It was! It was the key!

And her heart started to race as she took the padlock off and breathed before opening the door. Ready (or as much ready as one in her condition could be) to face whatever lies ahead.

Only...it was...an empty corridor?

Still, one couldn't be too cautious. She closed the door behind her, just in case and then walked slowly towards the....fresh air?

Wait.

This. Was. It?

If her cuts hadn't been too deep, then her smile wouldn't have hurt. But now she was only happy to be out. Surely Zitnik wouldn't be pleased with how awful she looked, but she was getting out of this cave now.

Danika walked to the left.

As the champion exits, the door closes behind her.

Erm, that didn't work.

As the plant sputtered it's venom, Nikolai quickly put up a shield charm and took a few steps back. Angry plant, indeed. Now that his hopes of just hopping over the plant were shattered, he needed a new idea. It was rather hard to think with all the pain he was in, and the fact that the plant was trying to BITE him was no help.

Deep breath.

Exhale.

He would have closed his eyes to think, but at any moment the plant could shoot more venom and he needed to be aware. Watching the spiky vines wiggle, he pointed his wand again, sending a non-verbal Diffindo.

This could get mighty tricky and Vlad wasn't entirely sure how he'd do this. Just in case, he undid the flaps on his uniform blazer type jacket and grabbed handfuls of woodlice and threw them on in before buttoning the flaps shut. That was just in case.

Also, Vlad pulled off his belt and started to wrap it around his arm, tucking the branch in so it was resting against his arm. He could see disadvantages with this where the woodlice could crawl away... but it was fine for now.

He had some in his pockets.

Bracing himself for the swing back over, Vlad went a little more carefully this time, using his large arm span to reach ahead for the tree. He'd try that as much as he could, swinging like a monkey.

He HAD to do this.

A vine on the right severs neatly, stunning the plant. Just as you might think it's safe to continue, it begins to move again, the remaining vines reaching out, the venom spurting again.

This beastie needs some serious pruning.

The woodlice crawl under your jacket, squishy and tickling. But you traverse the trees once more, some scrapes, more wet from where the lilypads were once again necessary. Making the trip three times must certainly be taking it's toll.

But here you are. Back where you started, a tree away from the one with your wand, bowtruckles at the ready.

With a proud grin on his face, Nikolai, as soon as the vine on the right was severed, took a few steps forward. The little severing charm seemed to work..for only a second. Jumping back as the plant came back to life, he gave his wand a quick flick, deflecting the spurting venom away from him. He did not, did not, DID. NOT. want to kill the plant, and he would stay there and severe the thing until he was able to pass..

He would even take the newly pruned plant to the outside with him, if the thing wanted his company that bad.

Making sure there was no venom flying in his direction, he non-verbally cast Immobulus, followed by a series of verbal AND non-verbal Diffindo's.

If this didn't work, he was afraid he'd have to kill it.

This was getting to be a little too much work. Vladimir was not an athlete; sure he swam alot and the grounds at Durmstrang were large meaning one could take long walks, but he really was more of a studying guy. Of course he had long arms and legs so reaching and walking was alot less effort than for most.

STILL!

Okay, so... here he was. In this undignified position with woodlice up his sleeves and everything.

Shifting so he was hanging with his elbow hooked over the tree branch, Vlad undid his belt from his arm but kept it tied around the branch. With a small throw, he tossed it so the buckle juuuuust about caught on the branch. Once it was up, he let the fireseed branch swing and eyed it nervously, reaching into his pockets for the great handfuls of woodlice. If that thing stayed on the branch, he'd put the insects on it so the bowtruckles went for it... and then grab his wand.

And hope he remebered where his other school belts were.

The Immobulus spell stops the plant momentarily, but after a few moments, it begins to move again, but thankfully you thought to chop off more of those creepy tendrils. After a few more frail attempts to shoot venom at you, the plant stops moving all together, almost as if giving up.

Now that the plant isn't flailing around as much, you can see something nestled near it's roots. You can't tell what it is exactly, but it's something shiny.

