This... was certainly different. With the way the previous challenges had gone, their escalating coldness - the frosty atmosphere that came with the Dementors, the snow surrounding the Whomping Willow, and then the literal tundra - Kyle had half expected the final challenge to involve battling his way out of a solid block of ice or something. After everything, it was a welcome change, not to have to worry about the cold.

Although... he supposed there was still an entire challenge left to go. Another hour left of the competition, during which anything could happen.

With his wand held ready in his hand, Kyle stayed rooted to the spot for a moment, intending to assess his surroundings before he went anywhere.

The creatures nearby were a dead giveaway as to where he was... or at least where he was supposed to be. The Streeler (Kyle had reasoned to himself that that was what it was, given the spikes and the burning trail; there was hardly time to check for the colour-changing shell) was native to Africa, and there was a very good chance that the animals that he could just see through the trees were a couple of Erumpents. Not to mention, there was the distinct sound of a Fwooper from far off. Clearly, this was supposed to be Africa, but given the fact that all of the challenges that had taken place away from the Hogwarts grounds so far had just been part of an illusion, he was dubious.

Even so, it would be unwise to operate on the assumption that they were still in the safety of the school grounds; the whole competition seemed to be a case of taking things at face value and reacting to them as necessary. That was how the challenges were completed, and that was how the points were earned.

There wasn't much more information to be gleaned from his surroundings, so Kyle decided to just get on with it, and he started moving. For safety reasons, he gave both the suspected Erumpents and the Streeler a wide berth. Kyle was much more skilled with his theoretical knowledge of creatures (for Potions reasons) than the physical handling of them, but even if he was skilled with the practical side of Care of Magical Creatures, he still wouldn't approach an Erumpent - especially a mother and baby - unless absolutely necessary. For obvious reasons, Kyle hoped that it didn't become necessary for the challenge, but didn't discount it either. More dangerous things had happened in historical inter-school competitions, after all: dragons, cockatrices, that sort of thing. Kyle had done plenty of reading on the topic, ever since he was first chosen as an IMPS competitor.

He moved through the trees and other vegetation carefully, keeping his wits about him, and looking out for clues as to what he might be expected to do. All the while, Kyle never completely took his focus away from those potential Erumpents, or any other possibly dangerous creatures that might appear, and he refused to allow himself to relax even for a moment. In a way, he actually missed the cold; it had previously kept him alert, on his toes, whereas the heat was draining and cultivated feelings of exhaustion, both physical and mental. He could already feel his robes sticking to him with sweat, and so pulled at the front of them and attempted to waft a draft through them.

The heat was going to become problematic soon enough, and Kyle preferred to start addressing it sooner rather than later. One thing he needed to avoid at all costs, was dehydration. Plenty of potential for that here in the heat, with all the sweating and the moving around. When had he last had a drink of water?

Pausing for just a moment, Kyle held his wand over his head and pointed it straight down at himself.

"Aguamenti."

Pure, clear, and - mercifully - cool water rained down on him, soaking his hair, dripping down his face and neck and under his robes. Kyle kept it going for a moment, at one point tipping his head back to catch some of the water in his mouth. After gulping down a few mouthfuls, he cancelled the spell again. Then, just as before, he continued moving making his way through the trees.

The streeler you were paying close mind to slowly continued on it's way through the vegetation, paying you no mind at all. As you further the distance between yourself and the erumpents, the larger of the two must have heard something for she looks your way. Seeing that you mean her and her baby no harm her attention returns onto her calf.

With your hair and robes now soaking wet you have cooled yourself down, but for how long? The heat seems to be drying you off rather quickly.

Each step you take brings you deeper into the African coastal forest. Trees surround you from all directions. The grass is growing taller and the heat is intensifying. Something bright cherry in color catches your eye. Standing there in the middle of the forest is a knobless door.

Are your eyes playing tricks on you or is this something you should look at more closely?

The moment that that Erumpent had looked his way, Kyle's heart leapt into his throat and he stood rooted to the spot. A surge of fear went through him, but before he could even consider ways to get out of the situation, the Erumpent had turned away again, apparently uninterested. The relief? Was real. Fake creature or not, Kyle had no plans to risk getting on the wrong side of it.

The heat of this place was, quite frankly, a little ridiculous. They really went for it when it came to realistically recreating these environments. First the tundra, and now this... if indeed this was a recreation. Kudos for the realism and everything but... Merlin. They really didn't want them to be physically comfortable, did they? Kyle supposed that was to be expected.

Already the effects of his makeshift refreshing shower were evaporating, and... was it getting even hotter? Perhaps it was getting more insulated or something, the further into the trees he went... but then Kyle would rather be here in the shade, fighting against the thick grass that only got taller, and more difficult to get through, than in the direct glare of the sun. He was already panting from the exertion - hot temperatures could be so formidable and hard to avoid, even with magic - and so cast Aguamenti on himself another couple of times as he progressed further into the trees, drinking the water from the spell both times.

It was the fourth time that he stopped, sweat dripping down him, that he saw it. Among the rich greens that surrounded him, the striking red of the door was almost impossible to miss. Kyle stood there for a moment and stared, not conjuring the water like he had planned.

