Dead. Zitnik would kill her even if she made it out of this place!

She was dead, no matter what.

It hurt. Everything hurt. And the worst part...she'd signed up for this! This could only be compared to one little dark spell that resembled this same result.

Except, maybe, there was more blood now?

But, wait, the spell. Her eyes narrowed. She was...beyond pain, beyond anger, beyond anything right now. If possible her arm moved faster and faster, her breathing beginning to fade, it was all too quickly, and she had to...no, she needed to advance more and more towards her wand.

It would be better if the branches weren't this...useless! She needed water, she needed to know that she'll be holding her wand once more, even if it was the last thing she ever did!

Where were they all coming from?! She didn't see this many small, yet deadly, creatures when she was on the other tree.

The other tree, the safe place, the place where her clothes were still unharmed by this Bowtruckles.

Now it wasn't only the branches, but her arm as well, that served as a weapon, however even more useless because it could be injured far more than the branches.

Were there still many more branches she could get here? Or perhaps grab a Bowtruckle and kill it! She'd use his sharpness as a weapon too.

Oh, the aggressiveness was not the way to go.

The tree remains mostly steady for you to climb up. It is near enough to others for you to travel tree to tree for tree without much difficultly from the trees, at least. Trying it one handed with boils might be another story.

There are four trees, all close enough together to manage a transition, before a large gap emerges, with only a lily pad between the two trees.

The bowtruckles flew back and the trees continued to sway, but eventually, the stick creatures gave up their pursuit.

The shore is just ahead. Just a few more tricky jumps and about ten feet of water between the last and the shore.

When your feet touch down on the sand, an onslaught of bouncing bulbs begins. They do not target you directly, but as they careen off the cavern walls and the grass, they cannot help but pummel you in the process. There is nowhere to run, as the shore bumps up against walls of rock on all sides. If you can look around long enough - not likely until the bulbs are taken care of - one wall only goes so high. But, it is too high to jump and too sheer to climb. An errant bulb knocks a bag from a shelf in the wall, spilling a bean that burrows its way into the sand.

From that bean, green tendrils being to sprout, working their way toward the surface and breaking through.

They continue to poke and prod and stab and slice. Several try to knock one of your branches away.

But you're getting closer.

There was a high-pitched scream as she felt something being sliced, but the reason behind the scream wasn't the slice itself.

But what the slice meant.

It meant that she was loosing. Air, blood, strength. Everything. Losing everything, and all she could do was try to aim at Bowtruckles as more of those things came creeping towards her.

She was getting closer to her wand? Danika could only see a glimpse of the glow, but hopefully that meant she was getting closer.

She was also getting closer to weakness.

Danika was starting to feel tired, and the stress that she'd put her body into couldn't lead to anything good....or....could it?

Perhaps it'll be all worth it in the end? The end being out of the cave, alive, with a wand...or...out of the cave, dead, with a wand? Either way, she'll be out of here with her wand! No pieces of wood will keep her from doing so!

Though she could barely feel her right arm at the moment, she knew she'd lost one of the two branches, Danika also knew that the arm was fighting harder against the Bowtruckles, almost as if on its own.

Was she as close to lose the battle as close to get her wand back?

Desperate. That's how she was.

Desperate to get the Bowtruckles away.

If she had used her other arm, then maybe things would've been different.

Her wand! That was all she needed. She could only imagine how deep the cuts were, and how many. Danika will know for sure when this is over...if it ever was.

Hopefully soon. Tiredness. She felt it, but she kept going.

While holding onto the tree with the boiled hand, Nikolai stuffed the fireseeds into his pocket. It was going to be difficult enough climbing the tree with boils on his hand and he didn't need to climb it with those seeds still in his other. Now that they were safe from falling and dousing in the water, he continued to climb and reaching a good height, he leap jumped onto the next tree. He continued to climb and leap jump until he reached a large gap.

Now what was he supposed to do?

There was no way he'd be able to jump to the next tree, especially if he didn't want the boils on his hand to burst, so the only other option was the water. Not knowing about the lilypad at the bottom, he figured he'd be able to jump in the water and quickly grab onto the next tree. Sounded like a good plan..a better plan than just giving up, that's for sure. Closing his eyes, he jumped down towards the water. When he feet touched something somewhat solid and quite wobbly from his jump, he opened his eyes and looked down. A lilypad!

