Magic Storm: Chapter 4
Sep. 2nd, 2016 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matsu1nino
Pairing: Matsumiya, hints of other pairings
Genre: AU, Dark Fantasy
Disclaimer: Arashi is not mine.
Summary: In their fifth year at Hogwarts, amdist the buzz and excitement of the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament, Jun discovers just how far he will go to salvage his relationship with Nino.
Author's Note: Dragons anyone?
Chapter 4
The day of the first task had finally arrived. Students from all three schools were filing into the arena that had been prepared especially for the challenge to come. Most of the teachers had already taken their place in the stands as they waited in great anticipation for the start of the task. Banners of all sorts were hung upon every wall of the stadium, each a show of support for the three champions. Behind the arena was the resting area for the competitors.
Jun paced back and forth in the tent, nervously fiddling with his hands as he counted down the moments before the task was scheduled to begin. His mind was racing in desperation to remember every detail and spell he’d studied prior to this day. In the midst of his thinking, he overheard a sort of scuffling coming from outside the curtain at the back of the tent. With narrowed eyes he stalked over to where the noise was coming from. A strange whisper sounded as he drew close. Jun pressed his ear up to the drape.
“Jun, is that you?” He blinked in surprised when he recognized the voice of the same man he hadn’t heard from in almost a week.
“Nino?” he questioned, unsure of himself. Not because he doubted it was the little Slytherin but because a part of him couldn’t believe he would actually be here to speak to him. It would not have come as a surprise if his so-called boyfriend had come to sneak a glance at Takeuchi-san getting prepared, but Nino had definitely said his name before knowing who was on the other side of the curtain.
Nino exhaled loudly in what definitely sounded like relief. “Be careful out there okay?” he murmured, his shadow becoming more evident against the material as he leant in closer, his whole body pressed up against it. Jun felt an oddly gratifying twinge occur in his heart upon hearing the level of dread present in his friend’s voice.
“I will” Jun promised. He could have sworn he heard a small whimper come from Nino right before the slightly older boy burst through the curtain to fling himself at Jun, wrapping his hands as tightly around the latter as he could. Jun stumbled back a few steps at the unexpected embrace but somehow managed to catch Nino while maintain his balance. Nino’s head was buried in the crook of Jun’s neck, clutching so desperately at his boyfriend as though it was his last chance to feel him.
A blinding flash of light snapped the two of them out of their moment. They hastily pulled apart as they were approached by a crew of reporters. Jun recognized them as those he had been interviewed by when he’d been chosen as one of the three champions.
“Well isn’t this interesting” the journalist whom Jun did not bother to learn the name of grinned wickedly at the pair. “Such scandalous behaviour from the Hogwarts champion. I do say you two may make the front page, assuming things go well today.”
Nino’s ears were burning bright red. He looked down at his feet, with only the tips of his fingers grazing against Jun’s arm in an effort to keep the two of them connected. Jun narrowed his eyes threateningly at the reporters. A nasty insult was lingering on the tip of his tongue but he was interrupted by the other two champions coming over before he could say anything.
“You have no business here” said Takeuchi with her arms crossed.
“This tent is for champions and friends” Sakamoto stated coldly, glaring sternly until the reporters retreated back out of the tent. Jun sent the two of them an appreciative glance before turning back to Nino.
“You should go” he mumbled, staring down at their adjoining hands. Nino nodded understandingly and slipped back outside the way he’d entered after sharing a final longing glance with Jun. The Gryffindor sighed softly as he vanished behind the curtain. A hollow emptiness filled his chest. It made Jun wonder how Nino could still succeed in making him feel like his heart was missing even when they hadn’t spoken in so long.
There was little time to dwell on such feelings as the three headmasters from each school entered the tent and approached the champions alongside Kaga-san, an official from the Ministry of Magic.
“The first task is designed to test your daring” Kaga explained. “Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. What’s contained within this shall be an indicant of the courage you must face.” He held up a bag to Takeuchi. “Ladies first.”
With the slightest hesitation, Takeuchi reached into the bag. Her face scrunched up in pain a moment later as he hand jerked. She pulled it back out a moment later. A small moss green dragon clung to her wrist, crawling over her gloved hand with its forked tail swishing back and forth. It was letting out soft yaps as all eyes stared at the creature in her palm.
“Galician Pygmy Fyrn” Kaga remarked, missing the shocked look Takeuchi sent him as he held the bag out for Sakamoto.
Just as Takeuchi had done, he plunged his hand inside the bag. The dragon he removed was the same size as the first, but with copper scales and a broad head surrounded by a frill. Its underbelly was rose coloured and it was letting off tiny sparks as it walked.