There was no doubt in his mind that he needed to go towards - and likely through - that door, but Kyle was naturally on his guard about it. This was the fourth and final challenge, after all, and it was more than likely that something more difficult and more dangerous than everything so far was up ahead. He took a cautious couple of steps towards the door, peering at it and all around, his wand held ready. He no longer had much faith in the Homenum Revelio spell, and he needed to be closer to the door and able to tap it in order to cast SpeRevelio... there were other spells he could probably use right now to reveal something, but he could hardly concentrate with the heat.

Doubting very much that he was simply supposed to ignore the door, Kyle gradually moved closer still, trying to assess the situation using the old No-Maj technique of looking, listening, and using his major senses. From what he could tell so far, the only out of the ordinary thing about the door - aside from it's strange setting - was that there was no handle on it.

"Protego." While he was still a ways away, Kyle threw up his cautionary shield charm and closed the distance between himself and the door once and for all, so that he could inspect the thing properly. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

The repeated use of Aquamenti is serving you well. The heat of the forest was still there, but staying hydrated was a smart idea. Today would not be a good day to pass out from dehydration.

It was smart of you to not bother wasting time with revealing charms. The makers of these challenges purposefully weren’t going to make things that easy. Your shield charm works just as it should, the invisible barrier taking form as proved by a few little bugs bouncing off of it. But … what are you protecting yourself from? It is only a door.

A sudden rustling from a nearby bush could be heard. What was that? Perhaps that shield charm will come in handy after all. Though, staying alert for a few moments and looking around, nothing comes out at you. It seems like there is nothing to worry about…

Perhaps it is time to take a closer look at that door? The other side just might have a message carved onto it that will give you some direction on how to open it.

Kyle one thousand percent did not trust that nothing would jump out at him, either through the door or from the long grass or trees around him, and for that reason he kept up the Shield Charm even once he was stood directly in front of the door.

Then came the rustling. As tense as Kyle was, the sudden and not-too-distant sound made him jolt in surprise, causing his Shield Charm to flicker and die; exactly the opposite that he would have hoped for in such a situation, but Kyle had never been particularly skilled with the combative part of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Even maintaining a Shield Charm when you were trying to do other things was not as easy as some people made it look - Kyle was certain that had this competition had anything to do with duelling, he would have been the first out, no question.

Naturally, he threw up a second shield to replace the first one at once, but the rustling in the grass nearby amounted to absolutely nothing. Still Kyle stood there, silent and alert, ears pricked and eyes on the place that he was certain the rustling had come from. All the same... nothing.

Trying to stay very much on his guard, Kyle turned his attention back to the door. With nothing on this side of it, the only logical thing to do was to assess it from all angles, and so he did, stepping carefully around to the other side, listening and looking out for any sudden movements in his immediate vicinity.

Inspecting the other side of the door was what bore results. A carving... a message?

Focusing on the message was bound to take all of Kyle's attention, especially if that business with opening the cage in the last challenge was anything to go by, but Kyle had no plans of abandoning his Shield Charm. There was, of course, an incredibly simple solution. He turned, so that his back was to the door, and his shield between himself and the forest.

"Fianto Duri." With a point of his wand at his magically conjured shield, Kyle cast the spell that would continue to sustain it while he directed his attention elsewhere. It didn't mean he could completely let his guard down, given the very nature of his current situation, but it would be a big help, especially if the rustling in the bush wasn't so harmless after all.

Kyle made sure he could see that tell-tale blue-white sheen of the shield, so that he knew it was holding, and then turned to the door once more, kneeling down so that he could get a good look at the message carved there.

It was very wise for you to remain cautious of that rustling. The disappearance of the first shield was worrisome, but surely the second shield you casted would be enough to protect you from whatever may come your way. Though, still, nothing comes of it. Nothing is jumping out at you. Perhaps it was just another streeler?

Are you staying cool enough though? The heat and humidity still linger. It doesn't even look like you had casted the water-making spell moments ago. Of course, you can go on several more minutes without water. Maybe there is a more permanent way you can keep your cool?

It was an excellent idea to conjure Fianto Duri. The shield casted between you and the forest is kept alive with this combination, allowing you to examine the door without having to focus on the shield. Hopefully that shield is big enough should anything decide to make an appearance.

When you turn your attention back to the door, you quickly notice that there is a two-lined Runic message etched along its edges.

The first line reads:

ᚦᛁᛋ ᛞᛟᚱ ᚱᛖᛗᚨᚾᛋ ᚲᛚᛟᛋᛞ ᚹᛇᛚ ᚦ ᛋᚾᚨᚲ ᚱᛟᛗᛋ ᚠᚱᛖ

Could this possibly be the answer to opening the cherry-stained door? Well, there's only one way to find out. Hopefully you've at least mastered the basics of the runic alphabet.

One close look at the message was enough to tell Kyle that he was not going to solve it in just a few moments. That meant lingering here for a little longer, which meant trying to figure out a bunch of runes while at the same time dealing with the overbearing heat.

