Waking up the next morning, Regulus found himself hugging Hestia.
He noticed that she was sleeping soundly, completely still. He moved carefully, disentangling himself before she woke up to avoid making the situation awkward. He remembered the time she had been ready to feed poisonous insects to Charlus, and his mouth twitched. He wasn't eager to find out what she would do to him if she woke up in an embrace.
He extended his senses. The magical signature of the Chimaera had vanished.
He gently shook Hestia awake. She jolted up, looking around in confusion. She had slept so deeply that she had momentarily forgotten the events of yesterday, thinking she was safe in the main cave. Then, the memories flashed back one by one, and she realised her situation.
She looked at Regulus.
"It is daytime," she said, her voice raspy with sleep. "We have to move. Charlus and Emma must be worried about us. If we don't return early, they might inform the school, and we will be disqualified."
Hestia's expression turned serious. They climbed out of the hole they had been hiding in.
Regulus looked back at the entrance from a distance, memorising the location to explore later. He looked in the direction of the Chimaera's cave, though it was out of sight. He silently vowed to remember this experience and come back to repay the debt to the beast when he was stronger.
They moved quickly towards their base. Hestia was not in the mood to collect poisonous insects or search for Nettle plants today. They sprinted through the forest, reaching the base in about two hours.
When they entered the safety of the Fidelius charm, Regulus found Charlus and Emma packing their things. The only item left untouched was the poisonous insect jar; no one dared handle it or even go near it except Hestia.
Emma, who was stuffing clothes into a bag, dropped everything and ran to Hestia, pulling her into a tight hug. She looked exhausted, clearly having not slept a wink in peace.
Charlus looked at Regulus, his eyes shining with relief. He stepped forward with open arms.
"I am not going to hug you, buddy," Regulus said, stepping sideways and leaving Charlus hugging the empty air.
After the initial relief and jokes had settled, Charlus asked Regulus about their whereabouts.
Regulus recounted the events to Emma and Charlus. Emma was still hugging Hestia, and a tear leaked from her eye as she heard about the Chimaera and the near-death escape.
Charlus became serious for a second. "It is good you guys escaped. Emma has been sleepless all night."
"You were the one who was sleepless!" Emma ruthlessly exposed him. "You woke me up every half an hour to ask if they had come back yet. Now you are blaming me?"
Charlus, having been exposed, tried to deviate from the topic as if he hadn't heard her.
"Ahem. We think we found suitable terrain for the Glumbumble nest yesterday. Unfortunately, we had no time to explore it. You guys stay and rest today. We will all go and explore tomorrow when you are ready."
Regulus, who had slept soundly in the bunker, felt ready now. However, Hestia, who had slept poorly due to the cold and fear, looked awful. So, he agreed to rest today and explore tomorrow. They still had plenty of time before the task deadline.
…
Mr Morrow POV
Mr Morrow, perched high upon a branch, looked at the scene below and sighed a breath of relief.
On one hand, he simply wanted his students to be safe. On the other, he did not want to see Regulus fail the trial. This exam would open the way to different wizarding communities, expanding his horizons beyond the insular British society. Morrow knew the significance of this opportunity.
Regulus and Hestia went inside the cave to rest, while Charlus and Emma started unpacking the things they had prepared to leave with.
By evening, everything had returned to normal. Charlus and Emma were bickering about dinner, Hestia was tending to her poisonous insect jar, and Regulus was meditating inside the cave.
Mr Morrow observed them closely, not daring to move from his surveillance spot. He did not want another situation like the Chimaera incident to happen. Honestly, he was impressed by their luck in escaping the beast.
He wondered why a creature that usually resided in the deepest depths of the forest had surfaced here.
He picked a leaf from a nearby branch, whispered a message into it, and threw it into the air.
"Papilio Nuntius."
The leaf flapped its edges like butterfly wings and flew off in the direction of the school. He had to inform the Headmistress about the Chimaera situation so they could send appropriate measures to drive the beast back to its territory.
He looked down to see the peaceful atmosphere in the cave.
Instinctively, he swished his wand. A giant snake, which had been concealed in the branches above him, creeping closer for a strike, was instantly electrocuted and fell from the tree with a thud.
…
The Next Morning
Regulus and Hestia had been sleeping between Charlus and Emma—mind you, with a respectable distance between them, not huddled together like in the bunker.
They woke up refreshed and prepared for the day's exploration.
They packed a small amount of food, enough to last for two days. They practised spell casting and Apparition drills early in the morning and started their journey after breakfast at 8:00 AM.
Moving in the Eastern direction, they reached the place where Emma and Charlus had fought the Fire Crab. This time, there was no movement from magical creatures.
Normal animals generally avoided humans, but magical creatures were different—they would detect the magical strength of a group and assess whether they could take them down. It was instinct. Some smaller magical creatures perceived the threat level of four young wizards and scattered away from the path.
Regulus, fresh from his bad experience with the Chimaera, was more alert than ever. He actively navigated them around magical signatures that posed a significant threat.
Finally, before noon, they reached the edge of the swampy area.
"Remember to take sticks and poke the ground before you land your step," Emma warned. "Swampy places have hidden bogs that will swallow you before you know it."
Hestia nodded. She pointed her wand at four sturdy branches lying on the ground. With a precise wave, she transfigured them into smooth, polished walking staffs. Everyone took one.
"You are really good with Transfiguration, Hestia," Regulus complimented.
Hestia nodded without a verbal reaction, but her face turned a light shade of pink, especially around the cheeks. Surely, any girl would be happy to be complimented on her skills—Hestia was no different.
Regulus did not notice the blush and took the lead.
They formed their tactical formation: Regulus in the front, Charlus at the back, with Emma and Hestia in the middle covering the left and right flanks. Regulus poked the stick in front of him, confirming solid land before every step.
They moved a few metres and found the terrain turning muddy. In the boggy region, mangrove plants started to appear.
Dominating the landscape was a huge mangrove tree in the middle of the swamp. It stood tall, hundreds of metres away, its canopy almost covering the entire swamp and overshadowing the smaller trees beneath it.
Even from a distance, it was massive. The four of them stood and admired its majestic appearance before moving forward carefully.
They stepped into the mud. With a poke to confirm solidity, they advanced.
A few steps deeper, Regulus poked his stick, and it sank deep with almost no resistance. He did not find solid ground. He turned left and poked again—solid. He made his move. The group followed in his footsteps, reaching the edge of a deep-water channel.
The dark water looked too dangerous to step into. They needed to stay dry.
Regulus threw his transfigured walking stick into the air. He slashed his wand at the spinning wood.
In mid-air, the stick warped and expanded. It hit the water with a splash as a sturdy, wooden boat.
It bobbed on the surface, staying afloat perfectly.
Hestia looked at the smooth transfiguration, visibly impressed with his skills. Emma, too, was surprised by his transfiguration ability. Charlus, who already knew Regulus's proficiency, just grinned, not reacting much.
They climbed into the boat and began paddling towards the centre of the swamp, where the giant tree stood waiting