Before the lilypad could sink him, he reached up with his non-boiled hand and pulled himself onto the next tree.

Bowtruckles no longer a problem, the woman continued through the trees. Sandra didn't slow her pace as she moved through the trees, diving into the water without hesitation when reaching the last tree.

Soaked to the bone, she stepped onto the shore, first thought to dry herself off. Before she could even cast, she was pelted by a inundate of bulbs. The first few had caught her off guard, pelting her before she cast a shield. Not seeing anywhere to run, she reluctantly dropped her shield to vanish the bulbs, getting hit by more in the process. Frowning, she cast a bluebell flame in her hand for warmth and light. Those bulbs had hurt. It was after looking around that she noticed one of the walls only went so far.

Her eyes followed the bag as it fell, drifting to the bean borrowed in the sand before returning to the wall. She needed to find a way up it. A noise catching her ear, she turned back to where the bean had been to see tendrils sprouting.

There was her way over the wall.

Needing her hands free, she placed the bluebell flame on the sand, and went over to the tendrils, climbing onto them. She didn't go but a foot off the ground. Testing it to see if it would hold her for a climb.

The bowtruckles clawing at you, you've managed to make it close enough to your wand to reach out and grab it.

Your attempts to shake the bowtruckles still on your seem weaker as they grab hold of your skin.

Just stretch. Streeetch and the smooth wood of your wand will be between your fingers.

From your perch, you can notice a glow in a far tree near the rock wall that borders the edge of the lake.

The far shore is still shrouded by darkness, and in another direction.

A group of five trees bunches together, making passage from one to the other easy in the direction of the glow. Trees are similarly bunched headed into the dark.

Which way to go?

The bouncing bulbs careened off your shield, and continued to pummel you when you drop it to vanish them. Eventually, they disappear, one lone bulb bouncing stuck in a corner.

At first, the stalk doesn't support much of anything, dropping you back to the ground.

But as it continues to grow, it thickens, extra tendrils, now thick enough to support you sprout out the side like foot hand holds up the side of the cliff.

Will she be able to make it on time? Will the Bowtruckles get the best of her?

She. Needed. Her. Wand.

That's all she wanted right now.

But she was closer, she could see it, and the pain was unbearable. Now Danika didn't even know if she could make it after getting her wand. She was not giving up. No.

It was hell.

Really.

She didn't know how much she could take.

But she threw away the only branch she had in hopes that she'll get one Bowtruckle away too, and stretched her hand towards the glowing that was her wand.

Danika could feel the wood in her hand, was it her wand? Hopefully it would, it felt like it, and if it was another branch, then she'd have to continue the fight.

More bowtruckles are batted away and into the water as you throw and reach. Your fingers wrap around something. Something smooth. Something familiar.

Your wand! Your missing, beloved, potentially life-saving wand. It is in your hand, where it belongs.

The bowtruckles, however, disagree as they continue their assault. You'll have to deal with them or get away somehow.

But how?

Dropping back to the ground, Sandra stumbled a bit before succumbing to falling on her bum. Slightly frustrated and growing tired, the woman sat in the sand for a moment, eyes flicking around before returning to the growing tendrils.

These seemed a bit thicker. Standing, she climbed back onto the tendrils and began to climb up the side of the cliff.

This time, the stalk supports you as you climb. Up and up and up, the stalk itself vibrating as it continues to grow.

Eventually, you reach the top of the wall.

If beanstalks were elevators, this would be your floor. Climb the stalk any higher and there would be no ground to set your feet on. Tread carefully, however, as the path quickly narrows and there are no walls. Instead, perilous drop-offs await on both sides should one slip.

Soon, you come to another fork. From where you stand, the only different you can notice is that one path looks wider, at least as far as you can see, that is. Nothing else betrays what may lie ahead. Which way? Left and narrow or right and wide?

It was! It was her wand!

If she wasn't in the most excruciating pain she'd ever experienced...well, no, there was one other...but this was by far, the one resulting in being harmed physically. Either way, she'd be grinning right now.

Instead, there was a new form of worry in her eyes, but now with her wand she felt better.

First, the Bowtruckles. Casting a few Confunfus charms will get her away from a few of them, if not all that were near her, because her wrist moved plenty of times and the light leaving her wand, the most precious things of all, seemed to be hitting targets. She didn't want to hurt them, like they've hurt her. She only wanted them away, surely they felt the same way about their intruder.