Upon your arrival, the bowtruckles immediately begin to swarm at you, although a few of them stay on the sidelines and watch you try and hook your belt to the tree. A few of the bowtruckles start clawing at your fingers, and the others have decided that your belt might pose a threat to their precious tree and start to climb it, trying to rip the leather to shreds.

Other than a sharp hiss of pain, Vlad did not YET show any sign of the pain he was feeling. He ignored the belt and reached into his pocket again for a handful of insects. He winced as some dirt made contact with fresh cuts on his fingers and threw some of the insects at the bowtruckles sheilding his wand. This had to work; another trip back would kill him.

Another proud grin crossed Nikolai's face as the Immobulus spell worked on the plant. But, he was internally celebrating too soon, for the plant started to move again, which made him come to the conclusion that he was getting too tired to perform these spells. His weakened state was causing his wandwork to weaken also.

Or the plant was just immune to being immobilized. He hadn't thought about that.

At least the severing charm did it's job and slowed the plant down immensely. Slightly upset over the sight of the dying-like plant, he took a few steps closer, deflecting the venom the plant sputtered out. He needn't do that, but he also didn't want to step in it, his shoe was melted and yeah..the venom would seep through.

With every step he took, he watched the slow but still flailing plant. He could simply walk past it now, but something had caught his eye and he stopped moving altogether. Shiny. Something shiny was underneath the plant!

Walking forward once again, he placed a foot on the flailing vines and reached down to grab the shiny thing.

The bowtruckles are momentarily thrown off as woodlice started flying through the air...that was hardly a proper offering! Still, a good number of them seem to be hungry enough to accept the poorly offered snack, and clear off just long enough to allow the wand unguarded. Hurry though, who knows how long those woodlice was suffice them!

The shiny thing turns out to be...a key! It is large and bronze, with a fairly rusted handle, making it look centuries old.

You hear a rumbling and the floor beneath you shakes as the beanstalk has continued to grow and has, indeed, broken through the top of the cave. The holes are not large enough to climb out of, if you could even get good footing on the stalk. But, they are large enough to let light stream in. Slight tendrils curl off the main stalk and the light shining through reflects off something attached to one of them. It's just out of reach, unless you'd like to try to stretch and risk falling.

Elsewhere in your general vicinity, one aptly placed hole allows light to shine down illuminating a door. A door! Upon further inspection, however, a large, rusted padlock stands between you and what looks like your best exit.

As his hand was entangled in the roots of the plant, Nikolai felt the shiny object and quickly pulled on it. By the shape of it, it felt like a key, and a very rusty key at that. What was he going to need it for?

He didn't have time to think, for as soon as he pulled, the ground beneath him started to shake. Planting his foot firmly on the bush's vines, since the vines did have spikes that could maybe save him from falling, he turned his head to see what was causing the rumbling.

That bloody beanstalk. It was the fastest growing beanstalk Nik had ever seen and he wanted to take a piece of it with him.

As the beanstalk penetrated the roof, the newly let in sunlight caused him to rapidly blink. You can't just spring sunlight on someone that had been in a dark cave for Merlin knows how long! He thought about cursing the stalk for practically making him blind, but a little glimmer caught his eye and he once again started to blink. Another shiny thing? He hoped it wasn't another key.

With a flick of his wrist, he pointed at the object. "Accio."

You'd better hope that the spikes didn't break through your shoe and cut your foot...

The rumbling subsides and the light continues to stream in as you summon the shining object.

It wobbles a bit on the vine before breaking free and wobbling through the air, headed directly for you.

It is a mirror, silver, the size of a dinner plate and extremely shiny. The frame has an ornate roman numeral III engraved on the top of it.

With the rumbling subsided, Nikolia felt it was safe enough to move off of the plant. A few spikes had cut him, thanks to the melt in his shoe and lack of sock, but they weren't so bad.

He'd live.

Shaking off the pain, he quickly shoved the key into his pocket and his wand in it's holster. With both hands outstretched, he took a few more steps forward to collect the shiny object that was coming towards him.

The shiny object that he could now be easily identified as a mirror. Of all the times he wished for a mirror, this was not one of them. He would just flip it over when he caught it.