Not a chance was he going to attempt to power through it; the hotter it was, the more difficult it would be to concentrate. But, now that he was stationary - though he doubted he would be here for very long - it meant more options had opened up to him. The Atmospheric Charm, for example. A complicated spell, given the variables included, and Kyle supposed it was more difficult to master in an unpredictable outdoor setting than it was to cast it right inside the controlled environment of a classroom. And really, now was the perfect time to put it to the test.

Without wasting too much time, Kyle did just that; a wave of his wand and the appropriate incantation later, not to mention intense concentration on the prospect of getting a little magical-equivalent air-conditioning here in his little pocket of the forest, and the Atmospheric Charm was put into place. With that done, he cast Aguamenti over himself once more, just as he had intended to before catching sight of the door, and again he drank from the water that rained down on him.

The carvings on the door were now the most pressing issue. As Kyle inspected them again, his mind went - as it had done in the last challenge - to the topic of curses. Runes carved in certain combinations were sort of like runic curses, and that was where all the curse-breaking stuff came into play. But as soon as Kyle thought of it, he immediately vetoed the idea. Last challenge he had fallen into the trap of overthinking, and overlooking the much more simpler possibilities in favour of hugely complicated ones.

Elder Futhark, he knew, was used as a writing system, in the same way that many languages used the alphabet. The way these runes were all carved together pointed to the very simple explanation that they were a message, intended to be deciphered, again in the same way that the numbers had worked in the challenge before this one.

Thinking back to his Ancient Runes lessons, Kyle took a moment to mentally review what he knew about writing in Elder Futhark, all those little rules - words were spelled the way they sounded, no double letters, runes corresponded more to sounds than to letters, and so certain runes would have more than one letter associated with it... it was based on phonetics, really. Essentially, nothing too difficult at all.

Focusing on the runes on the door, but trying to keep alert to his surroundings (in case that rustling sounded again, or something more sinister), Kyle started working his way through the carving.

It made most sense to go one rune at a time, figure out what each word was supposed to be - if they were words, which seemed most likely - and then move onto the next. Identifying the runes was easy enough, of course, being one of the most basic lessons in Ancient Runes. It was matching up Elder Futhark to the correct sounds which was more of a challenge, though even then it was the kind of thing that didn't take much actual brainpower, only a decent memory. The fact that he had been studying Ancient Runes consistently up until and through this year made it easy.

The first word - there were no dots between words, but it was still easy enough to see where they were divided - was easy. Thurisaz, 'th', Isa, a short-sounding 'i', and Sowilo, an 's' or a soft 'c'. "This."

One word. A word that made sense, especially at the start of a sentence. It was all the assurance Kyle needed that he was moving in the right direction. Especially when he deciphered the second word too; Dagaz, Othala, and Raidho. D-O-R. "Door."

Raidho again, and then Ehwaz, Mannaz, Ansuz, Nauthiz, and another Sowilo. 'Remans' obviously wasn't a word, but one could argue that phonetically - if the 'a' was pronounced 'ay' - it could be spelled out as... "Rem...ains..."

Then judging by the fact that the first rune of the next word was Kenaz again, a 'k' sound, followed by Laguz, an 'l', Kyle was willing to hazard a guess that this one would spell out 'closed'. His prediction was proved correct. Kenaz, Laguz, Othala, Sowilo, Dagaz. K-L-O-S-D. "Closed."

'This door remains closed.' So far, that didn't really tell him anything, but then, he did still have half left to decipher.

At first, Kyle thought that the the next four runes, Wunjo, Eihwaz, Laguz, and Thurisaz, were all the same word. However, piecing the sounds together didn't make much sense. "Whilth? ... No... hang on..." It took a little bit of muttering to himself, trying to work out if he was remembering the sounds correctly, before he noticed that 'Thurisaz' was separate, and indeed worked on its own as a word. "While... the..."

Merlin, this was starting to make him feel a little nervous. Kyle had had his back to the forest for so long, and as soon as he thought it he suddenly had a horrible feeling like he was being watched. Unable to shake it, he span around quickly to look behind him.

Nothing there... and... well, obviously it had been stupid to check. Of course he was being watched. They were likely broadcasting the challenges on that giant screen again, just like every time before. Growing more impatient with himself, Kyle shook his head and turned back to the door. One thing at a time.

Sowilo again, Nauthiz, Ansuz, and Kenaz. At first glance, that simply read as "Snack?" but... that didn't sound right. Given the forest setting, his next thought was that it could say "... Snake...?" though perhaps it was his status as a Horned Serpent that made him think that. So... could that be referring to him, being that he was a Horned Serpent in terms of Ilvermorny houses? Perhaps Valerie's message read 'Wampus', and Brent's said 'snake' too, and Levi's said 'lion'? Or perhaps it meant a literal snake, seeing as he was out here in the forest?

Or perhaps it really was talking about a snack. Hard to say, really. Until he had the end of the message, that was.

"Raidho... R... Othala... O... Mannaz... M... Sowilo... S..." Kyle muttered to himself, running his fingers over the carvings in the wood, brow furrowed slightly as he worked through it in his head. "Roms... R... oh...ms... Roams? ... Roams." He moved onto the next and final word, and when he saw that the first rune was Fehu, for F, his mind went to the word that began with the letter F, which usually followed 'roam'.