But she couldn't feel much of her besides the stinging in her skin. Perhaps a defense mechanism her body decided to act on.

Not even caring anymore how many of the Bowtruckles had been hit, she cast a waterproof charm on the 2 seeds in case she needed them again and placed them in her pocket...because, yes, she was taking the water route this time. She wanted to get to that other shore.

Wand tightly held, she ventured into the water. It would hurt immensely, she knew that, because her skin was too exposed, and the water was probably not going to be good for that.

Her eyes were saved. Her wand was back with her. But she felt...tired, and...terrible. Just terrible.

Her grip on the stalk tightened as it vibrated, and her climbing slowed. After what seemed like forever, she reached the top of the wall.

Stepping off, she sighed at the path before her. Of course it would be narrow. The task would just be tooo easy if it were wide with walls.

Carefully, she walked the path. And another fork.

Not wanting to walk the narrow path and figuring that wider path would lead to an exit, the girl turned right and continued down the path.

The bowtruckles are only momentarily confused, but you get manage to get away, plunging into the icy water.

Wand now in hand, you might want to see to some light, so that a quick look around will tell you that you are in the middle of the lake, with the far shore in front of you. That is your destination. That is where you must go.

The lilypads around you seem to bob in and out of the water as it churns and the trees spread further apart. Skittering among the leaves suggests that the bowtruckles in neighboring treesare anxious to be appeased, as well.

The path was wider, for sure, but as you travel further down it, the incline grows steeper and the path slick with water. Watch your footing. It's a long way down.

As you proceed forward, the way gets only more difficult to navigate when your path is completely blocked by a large number of plants. At first they seem harmless, but as you get closer, they start moving and snarling, and you realize that they have…teeth? How strange! Unfortunately the only way to get to the end of this tunnel is to get past these little monsters, so hopefully you have some idea of how to pass them up your sleeve!

With his good hand holding on tightly to the tree he was in, Nikolai took the opportunity to just rest. His injured hand, which he was sure had a few had bursted boils now, was throbbing and very hot. He would never, ever go near a bubotuber again..unless he was wearing gloves, of course. Trying to shake the pain out of his hand, he gazed out towards the glowing tree, wondering why it was glowing. He had never seen a glowing before, and curiosity got the best of him.

Ignoring the dark path altogether, Nikolai adjusted himself on the tree he was on, making it easier for him to pass through the trees one handed.

To the glow he goes!

The trees sway as you move, threatening to topple you if you don't have a good grip.

But as you continue and cross a good portion of the water, you'll realize that the faint glow you’ve been seeing this whole time is extremely familiar—it’s your wand! It’s nestled safely in a tree, but don't celebrate yet! A number of sticks seem to be standing guard within the branches of the tree. The sticks are moving around and look like tiny little stick figures with very long fingers…they’re clearly Bowtruckles. It’s very obvious that the only way you’re going to get your wand back is to make it past this little army of tree men…but how?

Vlad did indeed hop from tree to tree for a while, occasionally scraping parts of his hands that weren't calloused, like the inbetweeny parts of his fingers.

Glowing... that meant more light. Of course it could be one of those creatures that luuuuuured people closer and stuff... but Vlad would have to chance it; PLUS, it could be his wand. And... that was the point of this task.

Vlad swung onwards, but started to veer to the side a bit, attempting to get to the tree with light.

As you settle in your most recent tree, the way forward is impeded a bit by the fact that there isn't an easy tree to reach.

Instead, a lilypad floats between your tree and the next tree, whose branches are all out of reach.

If you look at the glow, you can almost make out what it is. If you got to that tree, you just know you'd be able to tell.

Okay, the last lily pad thing hadn't gone well, but Vlad didn't need to stay on it for long. The young man began swinging carefully back and forth, before letting go of the branch and aiming for the lilypad. What he was intending to do was glide just a little and then pounce for the next tree.

Vlad held his breath as he let go. It was this or nothing.

Whoa!

Nikolai did not expect the trees to sway since the last set of trees he was in were calm and still. Losing his footing a little, he slid down the trunk, and only when he, very painfully, grabbed a few branches with his injured hand did he stop sliding. Heaving a sigh, he held on tightly before he even considered continuing. He did not want to fall all the way to the bottom and have to do this all over.

