The Maze Exit and the Serpent Guardian
The group moved faster through the maze. Professor McGonagall was continually using her wand as stone wraiths stormed the group's rear. Evervine put her transfigured arm through stone wrairh after stone wraith.
The two worked together guarding the group. Evervine walked up a wall and flipped over two stone wraiths. She sliced across them – with her crystal beast arm - and their black heads rolled to the ground. She followed it with a strike from her wand.
The two stone wraiths melted into black puddles then desiccated and blew away in the windlass cave.
Marcel's purple light sphere blinked as if its power was fading. Evervine quickly glanced at him but Hazel spoke.
"What's going on Marcel? Are you okay?"
"Yes. That is just an indication signal. It is just telling me that spells and potions are in use near me."
Evervine scoffed as her transfigured hand dove into another stone wraith. "But it doesn't differentiate from friend or foe?"
Marcel sighed. His wand strike turning another stone wraith to a puddle of black goo.
"No. It is a work in progress."
"Hazel dear are we almost out?"
"Yes. The cave is going to change two more times and then the exit will be revealed."
Professor McGonagall nodded in understanding and then Shylah began singing a sweet low song. Hazel nodded as she listened. Her third eye focused on the direction that her star globe was pointing out. She cleared another stone wraith from their path and continued forward.
"Shylah says that there is a guardian outside the exit, guarding the path to the lake."
"Okay. Does she know what it is?" Professor McGonagall pulled a rock from her robes, tossed it into the air, at the top of the arc it had changed into a small, fine, spear tip. It flew forward and slid through the skulls of three stone wraiths.
"It's a razor serpent." The cave began moving again and Marcel sucked his teeth.
"This is truly ridiculous. I believe this maze is sufficient why a guardian as well – and a razor serpent at that?!"
The stone wraiths dissolved into the walls again and the four doubled their pace – following the direction set by Hazel's star globe. Evervine lightly pushed Marcel in the back.
"Stop whining and get moving!" As she spoke her crystal beast arm transfigured back into her flesh and blood. She twirled her wand in her fingers to loosen her hand up and get it ready for their next skirmish.
The cave changed drastically this time and the floor began to steeply slope downward. The four found themselves using levitation incantations to stay on the track indicated.
Both Evervine and Professor McGonagall transfigured into flying creatures – Evervine a rainbow sigh bird and Professor McGonagall a black soul sparrow.
They soared above the sloping floor and into the direction indicated. Hazel levitate toward Marcel and they gave each other knowing looks.
Marcel consumed a bright pink potion and large fairy wings sprouted from his back. He swirled up and into the right direction with the others.
Shylah rose from Hazel's shoulder and was three times her normal size in the blink of an eye. She picked up Hazel and flew her to the others – her feathers shining like bright stars in a dark moonless night.
As the group moved through the cave system it began to move again but remained cavernous – the floor now hundreds of feet below them.
As the system moved a large arch formed before them as if a stone was moving from the mouth of a cave. All of them landed on the ledge together and watched it open completely.
Evervine and Professor McGonagall both transfigured back to themselves and Marce took a healthy swig of a light green potion – his wings shrank into his back with a small pop and a dull white light.
He arch illuminated and they all looked at each other, clasped hands, and walked through.
The stepped through a black arch positioned on high dais. The Spawning Lake surrounded the dais and the small island it sat on. Its black waters were perfectly still and didn't even reflect the sky above it.
"Now that we are here. How do we get passed that?"
The thin black and blue scaled razor serpent slowly rose before them - an odd smile spreading across its serpentine face – even as Marcel asked the question.
It lowered its head, it's small beady eyes focused on Shylah. Behind it the Spawning Lake shimmered and something spawned on its surface.
All four of the group sighed as one and the razor serpent began coiling around the dais. Its long body looping around them as if showing off its size. Its eyes never left Shylah - not until the last moment, as they flicked to Hazel.
"Come. Prove to me that you are the chosen of fate."