“Malaysian Lightridge.” Kaga-san turned the bag to Jun. Exhaling deeply, Jun reached his hand into the bag, wincing as sharp talons easily penetrated the resistant material of his gloves. Once he was certain he had a strong hold on the dragon, he removed his hand and held the creature up for all to see. The small beast reared up on his palm, hissing faintly as its dark wings extended. The deep purple of its scales were glistening almost as if they were wet.
“Peruvian Vipertooth.” Jun’s breath caught in his throat as the name of his dragon was revealed. It was a species he had read about with the others, one that would be nigh impossible to forget, and certainly one he’d prayed to avoid an encounter with. His gaze was fixated on the dark coloured creature in his grasp. It was one of the most dangerous of all species. Unlike other venomous dragons who carried toxins only in their saliva glands, this twenty-five foot beast had claws laced with enough poison to kill up to ten men in as little as a two hours if an antidote was not administered immediately.
“These represent three very real dragons” Kaga-san explained. “They have each been given a golden egg to guard. Your task is simple. Retrieve the egg, for contained within is a clue to the second task, without which you cannot hope to proceed.”
---
Jun stared blankly ahead as he sat alone in the tent. The order in which the champions would compete was the same as the selection of dragons, though Jun wouldn’t have been surprised if it was also coincidentally the order of easiest to hardest dragon to face. It would seem so.
“Two of our champions have successfully retrieved their egg” Johnny-san’s voice resonated clearly throughout the grounds. “Only one remains.”
Jun stood, knowing that was his signal to enter into the arena. The crowd had gone silent as Jun made his way into the stadium. He could feel a thousand eyes watching him when he stood at the entrance of the rock-filled clearing. Sitting on the peak of the highest mound situated right in the centre of the arena, Jun spotted the gleaming form of the golden egg he was to retrieve. He glanced around for any signs of his dragon. Seeing there were none, he made his way towards the egg. A blast of magenta flames cut him off. Jun barely jumped back in time to dodge the plum-coloured inferno that rose up in his path. With eyes wide he stared up at the dragon clutched to the side of the wall above where he had entered the arena. A heavy chain was bound around its neck to keep it secured to the area floor. It hissed down at him, venomous spittle raining down all around him. Jun sidestepped as another discharge of fire came flying straight at him. The vipertooth kicked off from the wall to land back on the ground, clawing at the rocks in search of its prey. Jun had darted between some rocks but could heard the dragon scuffling nearby. His chest heaved in a mix of panic and adrenaline. Recalling the advice Aiba had given him about a dragon’s strongest senses being its hearing and smell, Jun removed his wand and muttered an incantation under his breath.
“Odorem dissimulo.” The dragon scraped its pointed talons across the stone, closing in on where Jun was hidden. Jun hastily covered his mouth with his hand in the hope that he would remain undetected. The searching snout of the vipertooth appeared in front of the crevice where he was, effectively trapping him between a rock wall and a venomous set of jaws. Jun held his breath, praying the spell had worked. The dragon tasted the air surrounding them for a few moments more before retreating to search elsewhere. A silent sigh of relief was released but Jun knew he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Without a scent to follow, the chances of the beast tracking him were decreased but it couldn’t stay hidden in the rocks forever. He needed to reach that egg and to do that he would need a distraction.
The dragon was not deaf, nor was it blind. Jun knew he would not be able to retrieve the egg without facing it again. He could only hope what he had planned would keep the beast occupied long enough to complete his task.
Sneaking a glance at where the dragon was located now, Jun clutched a nearby stone in his hand and tossed it just ahead of him. It clattered against the ground. As expected, the head of the vipertooth whipped around, its slitted eyes focused on the spot where the noise had sounded. Jun listened out for the movement of the winged creature, preparing himself when he heard it stalk across the arena until it was in front of him once more. With his jaw clenched Jun leapt out from the rocks and pointed his wand directly at the chest of the dragon.
“Stupefy” he shouted as he shot multiple jets from the end of his wand. The dragon roared and snarled at him, attempting to run at him but the attack soon began to take effect as its body succumbed to the stunning spell. Its legs lost strength and caved in under its own weight. Jun ducked into the crevice again when the dragon’s body fell towards him, only just avoiding being crushed by the collapsing form.
When the dust cleared, Jun crept out from the shelter of the rocks and stood before the cataleptic beast. He stared at it for a moment longer to ensure it was in fact unconscious before clambering over its wing to reach the egg. He could faintly hear the crowds cheering in the stands as he approached the golden object of his desire. While he was making his way to the egg, he was only vaguely aware of the cheers fading into near silence while a shadow rose up behind him. Jun spun around right when the vipertooth lunged at him. Pain seared through his shoulders as the dragon seized him in his talons and shot skywards. His fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the egg before he was carried away by the creature intent on leaving both it and the arena far behind them. Jun’s limp hanging body snagged alongside the dragon’s as the chain snared, but with a few powerful thrusts it shattered. Freed from its restrictive bonds, the vipertooth released a loud roar while its grip on Jun tightened. It soared through the skies towards the Hogwarts castle. The agonizing hold let up on his shoulders and Jun felt his body being tossed like a ragdoll towards the roof. He desperately clutched onto the crumbling tiling as he slid towards the impending drop. He caught onto the side of the castle structure, clinging to the roof for dear life. He could feel the blood dripping down his back and arms, tainted with the toxins that were already having an effect on him. His focus was dwindling, his mind caught in a sort of haze that made it difficult to think straight. It took all the concentration he could muster just to keep from letting go of the rooftop. His body felt like it had been set alight as the position of his arms stretched and strained the slashes across his shoulder blades. From the corner of his eye he could see the vipertooth hovering by the side of the building.