His hand felt like it would EXPLODE!

With his bearing caught, Nik adjusted himself on the tree so he was staring directly at the glow. He had thought the tree was making the glow, but the closer he was the more visible it became. That was not the tree glowing, no.

IT WAS HIS WAND!

Once again, if he wasn't such a manly man, he would have squealed with delight. No clapping, not with the boils on his hand, plus, he was holding onto a tree.

With a grin, he started on his way to the tree, ignoring the pain in his hand. If he got his wand, he could fix his hand! And if it hadn't been for the Bowtruckles surrounding, Nikolai would have jumped and just grabbed HIS wand. "Bloody bowtruckles."

Groaning at his newly faced dilemma, he perched himself in the tree, just waiting for the creatures to make their first move.

He did have fairy eggs. Squashed, but fairy eggs nonetheless.

The lilypad buckles under you, soaking your feet, but it provides enough resistance so that you can use it as a jumping point to reach the next tree.

When you do, you'll have crossed a significant part of the water, and if you look at the glow, you'll realize that the faint glow you’ve been seeing this whole time is extremely familiar—it’s your wand! It’s nestled safely in a tree, but don't celebrate yet! A number of sticks seem to be standing guard within the branches of the tree. The sticks are moving around and look like tiny little stick figures with very long fingers…they’re clearly Bowtruckles. It’s very obvious that the only way you’re going to get your wand back is to make it past this little army of tree men…but how?

Your crashing and disruption of the trees alerted the bowtruckles to your presence and they are rapidly making their way toward you, sharp fingers at the ready for a strike. Your face will be their first target.

His wand! He knew it!

Now he knew his wand was safe, Vlad felt alot more comfortable. Bowtruckles, however, were very delicate especially when he was handling them, and he didn't have his wand.

With a thoughtful frown, Vlad started to look all over the tree he was hanging onto, searching for some woodlice.

It took no time at all for the bowtruckles to notice him, and when they did, they came at full speed. Dumbfounded by the speed of the creatures, Nikolai could only watch as they came closer, and closer, and closer.

Were they always that fast?

The closer the creatures came, he could see their fingers in defense mode. Remembering what he read about them, since he never really attended his creature lesson, his arm flung up to guard his face while his boiled hand rummaged through his pocket for the fairy eggs. Pulling out a few squashed eggs, he placed the eggs on the branches next to him.

Hopefully these creatures were not like him, and didn't mind squashed food pulled from pockets.

There's nothing along the edges of the trees but bark and a little lose dirt. In the time it takes you to search the trees, the little army of bowtruckles has had time to grow. Despite their small size, they appear ready and willing to do whatever it takes to protect their home. Their long, sharp fingers (two on each hand) begin making grabs right toward you. It's apparent that they're ready to strike now and won't wait around for you to search the tree any longer.

You could always retreat from the stickly beasts. The way you came is much the same, the lilypads yuo sunk now on the surface once more, the trees behaving as they had.



For a moment, the bowtruckles pause, taking in the sight of the squashed delicacy that's been presented to them. Seeing that their meal isn't in tip-top shape, though, the offering will only proves to be a short distraction and nothing else. You have only a moment to grab your wand before the stickly creatures attack.

Sandra continued down the path, moving slower with each step as it became steeper. A quick flick of her wand at her shoes made it a little easier to walk the slick path, but she still didn't increase her speed.

She finally calm to a halt when her path was blocked off by more plants. Her hazel eyes glided over them, watching as they moved about and......snarled. And they had teeth. Hm. Flourishing her wand, she cast the first charm that came to mind. A tooth-shrinking spell. That should take away some of the pain should she happen to get bit by one. Another flourish of her wand, and she cast a freezing charm on a another few to make a small path that she could tread through. The woman gave the spell a chance to take effect before making her way through said path.

Dangit; no insecty wood critters. That was no good.

When Vlad looked up again, he saw... alot of bowtruckles. He knew he could still brush them out of the way and kill them, but Vlad was quite kindhearted really, and couldn't bring himself to do so. He could retreat and look for some of the bugs... and then return. That was probably the point; it was far too easy to find the thing.

With a nod to himself, Vlad turned back, and used the lilypad to leap to his last tree.

Hopefully he still had some light. The eastern european born lad checked his hands where he'd kept hold of the fireseeds, thinking maybe he could had inadvertantly warmed them up.