Chapter 30
The ceiling arched high above, supported by thick pillars that had withstood the passage of time. Carvings of strange creatures adorned the walls, twisted beings that seemed neither wholly human nor entirely beast, staring down from their perches with an ominous stillness. The gargoyles, with their four eyes, almost seemed alive, watching Gray's every move with silent malevolence. Stone platforms lined the walls, weathered by age, and at the far end of the hall stood an altar, its purpose unclear but unsettlingly familiar.
Gray's eyes narrowed further as a strange feeling washed over him, an instinctual sense that something was off. As he stepped closer to the altar, his hand absently brushed the moss covering the walls. It was damp and slimy, clinging to his fingertips. His eyes scanned the surrounding stonework, looking for any sign of the rare plant he needed. But the walls were barren, save for some patches of dark moss. Not quite what he was after. With a sigh, Gray scraped at the stone, a quiet rasp filling the still air as his dagger blade chipped off a piece. The sound seemed to reverberate unnaturally loud in the hall. Just as he was about to turn and move on, a low, guttural chuckle echoed from behind him.
Gray spun around. The gargoyle closest to him—suddenly, a new set of eyes appeared under its already closed stone eyes, making its eyes four. Its stony skin also started to glow and crack before it broke down and shattered, revealing red skin. The gargoyle's four red eyes, burning with a sinister glow, stared straight at him. The stone creature was no longer just a lifeless statue. "Of course, these ancient bastards can't let it go; they still have to mess with the people that come after them." It was safe to say that Gray was annoyed as the beast's laugh reverberated through the hall, deep and chilling, growing louder as the other gargoyles along the walls joined in, their grotesque mouths curling into wicked grins.
"Ok, how are they laughi-" he didn't finish his sentence as he groaned, "magical bullshit," he thought to himself as their eyes flared to life, glowing brighter until the entire chamber was bathed in their eerie crimson light. Gray took a step back instinctively, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. The creatures' laughter grew more menacing as their stony bodies began to crack, thin lines of molten red seeping out from between the fissures. The gargoyles were shifting, their stone skin splitting open, revealing glistening blood-red flesh beneath. Horns—twisted and jagged—began to sprout from their heads, forming massive antlers that scraped against the stone ceiling.
"Oh, this can't be good," Gray muttered under his breath, his pulse quickening. He unsheathed his sword in a fluid motion, the steel gleaming under the faint torchlight as it hummed with power. The faint enchantments woven into the blade stirred, the Fiendfyre spell lacing through the metal like a coiled serpent, ready to strike.
The gargoyles wasted no time. With a shriek, the nearest one lunged at him, its once-stone claws now elongated into sharp, flesh-ripping talons. Gray sidestepped the attack, his enhanced reflexes kicking in as he pivoted smoothly, driving his sword toward the creature's exposed side. The steel blade cut deep, and with it came the roar of Fiendfyre, a torrent of cursed flames igniting across the creature's body. It howled in agony, but it didn't slow. Instead, it twisted its body, swinging its massive antlers toward Gray.
But the remaining gargoyles were already breaking free from Immobulus, their sheer strength overwhelming the spell. "Guess it isn't a perfect bewitchment," Gray thought as he watched the gargoyles break free. One of them leaped at Gray, its claws extended, aiming to tear him apart. Gray twisted his body to the side, his movements quick and precise. The gargoyle's claws missed him by inches, but it was fast—too fast. It recovered almost instantly, spinning mid-air and bringing its antlers down in a deadly arc. The living stone was strong and relentless, as if it were being empowered by some ancient and sinister power.
Gray raised his gauntlet, the stone and metal armor absorbing the impact with a sharp clang. He could feel the force of the blow reverberate through his arm, but the armor held firm. With a grunt, he shoved the creature back, using its own momentum to send it crashing into a nearby pillar.
The environment around them was beginning to crumble. The force of the battle was tearing the ancient hall apart. Pillars cracked and groaned under the strain, pieces of stone falling from the ceiling as the gargoyles' claws and antlers gouged deep gashes into the walls and floor. Dust and debris filled the air, clouding Gray's vision as he fought to keep his footing on the unstable ground.
The gargoyles weren't just mindless beasts—they fought with an eerie coordination, and they seemed to be aiming for his cane for some reason. In fact, his cane seemed to be vibrating unhappily as if it didn't want to be there. Two of them flanked Gray, one going low with its claws while the other attacked from above with its antlers. Gray leapt into the air, his body twisting gracefully as he narrowly dodged both attacks. His sword flashed in the dim light as he brought it down on the gargoyle below him, the Fiendfyre engulfing the creature in a blazing inferno.
But the one above him was relentless. It dove toward him, its antlers aimed directly at his chest. Bombarda. The spell embedded in his armor activated without warning, and a shockwave of force exploded outward from his chest. The gargoyle was blasted backward, slamming into the far wall with bone-crushing force. Gray landed lightly on his feet, his sword still glowing with Fiendfyre as he turned to face the remaining creatures.
As the last of the gargoyles fell, he sheathed his sword, thinking, "Man, that was something," before looking at what little remained of the gargoyles. He thought, "And why were they this strong? I don't believe that gargoyles or any living stone were supposed to be this strong." But since he wouldn't get answers by just wondering, he explored the hall, using his cane to tap around and check for traps. He didn't find any for a straight five minutes, until he reached the altar. When he tapped his cane on the altar with the circle pattern, the cane glowed deep dark purple, which made the circle pattern on the altar glow, as if a magic spell was being cast. Immediately, Gray's first instinct was to jump, but before he could, he felt the sensation of falling, only to fall through the world into a completely different environment.
It was as if the world had been turned upside down. "Oh, this can't be good," Gray said immediately, feeling his insides churning. In reality, it was his magic adjusting itself to the new environment, to the new world, not that Gray knew it. The moment he regained some senses, Gray looked around for a minute, thinking, "Huh, a teleportation perhaps, but to where exactly?" That was the question as his cane vibrated. "Some wand you are," Gray scoffed, as his cane replied unhappily, like Gray was blaming her for something she didn't do. That was when Gray noticed something. He knelt to the ground and wiped the snow that had fallen, revealing the same pattern that was on the altar. "Maybe if I do this, then perhaps..." Just to try it out, Gray tapped his cane on the pattern.
As he thought, his cane glowed dark purple, and the pattern lit up. Before he knew it, Gray's world turned upside down, and he was back in the ruins again. "So, it's still functioning?" His curiosity peaked. Immediately, he placed his suitcase down, which he had carried on his back the entire time and had kind of forgotten about. He went down to get his notebook and immediately started to retrace the pattern on the altar. Once he was done, Gray teleported again, which made his cane even more upset. "Quiet down, would you?" he said, then moved all the snow from the other pattern, which he copied down. The moment he did, he compared the two patterns and chuckled, "Huh, I knew it. They are different, which makes sense since each one needs to represent a specific location."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N guess the world he was teleported to?(hint: one of the main characters looks similar to gray animagus form)