
Within the circle, three distinct concentric rings stood out. The largest encompassed Sirius, the source of the spell, poised to cast the ritual. The smaller circles contained the hair of the Nundu, representing their target, and Griffin's claw, symbolizing the sky, the conduit for their casting.
Having already completed most of the preparations, Sirius wasted no time. He began his chant, the words flowing smoothly from his lips, their pronunciation perfected through hours of practice. "Fulgur Excitare, Ira Caeli Divina, Deus Tonitrui, Percute sine misericordia Inimicum meum..."
As Sirius's incantation reverberated through the air, Celine's attention was drawn to the unnatural change in weather. Out of nowhere, enormous clouds gathered, casting a foreboding darkness over the clearing. Fierce winds stirred, shaking the surrounding trees, yet the dense purple poison remained stationary, unaffected by the chaotic tempest.
In awe, Celine watched the swirling clouds darken, their ominous presence captivating her senses. But her fascination was abruptly shattered by a hitch in Sirius's chant. Her gaze shifted downward, and dread washed over her as the previously motionless poison field began to quake and tremble. It was as if something within it was awakening.
"It's w-waking up!" Celine gasped, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and urgency. Sirius nodded grimly, his determination unwavering as he continued his chanting without skipping a beat.
Looking at the boiling pot of poison in front of them a chill ran through their spine and slowly but surely the poison field started to expand outwards. Celine shakingly took a few steps back in fear before she remembered the bracelet on her hands and stood her ground after seeing Sirius continuing with the Ritual.
The expanding pool of toxic fog encroached upon Sirius, causing a hissing reaction as if ice met a scorching volcano. A thin protective shield materialized, shimmering around him, guarding against the encroaching poison that dominated the surrounding air.
Before long, the fog enveloped Celine as well, ensnaring them within the clearing. The toxic fumes twisted and swirled, hissing like serpents eager to consume their prey. It was a menacing sight, an impenetrable barrier that challenged anyone who dared to cross its threshold.
Minutes passed, the clouds above them continuing to roar and rumble, when suddenly Celine flinched at the sound of a faint crack. Her eyes darted towards the noise, widening as she witnessed a small fracture forming in the shield surrounding her. Its spread was alarmingly rapid. Glancing at Sirius, she saw his shield already marred with numerous cracks.
"S-Sirius!" Celine called out, her voice trembling. Yet it seemed he had no intention of stopping, even with his shield on the verge of collapse. With her wand quivering in her grasp, Celine made up her mind. If it seemed the poison would breach Sirius's shield, she would cast a protective charm, even if it meant disrupting the ritual.
Thankfully she didn't have to resort to that as with the loud sound of a resounding thunder, it suddenly started to rain and it wasn't a gradual one like natural rain but an instant pour as if someone opened overturned a bucket instead of opening a tap, fortunately for them the rain had a welcome effect as it seemed to have diluted the effects of the poison field.
Relief filled Celine's body as a smile appeared on her face at their luck, sadly for her it was short-lived as before she could even enjoy it, a dreadful hiss pierced through the surroundings and almost instantly every hair on Celine's body stood up in alarm. The sound filled her with so much dread that every instinct of hers was screaming at her to run away.
"S-Sirius Leave it!" Celine shouted in a shaky voice, "Let's just run," but Sirius seemed to have gone in some kind of trance as he wasn't listening to her no matter how many times she called as if he would stop only when he completed the Ritual.
Just as despair threatened to consume her, a low rumble reverberated through the earth. They turned their heads in unison, their gazes drawn towards the source of the disturbance. Emerging from the suffocating field of poison with its massive form towering before them was the Nundu they were supposed to hunt.