Alas, the spikes are poisonous... potentially deadly. What kind of plant was that? The healer will surely need to know if you can manage to get out before it takes effect.

The mirror is heavy as you catch it, but its yours. Worth taking with you?

Hurry.

Errrrrrrrrrm.

Yeah.

THAT PLANT!

That plant was not what he thought it was. Nope, nope. NOPE! He was going to DIEEE! He had a few minutes, right? At least his foot wasn't stinging yet..he could still feel it. And just to make sure, as soon as the mirror was in his hands he gave it a little shake. Yup, still there.

Holding onto the plate for dear life, since he had got bit by Venomous Tentacula for it, Nikolai turned around looking for the right way to go.

As soon as he eyes landed on the door, he made his way over rather quickly and pulled the key from his pocket, placing it in the old rusty padlock.

As you approach the door, the light streams down from the breaks in the ceiling. The key you found fits the lock and with a simple twist, you'll be able to open the door.

Beyond the door is a steep, empty corridor with light at the end. If you take a deep breath, you'll smell something you haven't since you entered the cave. Fresh air.

You're out. You're done. You're alive--barely, though.

Just a little walking left.

Squinting through the sunlight, Nikolai gave the key in the padlock a little turn. The door swung open and the smell of fresh air made him cough. Of course, that could have been from the POISON rushing trough him, but he didn't want to think about that. The more he thought about it, the weaker he felt.

All he needed to do was walk a little further, and he'd be out. Hopefully the Healer was standing right at the exit?

Only one way to find out.

Stepping through the doorway, Nikolai, still holding on tightly to the mirror, started on his way out of the cave.

As the champion exits, the door closes behind him.

With almost catlike reflexes, Vlad thrust his hand forward and grabbed his wand, relishing the feel of the familiar wandwood on his hand, moulded to the shape of his hand ever so slightly.

As soon as he had it, moving as quick as he could, Vlad used the first spell he could think of. "Immobulus!" the young man cast, knowing this school worked on collective groups of things but wondering is he'd get them; he was quite tired, after all. Still, needed to keep them away while he thought of a way to get back.

The little bowtruckle closest to you was just about to raise his hand to give you a nice, sharp slap when your nicely casted spell hit it--and the others--head on.

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

The lilypads below 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 trees are anxious to be appeased, as well.

Putting his wand in his teeth, Vlad switched so he was now hanging from the tree with the one that had been throwing stuff at woodland critters and hand his aching arm digging in his other pocket. He scattered the woodlice all around him and tried his best to shake the buggers from his sleeves before moving as fast as he could, now with a better sense of purpose, from tree to tree.

It's a hard path, swinging from tree to tree. The bowtruckles, unamused by the flying woodlice, claw at your fingers and jump for your face and arms. The trees themselves sway and float further apart from one another, the only way to cross sometimes is to fling yourself across the gaps and hop you make it. It is difficult, but doable. If you have the strength and balance, you should make it all the way to shore.

When you do make it to shore, 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.

This was getting to be quite tedious. Vlad was exhausted from all the swinging, and for a moment it looked like he'd have to jump or fall into the water.

Then he realised he had his wand in his teeth.

Now, Vlad thought about using Flipendo, but that spell was controversial in whether it counted as a spell... they weren't really taught it at durmstrang because it wasn't considered 'real'. Mainly because some bored kids had thought it up for their game or something silly.

Plus, some of these bulbs were big. Time to get out the big guns.

"Incendio!" Vlad cast, unsure whether they HAD to actually SAY their spells. Since he couldn't ask, he may as well. The young man pointed his wand at the largest and the most rambunctious bulbs that were threatening to knock him away. He saw noting special about the wall, saw no tendrils. He was... a little preoccupied.

The bulbs burst into flames as the spell hits them, but they continue to bounce, knocking into unlit bulbs and sending them up in flames as well. The ones that bounce past you and into the water cease burning, but the others fly around the space like fiery balls of death, threatening to singe whatever remains of your clothes.

Meanwhile, the stalk continues to grow and thicken, with tendrils sprouting out the sides like ladder rungs.