Jun struggled to heave himself up, using whatever strength he had to pull himself from the dangerous hanging point until he was sitting upon the structure. He rested his back against the roof that was now cleared of tiles from where he’d slid. Each quivering breath he took racked his chest. Sweat had formed on his brow in response to the poison coursing through his veins. He had to get back. If he wanted a chance at survival, he needed to find a way back to that arena.
His hand slipped, sending another couple of tiles plummeting. As they collided with the walls of the building, the vipertooth let out another growl. Jun heard the flapping of its wings, glancing at it from where he sat unmoving. He shut his eyes and allowed it to fly past, dropping down a little as it examined where the tiles had fallen.
At that moment Jun could only think of one way he was going to stand a chance of getting back to the arena. Cursing under his breath at how insane his idea was, he pushed off from the building and let himself fall. The dragon yowled when Jun landed upon its back, reaching its neck back to snap at him with its teeth. Jun pressed himself closer against the beast to avoid the fangs barely beyond the reach of his face while clutching to the ridge of its back. He threw the hand holding his wand behind him. Another screech sounded from the beast when the nonverbal stinging jinx collided with the base of its tail. It took off, Jun barely managing to hold on as he continued to fire flash after flash of the curse to direct the vipertooth back in the direction of the arena. They had almost made it when the dragon suddenly pulled up. Jun lost his grip on it and plummeted back towards the ground. Even as the dragon flew after him with jaws outstretched, Jun aimed his wand at throat of the beast.
“Reducto!” he yelled, watching in both relief and horror as the dragon’s jugular imploded in a fury of flaming blood and flesh. Jun almost got caught beneath the limp wing when the beast fell past him at a much greater speed. It smashed into the rocks upon landing, destroying a good section of the arena.
The ground was growing closer now. “Arresto momentum” he barely got the words out with his fading strength. His body slowed as he neared the ground, jolting harshly mere centimetres away from the rock before dropping completely. He struggled to his feet. With glazed eyes he scanned the arena, at first seeing nothing but the body of the dragon and blurred thousands in the stands. Then a glint of gold caught his eye. It was still sitting on the rocks in wait for him. Jun limped and stumbled his way over to it, reaching down to seized it in victory. He had barely raised it above his head in a show of triumph to the cheering crowds before the venom finally overruled his system. He felt his body collapse as his mind gave in to the encroaching darkness.
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no subject
Date: 2016-09-02 01:10 pm (UTC)Uh oh jun hang in there ok? Dammmmnnnn that fight tho... I dont usually swear but that was fucking epic I say. Somehow amazing or awesome would be an understatement. That there was a truly glorious fight uggggghhhhh the gore at the end.. I LOVE IT!!! (soz a bit creepy lol) but uh oh jun.. hang in there plssss
He's too godly though geee... probs strongest champ ever. Nino is soo gonna rage tho, he probs will scold jun to hell and back.
BUT OMG THAT MATSUMIYA CRUSH HUG AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH (wishing you'd somehow make an edit out of it XD) FK U REPORTER! UGH and thank you sakamoto n yuko :3 but ngggaaaawwwwwwww I just LOVE THAT MOMENT!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥
no subject
Date: 2016-09-02 09:39 pm (UTC)Uh oh jun hang in there ok? Dammmmnnnn that fight tho... I dont usually swear but that was fucking epic I say. Somehow amazing or awesome would be an understatement. That there was a truly glorious fight uggggghhhhh the gore at the end.. I LOVE IT!!! (soz a bit creepy lol) but uh oh jun.. hang in there plssss
He's too godly though geee... probs strongest champ ever. Nino is soo gonna rage tho, he probs will scold jun to hell and back.
BUT OMG THAT MATSUMIYA CRUSH HUG AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH (wishing you'd somehow make an edit out of it XD) FK U REPORTER! UGH and thank you sakamoto n yuko :3 but ngggaaaawwwwwwww I just LOVE THAT MOMENT!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥
no subject
Date: 2016-09-03 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-09-03 03:34 am (UTC)I CANT STOP STARING >///////< CHOU KAWAAAAIIIIIIII TT____TT </333