Chapter 138: Forbidden Forest, Centaurs, Underworld (1/2)
If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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[The chapter is edited by my Editor: Alan_Loo/AlanL]
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AUTHOR'S NOTE | PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING.
There is a public post on my Patre0n page. Meaning that it's free for all, unlocked for everyone to see. You don't have to pay a single knut to access it.
The post has what I see of when I think of Quinn. It's his character appearance.
Of course, I'm a firm believer of free imagination, so you can imagine him in any way you desire, while adhering to the simple written descriptions that I've provided through out the story.
The link to my page is in the synopsis and at the top of this chapter. Change the ”accented ó” to a ”standard o”
You can also search FictionOnlyReader Patreón on google to get to my page or add fictiononlyreader in front of the standard Patreón URL.
Thank you.. . Please proceed as you wish.
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Three days after Friar gave Quinn the riddle, he was walking across Hogwarts' grounds. There was short green grass under his steps as he moved north, away from the castle. The sun was bright, although there were clouds skidding along the sky that provided a much-needed aide from the heat to the inhabitants of the land.
Ahead, Quinn could see the Whomping Willow standing in all its glory. It swayed gently, as if performing a dance to the sound of nature. While it seemed gentle, it wasn't. If you stepped close without precautions, the big Willow wouldn't show mercy, and branches as thick as pythons would assault whoever approached without mercy. However, a pinching hex from afar to the knot at the base of the tree would calm the woody guardian.
He walked past the Whomping Willow and started walking on a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into thick black trees. While Quinn was looking at the forest, a light breeze lifted his hair.
”Dark in the forest and deep, and overhead, hang stars like seeds of light,” sang Quinn. He stepped into the forest that was dark as coal.
The bright and sunny day rapidly shifted into darkness. Quinn lifted his chin to look up at the thick canopy that covered the sky from his view. Thin beams of light would occasionally sift through the spaces between the leaves like... stars in the night sky.
”In vain, though not since they were sown, was bred, anything more bright.” His hands brushed against the dark bark of one of the trees. Quinn stopped near one of them and scouted the area ahead.
He could see beech, oak, and yew filling the forest. Kneeling down, Quinn let his hand ruffle through the grass. He plucked a small herb that growed in the darkness of an encompassing canopy.
”Knotgrass,” said Quinn in identification. Quinn twisted the grass-like herb with his fingers. ”Essential for Polyjuice. I wonder if Barty has come to pick some up.”
Quinn got up and continued his walk. A place where more than a few students had disappeared over the centuries since the school's inception (that was the reason the forest had been named 'Forbidden Forest').
As Quinn continued to walk deeper, the forest started getting denser; its trees started growing closer to each other, and not a peep of noise could be heard except his footsteps.
”And evermore mighty multitude ride about, nor enter in; of the other multitudes that dwell inside,” he continued to sing the riddle.
He didn't have to walk in silence for long, as Quinn heard knocking of hoovers and a gallop from his right, beyond a maze of trees, just outside of his vision.
”Oh, they found me, huh,” whispered Quinn. Precisely what he wanted.
Quinn patted his chest, and the Noir transformative suit, which had been in the green camouflage mode, changed to a black camouflage to suit the dim lighting and dark trees around him. He pulled up the hood over his head, and with a wave of his hand, a black mask covered his face.
And into the view came... Was it a man or a horse? The figure had the waist of a man with red hair and beard, but below, he had a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. A centaur. Behind that centaur were six more of different shades and colors, bringing up the tally to an auspicious seven.
The half-men galloped around Quinn with arrows drawn upon their bows pointing at Quinn. After seeing that the human wasn't making any movements, they stopped running around and surrounded him. Their arrows, though, were still pointed at the unknown figure.
”Human… Why have you intruded into our home?” asked the red centaur.
Quinn turned in his spot and observed the seven centaurs. He had seen centaurs during his travels and talked to a few, but this was the first time he had met some with their weapons pointed at him.
Seeing that the human in front of him wasn't replying, one of the more hot-hearted centaurs pulled the bowstring tauter.
”Speak human!”
”Centaurs... residents of the forest,” started Quinn, his voice distorted. ”I have no qualms with your kind. I want nothing from your kind. I solely desire to reach my goal.” He turned towards the calmer leader and asked, ”Lead me to the vault that is cursed, and I will be on my way, not to be seen ever again.”
The Forbidden Forest was too big and clustered for Quinn to spend his valuable time searching for the vault. He needed a guide.
The mention of ”the vault that is cursed” sent a wave of whispers among the centaurs. They were not prepared to hear those words, and a few of them rested their bowstrings and lowered their weapons.
”Human, how do you know about the cursed mines,” asked a centaur, his horsetail swaying gently. He looked older than the rest of his companions.
'Hmm… so the mine in the riddle is literal,' thought Quinn back to the last paragraph of the riddle. ”I am a challenger who aspires to test my mettle against the cursed vault that is here in the Forbidden Forest.”
”Impossible! There hasn't been a human challenger for the cursed mines,” exclaimed the hot-hearted centaur. The hot-headed centaur hadn't been born back then, but he had grown up listening to stories about challengers from the elders. Stories about multiple centaurs that had ventured the vaults and paid it with the ultimate price; their lives.
”Show me which way to go, centaur, and I will be off,” said Quinn. He didn't need a guide. He could find the path on his own.
”We won't do that.”
”Why,” asked Quinn with his magically distorted voice.
”We don't trust you,” answered the head of the small herd. He looked Quinn up and down. He wasn't impressed by his attire. ”Shed that disguise of yours, and then we talk.”
”That isn't needed, centaur,” said Quinn. ”Show me the correct path, and I will leave your kind alone, just as your kind desires.”
Quinn's words caused their bows to be aimed at him again. This time, though, the threat didn't go unanswered. The centaurs heard a crackle and saw icy blue beneath the human's feet. The temperature dropped. Suddenly an unnatural cold enveloped them.
”I don't wish to fight,” said Quinn in warning.
”This is our territory, human. You won't tell us what to do!”
Quinn turned to the centaur who had said that. ”Be careful, centaur. I'm not of your kind, so think carefully before you decide to shoot at me.”
The tension between the two parties grew, as some of the centaurs felt the need to launch their arrows with cold growing increasingly chilly around them. And just when the dam was about to break —
”Stop!”
A voice gave a pause to everything. Eight pairs of eyes turned to see another centaur; he had blond human hair and the body of a palomino horse. He looked younger than the rest of the centaurs.
”Firenze, what are you doing?” asked the leading centaur.
”Mercury has left the House of Secrets and has entered the House of Ambitions,” said Firenze. ”The stars were clearer than ever last night. I believe they were showing me something.”
Quinn tilted his head in confusion. If there was one magic that Quinn didn't understand, that was Divination-slash-Seer magic. He had no aptitude for it. Although he used the stars and planets' positions when he brewed some potions, when he performed alchemy, and when he needed to do some runic interpretations.
”Have you gone senile, Firenze?! Planetary movements don't trouble themselves with actions of worthless humans,” yelled the oldest centaur of the group.
Quinn ignored the rude jab. In a way, living beings had no worth at all, considering the size of the universe.
”He wants to challenge the cursed mines. As far as I know, no human has ever challenged it. Even we ourselves haven't dared in decades. This is big enough for the stars to show me something,” declared Firenze.
Quinn stayed silent. This Firenze was making his job easier. He didn't mind letting him do the job for him.