It seemed as though that other word certainly wasn't 'snack' after all.

Fehu... Raidho... Ehwaz. F-R-E. "... Free."

Kyle crouched there quietly for a moment, tense and braced, his hand gripped tightly around the handle of his wand, so much so that his knuckles started to ache.

Keeping his voice low, close to a whisper, he repeated the message again, all in one go.

"This door remains closed while the snake roams free."

Look at you giving the Atmospheric Charm a whirl. Your efforts in casting this charm paid off for you, the heat around you cooling down enough to allow you to think quickly and not feel so hot. The use of Aquamenti was also done with good timing, since now that your hydrated and cooled off you can get to work on that runic message.

While you're working hard to decifer what those runes all mean, something is hidden in the bushes just off to the left of you. It's six foot long body concealed so well that you don't notice it.

The Runespoor is getting ready, the left head preparing the other heads for their attack.

Hardly anytime passes at all between when you finish finding out what the runes mean and you begin to hear a load hissing.

From your spot crouched on the ground you can now clearly see all six eyes from the three heads watching you. It's large body launches forward without warning, a loud hiss coming from the separate heads just as the middle head smashing it's head into the shield you had casted earlier.

Better act quick! Hopefully you know enough about Runespoors to protect yourself!

Snake? Kyle was thinking to himself, his mind moving at a thousand miles per second. What snake?

A literal snake, yes? So, a Horned Serpent? A viper? A python? A Basilisk? Surely something magical; it wouldn't be a magical competition if--...

... SSSSSSSSssssssSSSSSSSS...

The hissing sound nearby - so close and so real - was suddenly the only thing on Kyle's mind. It cut through the air with a harshness and severity that Kyle could liken to nothing else. He felt the hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck stand up on end, and a shiver ran through him.

Without really thinking - given the situation, one might forgive him for being so reactive - Kyle span around. The sudden movement may have been unwise, and forgetting the potential that he might be facing a Basilisk surely even less wise, but the compulsion to see what was bearing down on him was simply too strong to ignore.

But now he saw it: about as long as Kyle himself was tall, orange and black, not to mention the THREE HEADS. Huge three-headed snake. Africa. Runespoor.

For just a moment, all Kyle could do was stare. He was not a man--... okay, boy - of action. He was smart, sure, but there was a difference between being academically intelligent and being able to think quickly enough to leap into action and instinctively know how to handle a situation. Kyle Baker was not exactly used to danger - not before this competition, anyway - and his natural reaction was to stare (or, well... gape) and attempt to process.

That was, until the Runespoor suddenly lunged forward with one of its heads. The Shield Charm was still there, it had held until now, but that mattered little to Kyle. Even as the Runespoor crashed into the magical barrier, Kyle was darting to the side and nope-ing the heck out of there.

He rounded the cherry-red door, hoping to put it between the Runespoor and himself, and ran as fast as he could through the tall grass, getting a horrible reminder of exactly how hot it still was outside of the range of his Atmospheric Charm. In the back of his mind, he remembered that he needed to try and stay close to the door if he wanted to find it again later and finish the rest of the challenge, but mostly he just wanted to get away from the creature. Kyle would never deny having a certain affinity for snakes, especially since being sorted into Horned Serpent; had even attempted learning Parseltongue when he was younger (only to give up when he was around fourteen with the realisation it was occupying too much of his time and was ultimately a lost cause... something to curse his past self for). But a Runespoor was not exactly your average, run-of-the-mill snake. It was a freaking Runespoor.

And this was a challenge, and Kyle needed to keep his head, and work out how to defeat the creature, to stop it from roaming free. How though? Did they want them to knock the creature out, or trap it? Surely not kill it, though Kyle didn't exactly have any qualms about that at the moment. In fact, he was thinking less and less about progressing through the challenge and avoiding disqualification, and more about just getting that thing away from him.

Runespoor. Three heads. Planner, dreamer, critic. That left head head needed to be put out of action.

But first, distance. He needed to put distance between himself and the creature, to have enough time to think, to plan, and to be rational. At the moment, Kyle was extremely temped to throw a long string of Bombardas over his shoulder at the Runespoor, but he needed a moment to think, in case there was an easier (and less messy) way to do this. Would any old spell be able to penetrate its scales?

Stopping at the foot of a tree, Kyle didn't dare waste a moment in looking to see how close behind him the Runespoor was. Instead, he pointed his wand at the ground and cast, "Spongify!" Then, turning his wand upwards towards the hight canopy of the tree, he cried out, "Ascendio!"

Just a moment... he just needed a moment to think, and propelling himself up a tree would hopefully secure him a few valuable seconds to do just that.

The Runespoor was not about to let you get away that easily. It's six-foot long body lowered down to the ground allowing it to slither it's way through the tall grass, tongues flicking out of the mouths of its three heads as it follows you.

Can you feel the shift in the air now that you're no longer in the range of the Atmospheric Charm? Does it feel even hotter than it did earlier. You're already getting sweaty, best to take care of that and not wander to far from the door. You do have a second line of runes to read. Remember that.

