Melford's eyes widened as the huge creature emerged from the shadows, its enormous moss-covered body creaking with every step. The ground seemed to shudder beneath its weight, and the air grew thick with the musty smell of wet earth and leaves. Its owl-like eyes glowed a piercing green, and its enormous beak snapped with a loud, jarring crack that made Melford's heart skip a beat.
Uh. okay, this wasn't part of the deal," Melford muttered to himself, his hands clutching his wand so tightly his knuckles were white. The last few minutes had already been a rollercoaster of odd trials, but this. this was next-level insane. "I mean, a bear-owl-plant hybrid? Who thought this was a good idea?
His claws, against the ground, screeched in an eerie noise, his glowing eyes now locking onto Melford as he let out this low, guttural growl that rumbled from the bottom of his belly and down his spine.
Wizard!" it growled in a deep and gravelly voice. "You have come far but your journey ends here unless you can best me in combat. Fail, and you will never see the Heartbloom. Succeed, and you may proceed.
Melford swallowed hard, glancing around for an out. His mind was racing, frantically searching his memory banks. What did he know about this thing? Could something like that even be defeated? He didn't have any idea about its weak points. He couldn't just cast spells willy-nilly and hope the best happened.
So. uh, combat, huh?" Melford said, trying to sound a great deal braver than he felt. "I'm not exactly known for my combat skills, you know."
The creature took another step closer, its mossy fur scraping the trees as it moved. "That is of no consequence. You must fight. If you value your life, you will choose your next actions carefully.
Melford took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He couldn't afford to be afraid. Not now. He was in the heart of the forest, so deep that turning back was no longer an option. He had to get the Heartbloom.
"Right, right. combat," Melford muttered again and looked around for something, anything that might prove useful. He was not wholly ignorant with magic; in a tight squeeze, he could look after himself, but he'd never known lifelong battle, having come up through ancient stories that seemed to happen to the wizards he'd read. Think, Melford. Think!
His eyes darted to the glowing beak of the creature. It looked sharp, like it could tear through steel. The claws were just as intimidating, but that beak was the focal point. If he could just distract it long enough to land a hit, he might stand a chance. But the forest guardian was huge; it wouldn't be easy.
Alright, here goes nothing," Melford muttered under his breath, raising his wand and pointing it at the creature.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted, sending a bolt of magical energy toward the beast.
The creature batted the spell aside with a swipe of its paw, sending a gust of wind that knocked Melford back several feet. He landed on his backside with a yelp, but before he could even scramble to his feet, the guardian charged.
Melford's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, right, that was dumb. That was really dumb.
He scrambled to his feet, but the creature was upon him in an instant, its huge claws outstretched. Melford jumped backward without thinking, barely avoiding the swipe that would have torn him in two.
He landed on his feet and took a wild step back, his breath coming in shallow bursts. "Okay, okay. that was too close," he gasped. "Next time, maybe don't try to disarm a mountain of fur and talons with a disarming charm."
The owl eyes of the creature narrowed, clearly growing impatient. "You will not escape this trial so easily, wizard," it growled.
"Right, right, no escaping." Melford tried to push down the fear creeping into his chest. "But I've got this. Totally got this. You're just a big overgrown. thing."
The creature snarled and pounced once more, but Melford wasn't about to fall for that trick again. He lifted his wand, muttered the incantation, and gave a quick flick of his wrist that sent a burst of wind into the creature's face straight on.
"Ventus flatus!" he exclaimed.
The gust of wind hit the guardian square in the chest, knocking it back a few feet. The creature staggered, its beak snapping angrily, but Melford didn't wait around. With his heart hammering in his chest, he bolted for cover, ducking behind a nearby tree.
"Not too shabby, Melford," he whispered to himself, half out of breath. "Wind magic-useful for more than just blowing out candles.
But the creature wasn't through. Its wings-these huge, leather-like flaps that seemed almost bat-like-unfurled with an eerie shriek. A beat, a second one, and then, like an explosion of power, it lifted off the ground. There was barely a chance to react before Melford was confronted with the guardian once more: diving with a claw outstretched towards his chest.
Gah!" Melford scrambled backward, managing to dodge just in time but not without getting a good scrape across his arm. He winced, the pain sharpening his focus.
"Okay, think. Think!" he muttered, hands trembling while preparing for another spell. He had to be quicker. He had to outsmart it.
And then he remembered something from his training. His master, Thistlethorp, had always said that a wizard's greatest weapon wasn't their spells, but their resourcefulness. And right now, Melford had a limited supply of both.
He looked around. The trees. The roots. The vines. The forest was alive with possibilities. The problem wasn't just the creature-it was that the forest itself seemed to be against him. But if he could use that.
Melford quickly raised his wand and pointed it at the thickest tree in the clearing. "Vinculum bindus!
With a sudden crackle, a thick vine sprang from the earth, wrapping around the tree and then shot up toward the flying creature. Coiling upward like a snake, with expert precision, Melford made it whip toward the guardian's talons just as it swooped down again.
With one last snap, the vine snaked around the creature's leg and pulled it into a mid-air stumble. It flapped wildly, screeching, as the vine constricted.
"Now's my chance," Melford muttered, raising his wand one last time. With all the remaining energy inside him, he shouted, "Stupefy!
The red beam shot out, striking the guardian square in the chest. The creature froze mid-screech, its massive form stiffening. Slowly, it crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, the vines holding it in place like an overgrown bug caught in a web.
Melford let out a long, relieved breath. His arm ached from the effort, but he had done it. He had defeated the guardian.
As the guardian of the woods lay incapacitated, its owl eyes fluttering in confusion, the floating mushroom let out a slow clap from behind a nearby bush.
"Well done, young wizard," the mushroom said with a mischievous grin. "I didn't expect you to win. But you've passed. You've earned the right to face the final trial.
Melford wiped his brow and walked over to the fallen creature. "Final trial? You've got to be kidding me."
But despite the exhaustion in his bones, he could feel a spark of triumph. He had survived the guardian. And whatever came next. he was ready for it.