Melford stared at the odd, vine-covered plant standing between him and the Heartbloom Flower. The plant's glowing eyes were fixed on him as its arms extended menacingly. He felt a surge of irritation mixed with a touch of fear. It was one thing to fail at magic and make a fool of himself in front of Master Thistlethorp; it was quite another thing to be intimidated by a plant.
He cleared his throat. "Alright," Melford said with a failed attempt to show some confidence. "Try anything you wish with this test. I'll stand for it."
The expression on the plant didn't change, but the inflection in its tone was ripe with condescension. "Oh, I'm sure you are," it rumbled in a low timbre. "And what exactly gives you any reason to believe you're worthy to succeed?
Melford glanced down at his wand, feeling a pang of self-doubt. "Well, I. I'm a wizard, after all. I'm here to retrieve the Heartbloom. So. I'm not exactly going to fail, am I?"
The plant inclined its head. "Oh, I've seen your breed before. All big mouth and little brains. Very well, let's get started. If you can do what I say, then maybe, just maybe, I will reconsider and let you out of here with your dignity intact."
Melford took a deep breath in and squared his shoulders. "Fine. I'm ready. What do I have to do?
The plant smiled, its arms shaking. "Simple. I want you to solve a problem."
Melford blinked. "Solve a problem? Like. a riddle?"
The plant chuckled, moving his head from side to side. "No, no. Not a riddle. This is a practical problem. A problem that only a wizard with real skill-" he emphasised the word with a sneer "-could solve.
Melford swallowed hard. "I can solve problems. I mean, I'm a wizard. That's what we do, right?"
The plant's eyes blazed bright. "All right, then let's see about it. Here's the problem-I need for you to get me something to snack on."
Melford blinked, certain he must not have heard the plant aright. "A-a snack?
Yes, a snack," said the plant. "I'm hungry. And I'm not just talking about any old snack. I want something. special. Something that takes a bit of skill to find."
Melford hesitated. "Uh, okay. I can do that. What kind of snack are we talking about here?
The plant smirked. "Ah, now that is more like it! I want something sweet, something to spark joy; it needs to live within this forest yet not be easy to get, and it has to be rare.".
Melford looked again at the map he had tucked into his cloak; he had no idea where to find a rare snack in the forest. For one thing, it was enough of a problem not to stray into the boars' enclosures or inadvertently call down bees. But he had made up his mind to be good.
He squared his shoulders. "Very well. I shall get you a snack," he said as confidently as possible.
The eyes of the plant narrowed while vine arms clapped together with approval. "Splendid! I will be watching, and if you are underwhelming, I can promise that you will not like the outcome."
Melford grinned and tried to hide his quivering voice. "Do not worry, for I shall not disappoint."
Hunt for Snack
The deeper Melford went into the forest, the more he realized that finding something worthwhile for a sentient plant's appetite was not as easy as it sounded. He had no clue what kind of rare treat a plant could want, but he wasn't about to let himself look a complete failure.
He walked through twisted trees covered in glowing fungi and moss hanging from their limbs, dribbling some glittering liquid. The air was thick with the scent of berries; his ears were filled with a hum of unseen life. Melford's stomach growled suddenly, and he realized he hadn't eaten in hours.
Right, he muttered to himself. "A snack. Think, Melford. It needs to be special. unique. Not something I can just pluck off a bush.
The farther he went, the more he had glimpses of something small and colored darting between the ferns. Melford froze and watched hard. It was a creature he had never seen, small, furry beast with bright, iridescent scales running along the back-a cross between a squirrel and a lizard-with a spiked tail and large eyes.
It did so, it sniffed the air once, then turned in his direction and tilted its head inquiringly.
Melford's eyes brightened up. "Perfect!" he mouthed softly.
It seemed quite oblivious to Melford's presence, and so he got onto his haunches and worked his hand, very carefully, into his cloak to get out a small chunk of bread he had packed for himself earlier. As he was fumbling, he nipped it against his wand, and there was a sudden spit of sparks. The creature let out a high-pitched shriek and scurried away, vanishing into the undergrowth with a sudden, panicked scurrying.
Melford groaned and fell back onto the ground. "Well, that went well," he muttered.
He looked up at the tangled branches above and thought about calling it quits. But he couldn't fail. Not now. He had to prove himself.
He straightened from the tree, hands passing over his robe, calming his mind in anticipation of the treat. Special. He wanted special-something really qualifying as one of those once-in-a-rare snacking occasions. After a moment, his eyes refocused on what might be among the trees that could make this truly special.
And then, by fortune-once-again, his eyes alighted upon something in a near-by glade. It was a bush he had never seen, which was covered with berries, unlike any he had ever experienced. They were round, the size of plums, each one glistening with a dark, juicy light.
"These look. interesting," mused Melford as he peered closer. They were almost black and emanated an almost irresistible, sweet smell.
He reached out and carefully, almost hesitantly, selected one, then brought it up to his nose. The odor was inviting, and so he assumed they were safe; he popped one into his mouth and was instantly rewarded with a rush of a tart-sweet flavor-a delicious taste.
"Ah, I'll take these," he said to himself, plucking more from the bush and stuffing a few into his cloak. He figured that if the plant didn't appreciate these, he could always eat them himself.
Returning to the guardian, Melford held the berries aloft with a look of triumph. The plant's eyes widened as it spotted the offering.
You're back, the plant hissed, eyeing the berries with suspicion. And you managed to find something edible.
Melford beamed, attempting not to be too smug. I said I would find something special, he said as he approached the Heartbloom.
The plant regarded the berries dubiously, then reached out a vine arm cautiously toward them. It sniffed the air around the fruit, and Melford watched, hoping he hadn't just picked a berry that would explode or turn him into a frog.
The expression softened and the eyes took on a faint glow. "Hmm, not bad," it muttered, reaching into Melford's hand and extracting a berry. A tentative bite, and Melford held his breath while waiting for any sign of danger.
A moment later, its face brightened, and a wide grin spread across the face. "Now, that is a snack," it said, turning back to Melford in approval.
Melford grinned, huffing out a relieved breath. "So. I did it?"
The plant rumbled out a chuckle. "Yes, you did. Must admit, I'm impressed. Not many wizards solve a problem as neat as you did."
Melford brightened with a heave of his chest. "So can I take the Heartbloom now?
The eyes glinted mischievous in the plant's gaze. "Not so quick. You have survived your first test. But others guard the Heartbloom, and I will not let you waltz away with it without proof you're more than a freak.
The grin faltered just slightly on Melford. "There's more?"
The plant smirked. "Oh, yes. Much more. You can survive forest's challenges if you want Heartbloom.