Your use of both Spongify and Ascendio to help you propel up into that tree was a good idea for the moment. However, it won't solve the matter at hand for very long.

You best be thinking quickly as the Runespoor is now just below the tree, lifting it's body up and resting it against the trees trunk. All three pairs of eyes are trained on you, a loud hissing coming from each of the three heads.

As he flew high up into the air, reaching the height of his magical propulsion, Kyle reached out for one of the branches that appeared in front of him, flinging both arms around it and clinging onto it for dear life. He did the same with his legs, but ended up sliding sideways, until he hung upside down from the branch - still holding on with all four limbs - like a sloth would.

While he hung there, Kyle craned his neck back and assessed what the situation was back on the ground. The Runespoor had followed him - naturally - but he at least had a few moments to think up a strategy.

Heaving himself back round so that he was sat on the tree branch, straddling it like a broomstick before shifting to something more like side-saddle, Kyle considered his options. Three heads, all with a different function; it was a weakness as much as it was a strength. More heads meant it was harder to fight off and defeat, it made it more of a three-against-one scenario. But with each head having a different function, one could drastically change the type of creature one was fighting, even by dealing with just one head.

Merlin, it was stifling. Heat had a tendency to rise and up here in the canopy in the trees, it felt as though the heat of the forest had been caught and preserved in the foliage. Already, Kyle was streaming with sweat again... his fleeing from the Runespoor hadn't exactly helped in that department either. Nothing was more tempting than getting back to his charmed area by the door.

Holding his wand out, Kyle leaned around and looked for the Runespoor. Spotting it, he cast two spells in quick succession, pointing his wand first at the right head, the critic - "Stupefy!" - and then at the right head, the critic - "Confundo!"

He had considered using Obscuro on the beast, but serpents were hardly famed for their vision. As far as Kyle knew, they relied more heavily on senses other than sight to hunt down their prey, and depriving it of its eyes would make very little difference, if any at all. A Confundus Charm, then, to confuse, and a Stunning Spell to try and knock out one of the heads. Two different spells, two different heads. Kyle wasn't sure if casting at one head would affect the rest of the Runespoor, or if its scales would repel one or both spells anyway, so for now, he attempted two separate tactics and waited to see what how each worked out.

Not daring to look away from the creature for too long, Kyle gasped down hot air. It felt as though he was breathing through a through a thick, wet cloth, like no oxygen was getting to his lungs. Since running through the forest, he had felt practically no reprieve. Sparing only a second, he cast another Aguamenti spell over his head and into his mouth again, but it would likely not be enough for long. If he could fend off the snake, and get back to the door where his Atmospheric Charm was still in place, he might benefit from the more forgiving air.

Magicking himself up a tree had never been intended as a permanent solution. Snakes could climb trees, Kyle knew that, but he also had no intentions of jumping back out until the last possible moment, in the interest of buying himself as much time as possible.

Sitting up on that tree branch might be serving you well at the moment but keep a good eye on that Runespoor, it's already using all the muscles in it's body to help it work it's way up the tree.

Three forked tongues flick out of the three mouths and angry hissing can be heard clearly. Making the Runespoor climb it's way to you sure is causing it to become upset.

Choosing just the right head to aim your spells at was a good start. Stupefy hit the right head straight on but all it really did was anger the creature, it's fangs baring at you now and the hissing growing louder. That Confundo charm did the trick however, the right head blinked it's eyes and the hissing stopped. Confusing that head seemed to have worked but don't forget about the other two heads.

Best continue to make good use of that Aquamenti spell, the dampness of the water on your head and clothes will only last so long.

The left and middle heads are still forcing the right head to go along with them, the Runespoor still aiming to make it's way up the tree to where you are, though slower now.

Don't forget you have another line of Runes on the door you need to decipher in order to get out of here.

Oh, so very sorry, Runespoor, Kyle thought sarcastically to himself as the head on the right turned out not to be put out of action, but grew only more agitated. Did I upset you? I wonder how it feels to be attacked like that.

Bitter as his thoughts were, Kyle had seen the change in the Runespoor, and also taken note of how his questions had been answered. Spells, at least ones that affected mental state, only seemed to work on the head they were cast on. Stunning Spells wouldn't work at all - not unless he wanted to anger it - but the Confundus Charm would. Kyle wasn't entirely sure why that was the case, he couldn't remember ever reading if the scales of a Runespoor were particularly impervious to magic, like the hide of dragons, but nor was he one to question the evidence put before him. He still didn't know if this Runespoor or the environment he was in was real, or another trick; it was simply a matter of treating it as though it was. Just the same as it had been in every challenge so far.

But what to do? Kyle couldn't be sure. He could only hope that the rest of the runes on the door would give him an answer, another clue. The only thing was to... decipher it. While keeping a Runespoor at bay. And melting in the heat.

There was no point in waiting up a tree all day, not when the next line of runes and the relative comfort of the Atmospheric Charm were back down by the door. The Runespoor was getting ever closer, so...

