Adalrik winced as he shifted positions. Pain had shot up his back in two lines, throbbing at every movement. Even though it had been a few days since the beast in the last task had struck him the lingering pain was only now fading. His body was still bruised where he had been slammed into the solid ice floor, bright green and purple blotches covering much of his chest and side. The worst, though, was the ragged wounds spreading straight down his back. Two parallel lines left ridges of flesh from his shoulders down to his lower back that were still red and inflamed. Each time he stretched the skin of his back as he moved the lines screamed in pain. Adalrik was forced to grind his teeth together and ball his fists just to keep from gasping out.
Of course it wasn't as bad as it could have been. After he had materialized back in the Hogwart's grounds, tightly clutching his objective, he had been rushed to the hospital wing. There a group of nurses had done their best to tend to his bleeding wounds. They carefully closed his flesh up and applied some potion to add in healing but there wasn't much else to be done. Time was the only thing that would heal, they had said. Well Adalrik didn't have the time they wanted. He was not going to sit in a bed and rest while his body slowly fixed itself. He would not subject himself to that. Hardly heeding their words he had left the hospital wing and went about his time as usual.
Now, as he sat far out in the outskirts of the grounds Adarlik wished far back in his mind that he had listened a little better. At this rate his wounds might impede his performance in the upcoming task. That would be unacceptable. Nothing was going to get in his way.
As he thought of the next task Adalrik reached into the bag sitting on the ground beside him. He pulled out the gold and silver egg looking thing he had received in the previous task. This was the stupid thing he had to go through so much pain to get. It was hideous, really. Too glittery and noticeable. It should have been melted down into something more useful. He turned it around in his hands, feeling its sides and smooth metal surfaces. Why had they let him keep it? The only reason he could think was that maybe it had something to do with his next challenge. Adalrik shook it, brought it closer to his eyes, tapped his fingers on it...all the while waiting for some reaction or for his fingers to catch on a latch or button.
Home 