"Glacius Tria!" The freezing charm was unlikely to hold the Runespoor for very long - not in this heat, certainly - but it could keep the creature stuck here for a minute or two so that he could work on the runes. Not his first choice of spell, but Kyle wasn't sure which combative spells would work if Stupefy had not.

A second after he had cast his spell at the Runespoor, Kyle pushed himself off of the branch and dropped down to the ground again, the same ground he had used 'Spongify' on earlier. Even after almost six years at a magic school (or, technically two), it was a little difficult to trust that the spell would do its job when he was in this particular situation, and Kyle couldn't help but tense up his body and screw up his face as he braced for impact. When he hit the ground, however, the spell held, and Kyle bounced upwards... and forwards... before landing in an undignified heap a few feet away, where the ground was not quite so soft. Not soft at all, given the heat.

Wincing a little, he pushed himself back to his feet and ran back towards the bright red door, ignoring the sickening jolts of pain that went through his left forearm with every step. Both his wand and his wand arm were still intact and functional, and there was really no time to worry about anything else, even if he was - deep down - cursing all the situations he had got himself into, all for this competition. He reached the door and darted back around it, to the safety of his shield and his Atmospheric Charm.

"Agua...menti..." Kyle gasped yet again, dousing himself once more with water, and drinking deeply from the stream that was produced. After cancelling the spell, he shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere, and cradled his left arm to his chest. Still listening out for the sound of slithering or hissing that would herald the approach of the Runespoor, and keeping his wits very much about him, Kyle leaned in close for a look at the second line of runes.

The Runespoor was making very slow but steady progress, inching it's way up the tree towards you. Good thing for you that middle head is still confused due to your earlier charm work.

Being struck with Glacius Tria froze the Runespoor on contact, it's body and heads freezing over in ice causing it to fall backwards off the tree and hit the ground with a 'thud'. It might be currently frozen but who's to say for how long it will last.

As you make it back to the door your met with cooler air, as your Atmospheric Charm is still in place though it seems to be wearing off. The use of Aquamenti was a good idea, not only quenching your thirst but also helping to cool you off some.

Leaning in closer towards the door you're able to see the next line of Runes:

ᛋᚢᛒᛞᚢ ᚦ ᛒᛖᛋᛏ ᛁᚾ ᚾᚨᛏᚱ ᛏᛟ ᛗᚨᚲ ᛁᛏ ᛟᛈᚾ ᚠᛟᚱ ᚦᛖ

Don't take to long in figuring out what it says. That Runespoor won't remain frozen for long.

Judging by the sound of that thud, the Runespoor was probably not going to be very happy with Kyle once it stopped being a snakecicle and was back to its normal terrifying self. More likely, it would be furious. All the more motivation to get moving.

Now that he had had the refresher of translating the first line of runes, the second line came a lot faster to him. There were a few mistakes here and there - mixing up Ehwaz and Mannaz, for example, was easy to do when you were overheating, exhausted, and preoccupied with a giant, murderous snake - but it didn't take long at all for the words to come to him.

"Sowilo..." Kyle muttered to himself, breathless, wiping both sweat and water from his face with his sleeve (the one on his right hand side) and belatedly realising that his Atmospheric Charm was already fading. Why was the efficacy of his magic struggling so much today. "Uruz, Berkana... Dagaz... Ur--... Subdue. " Yes, okay.

"Subdue... the..." His eyes flicked up to the first line, and then back to the second. Not 'snake', then. So... "Berkana... Mann--... what? ... No. Ehwaz." Before he even finished the word, Kyle hazarded a guess at the word 'beast', and a quick scan over the next few runes proved him right. Subdue the beast...

Well, yes. That was the plan.

Isa. Nauthiz. "In." Nauthiz again... Feh-- no, Ansuz. Tiewaz. Raidho...

"Nat-r... Nay-truh... nay... nay-t-r.... Na--... Nature. Subdue the beast in nature... Tiewaz, Oth- To." Yes, yes. This wasn't so difficult. But the pain in Kyle's arm would not be ignored, and the heat was still bearing fiercely down on him. There wasn't much he could do for his arm, not being a healer and being unable to detect what the problem even was, but Kyle did pause for a moment to re-administer the Atmospheric Charm to the area by the door. Then he was back to cradling his arm, trying not to give in to the nausea (it would only waste all the water in his stomach), and back to translating.

Subdue the beast in nature to...

"... Mannaz. Ansuz. Kenaz. Mak... Make. Make it..." Oh, Merlin, did it really need to be this long? Judging by how things had been going so far, the Runespoor was likely almost thawed out by now, and ready for some revenge. Kyle swallowed a lump in his throat, and focused on the runes as best he could, lips moving as he read the last few runes.

Othala... Perthro... Nauthiz... "Open." Fehu... Othala again... an obvious Raidho... "For." Easy, easy. Thurisaz, Raidho, Ehwaz. "The. Th...ee. Thee." Subdue the beast in nature to make it open for thee.

... Okay, so... maybe not as helpful as Kyle had hoped.

Subdue it in nature? He had frozen it, hadn't he? Wasn't ice - water - technically nature? Surely that counted enough to open the door?

He could find some vines, or conjure them up... transfigure them into ropes to hold the Runespoor... but wouldn't a snake easily squirm its way out? Aside from now knowing the nature of what he was expected to do, Kyle was no closer to knowing exactly what the solution was. And did they mean literal nature, or the nature of the Runespoor, its characteristics? Restrain it using the natural resources... or calm it down - subdue it in nature - so that it didn't want to attack? It was an important distinction, really, but given the whole 'while the snake roams free' part, Kyle was fairly certain it needed to be restrained somehow.

Yet again, there was really no time to think too hard about it. What Kyle did next, he did by instinct. Peeking back around the door, he looked for the creature, flicked his wand at it, and cast, "Animalis Fidelis."

It was as desperate attempt as any. A charm that inspired temporary loyalty and obedience in an animal, it usually worked on pets and - Kyle assumed - livestock, but it also had the potential to be used on a creature that was attacking the caster. It likely wouldn't be anything close to as efficient as if he cast the spell on a crup or a kneazle, but it might buy him just a little more time to work out exactly what the runic message was hinting at, what he needed to do.

It was almost a shame that Bombarda was now off the table. Gruesome as it would have been, Kyle had thought it an efficient back-up for if everything else failed. Now it seemed that if the snake was not incapacitated in accordance with the riddle, the door would never open, and Bombara didn't exactly sound like a spell that met the riddle's terms.

You are still paying attention to the frozen Runespoor laying in the grass, aren't you?

While you work on deciphering the second line of the Runic message, it's over there slowly beginning to wiggle it's body back and forth as the Glacius Tria spell starts to wear off. At the moment the Runespoor still appears a bit sluggish from the ice but with the heat around here it's bound to get it's barings back soon.

Lucky for you that you're Atmospheric Charm you just re-administered is working better then before. You're not nearly as hot and sticky anymore, maybe it will help you keep a level head.

The Runespoor was able to get itself slithering through the tall grass towards you as you aim your wand at it. Animalis Fidelis works but not like you intended it to. Having only hit the middle head with the spell, the Runespoor is still coming at you, however the middle head doesn't appear as angry as the other two which are baring their fangs and hissing loudly once more.

Trying to tame the beast with charms doesn't seem to be doing any good. Perhaps a different branch of magic should be considered.

Kyle was starting to realise - what with the way this Runespoor, not to mention the environment, was so resistant to magic - that the setting for this challenge was unlikely to be... well... genuine. It made sense; how else would they be able to ensure that the Runespoor would attack, and how else would they prevent the competitors from subduing the creature in ways other than what they wanted? Kyle didn't need to throw a Bombarda at the snake to know that it wouldn't work at all.

Had his Confundus Charm worn off already too? Because, from what Kyle could see when he peered around the door, it definitely didn't seem like it was still in effect. More evidence to support his theory.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like regular magic was not the way to go. None of it was holding, none of it was making any real difference. The only other approach that Kyle could think of involved taking a leaf out of Brent's book. Loathe though he was to do it, Kyle could think of no more appropriate time. The runes on the door, 'rune' in the creature's name... but what exactly? Making a gandr was completely out of the question, and even just carving up some runes would be a bit of a push. Worth a try, though.

Keeping an ear out for the - probably very angry by now - Runespoor, and his left arm pressed to his chest, Kyle pointed his wand towards the ground and moved it in the shape of an 'x'. "Focalia."

The urgency in his voice was clear, and he mirrored in working as quickly as he could, given that he was slightly inhibited by the fact that one arm was out of action. Even though he had by now determined that none of this was real, the adrenaline was at least still coursing through him, making it difficult to really feel much of anything. A graze on his left hand was welling up with blood, but he barely noticed it.

When the conjured firewood appeared on the ground, Kyle used Diffindo to cut away some small rectangles of it for the purpose of making runes. Another quick glance around the door, however, told him that he would only have time for one - if that failed, he'd have to run off and lure the Runespoor away, and then come back, and use the time for another rune. Providing he made it that far.

Not bothering to smooth down the edges of the wood (for obvious time sensitive reasons), Kyle held one small rectangle in his left hand - still braced against his chest - and pointed his wand at it. Only his wand hand was shaking, and this needed a steady hand. But there was no time, no time for even a moment's break. It was do or die, more or less.

"Intaglio Isa Isa Isa..." One long line, if a little shaky, straight down, perpendicular to the grain of the wood. A rough, and very makeshift Isa rune, the easiest to carve (luckily enough). For good measure - because this rune was brand new, and needed all the help he could give it when it came to invoking the magical energy - Kyle used the blood from his grazed hand to fill the rune carving as best he could. With that done, he held the rune tight, and chanted.

"Isa isa isa," he began the galdr, but it was difficult to really focus on the chanting when he was trying not to think about the approaching Runespoor. At least his Atmospheric Charm meant that the heat wasn't still draining his energy. Focus, Kyle. Focus. Isa. Ice. Freezing. Still. Isa. "i i i i i i i i i... i i i i i i s s s s s s..." Almost there, almost there. "(s s s s s s i i i i i i)... i i i i i i i i i..."

Before doing anything, Kyle waited for the glow of the rune. At first he thought it wouldn't come - perhaps an understandable worry, given the situation - but then, there it was, not as bright as he knew he could manage, but a glow all the same. He moved the rune to his wand hand, clutched it tight along with the handle of his wand, peered back around the door - it had been a smart move, not to bother with a second rune just yet... the creature was uncomfortably close - and cried out, "Immobulus!"

Isa. Ice. Immobulus. Freezing charm. The runic magic should bolster the regular magic, at least in this context. If it didn't work... well... he'd have to think of something else.

The Runespoor slithered it's way towards you, it's tongues flicking out of it's mouth tasting the air around it. Just because you're behind the door doesn't mean it can't find you.

The use of Focalia to create firewood works as it should and though the lines of your Isa craving might not be the straightest it did begin to glow just as it should once you began to chant.

All the while you're doing this the Runespoor is hissing and charging foreward, one of the heads even smashing itself into the door. It knows where you.

Using the Isa ruin combined with Immobulus worked. A layer of ice covers the Runespoor completely but it's strong and not some tiny creature. Within only moments it manages to break free of the effects and now it's angrier then ever.

The use of Runes and Charms doesn't seem to be working to your advantage in attempts to subdue the beast in nature. Perhaps surroundings could be altered to stop the creature before one of its heads sinks its fangs into you.

In spite of himself, and in spite of the urgency of the situation, Kyle could only gape around the door at the Runespoor. It was only for a second, but every second was valuable right now. The thing was, he was surprised by the effect that his spell had had. Kyle hadn't intended to coat the snake with ice at all; the point of the rune was to strengthen Immobulus with runic magic, taking advantage of its magical property 'to stop a process', rather than its meaning.

Nevertheless, he overcame his surprise relatively quickly. It wasn't difficult, not when he had the motivation of an angry Runespoor in front of him. Like... right in front of him.

Kyle was quickly running out of options, and his frustration over the matter was building; he could no longer truthfully say that he cared all that much about finishing the challenge or getting the most points, he just wanted to get out of here. He was exhausted, in pain, and ready for the challenge and the competition to be over. Still, when the next stroke of inspiration came, Kyle ran with it, quite literally.

Still holding the Isa rune in the same hand as his wand, Kyle darted back out from behind the door and into the stifling heat, but also into that long, thick grass, hoping to lure the Runespoor towards him and away from the door. "Engorgio," he cast repeatedly as he ran, pointing his wand at the bunches of grass so that it all towered up, higher and higher, thicker and thicker, before bowing under its own weight, creating something like a roof - a canopy - for the Runespoor to slither under.

Naturally, there wasn't time for error. Kyle suddenly turned back to face the Runespoor, and immediately cast another Engorgement Charm on the blades of grass directly between himself and the creature, so that something like a grass barrier sprang up between them.

"Duro!" Kyle focused as hard as he could on the magical properties of the rune he held this time - stopping a process, perfect for a makeshift cage or cell - and cast the Hardening Charm on the enlarged grass. With any luck, the lot would turn into stone and form bars of a 'cage', to trap and subdue the beast... in nature.

Turning and running into the tall thick grass had the desired effect that you so hoped for. The Runespoor slithered forward after you, fangs bared and all three heads hissing threateningly.

The use of several Engorgio charms worked rather well the blades of grass shooting up higher then your head and very thick before the weight of it began to make it tip over.

Hissing could be heard from the Runespoor but it sounded more annoyed at not being able to see you now. It's tongues flicked out of its mouths tasting the air once again in search of where you are.

The blades of grass began to harden, turning into stone from your Duro spell. There was noway that the Runespoor was fitting through those slots between the stone bars, though he was certainly trying, bashing its heads into the bars and hissing angrily at you.

You have managed to subdue the serpent!

With the beast contained, a Ministry offical from the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, whom was standing beside the door the entire time, disillusions herself. Seeing that you have subdued the creature, she gives you a smile and goes to check on the Runespoor.

The red door opens silently, revealing the way out. Walk through the doorway and you will find yourself at the stands.

OOC: You may now look at the viewing area and/or other competitors' threads.

The second he saw that his combination of spells had worked to subdue the creature, Kyle felt relief flood through him. He staggered back, leaning against the door frame and using it to prop up his exhausted self.

He should have expected it by now, but Kyle gave a jolt of surprise when someone suddenly appeared right in front of him. For a split second, his heart raced, and he knew he didn't have the energy to fight anything else, or solve another riddle. But...

"Oh... right..." Kyle murmured, more to himself than anything, when he realised that the individual in question was from the Ministry, and here for the sake of the Runespoor. Right. Yes. Good job he never tried to blow the thing up, then. He'd come very close to trying.

The heat of the forest was bearing down on Kyle again, his whole body ached, and he was somehow completely parched despite frequently making the effort to rehydrate himself. Not to mention, the pain in his arm demanded his attention even more, now that the danger had passed, and every move he made exacerbated it.

Kyle had no desire to stay here any longer. The second the door opened, he slipped through it without even waiting for it to open all the way, and reappeared back at the stands.