章節 23: Reunion
As the group of wizards and witches was exiting the complex of winding tunnels, they finally reached the outside world once again. The sight that greeted them was not one that they expected, nor wanted.
Waiting for them was a group of figures wearing masks. Lying near them were the two men left to guard the entrance.
"Well this isn't a good spot to be in, isn't it sir," the man carrying Corrin chimed in.
"They have an anti-apparation ward set up and they have our brooms… everyone back inside, now!" The wizard leader barked.
With that, chaos ensued as spells were launched in all directions. The wizards all scrambled to try to get inside, while the masked group advanced towards them, trying to stop them. A few had fallen on each side, but the wizards were finally apply to get inside again.
"Damn cultists, why are they even here?" One man asked.
"This was probably one of their operations… someone must have escaped our initial assault," the leader responded. "Let's keep moving, it won't be long before they bust open that door."
As they ventured back into the tunnels, they eventually wound up back at the hall of cells. A stench permeated through the air, reminiscent of a lavatory on steroids.
"The message was sent, right?" The leader asked.
"We sent an precautionary owl as soon as we arrived, but it coulda been intercepted by the cultists and we weren't able to send out the confirmation owl."
"Well then, all we can do is hope and survive long enough for someone to check in on us."
As the group moved along the tunnels, Corrin began to show signs of regaining consciousness. He squirmed as he tried to escape before fully waking up. When his eyes opened, he realized that the people around him were showing their faces.
"Who are you people?" Corrin asked weakly.
"It makes sense you can't recognize us after so long. We're Aurors with your father, here to rescue you," the leader of the Aurors said softly.
"Aurors?"
A sudden flood of repressed memories rushed to the forefront of Corrin's mind. He had long forgotten all but the barest details of his life prior to his abduction. Hearing the word he once depended on triggered those lost memories. He used to imagine his father leading a great army of Aurors and rescuing him.
That was forever ago to Corrin. After waiting and waiting for days and weeks and months, he eventually couldn't remember what he had been waiting for in the first place.
"H-how long has it been. How long did you take to find me?" Corrin looked as if he was on the edge of a mental breakdown.
"We're sorry, Corrin. We truly are so sorry."
"Who's Corrin?"
"Huh? It's fine if you don't remember us, but are you serious?" The Auror in charge asked with visible confusion.
"They called me Thirteen," Corrin responded hesitantly, "is that not my name?"
The group of Aurors began tearing up. Just what had these poor children suffered through all these years?
"Your name is Corrin Laplaus. You are 11 years old, and your family misses you very much. In fact, your father is probably on his way right now," one of the Aurors told Corrin.
At that time, the sound of a giant metal door getting blasted off its hinges echoed throughout the tunnel. Hurried footsteps grew louder as they drew closer, and all of the Aurors formed a defensive formation focusing on the rear and drew their wands. Corrin was shakily running on his own, yet the other child was still unconscious.
Upon further inspection, the child seemed to be a girl. Her veins were easily seen, and if one looked closer they might be able to see organs further away from the surface. Her hair was a very dark brown, almost to the point where it could be considered to be black. It was long and unkept, just like Corrin's except longer.
The group traveled as quickly as they could, winding through the different twists and turns. Right, left, another left and then a right, trying to get as far as possible from their pursuers. Because they had no clue where they were actually going, they eventually ended up at a dead end. The tunnel ahead head caved in, and there was no way through the rubble.
The Aurors dispaired, yet quickly began making preparations to make a final stand. They levitated different rocks around to make barricades and formations, quickly transforming the tunnel into a makeshift fortress. Taking up their positions, they could only wait to be found.
With each passing minute, the atmosphere got more and more tense, weighing down on everyone present. They were startled by a few small coughs, the source of them being the girl who had just woken up. She opened her mouth to speak but words didn't come out.
"Maybe she needs water?" One of the Aurors suggested. He quickly transfigured a stone into a cup and filled it with water. Handing it to the girl she hurriedly gulped it down and held the cup out, obviously asking for more.
After a few more small cups, she looked satisfied. She opened her mouth to talk again, and look confused as to why words weren't coming out. She began writing on the floor.
'Where is my voice?' was her first message. After finishing the question mark, she looked up and stared at everyone, looking like a little lost puppy.
"It seems that your vocal cords have been removed… just who would do something like that!" One of the Aurors, a healing specialist, said.
'Who are you people?' was the next thing she wrote. When her eyes met with Corrin's, they stayed locked on him.
"We're Aurors who are here to save you, but it looks like we're going to be the ones in need of saving soon," another Auror answered.
As if he had summoned them with his words, a small group of cultists appeared from around the corner.
One of them managed to yell "They're over here!" before all of them were blasted by a barrage of various spells.
"Alright, we need to last as long as possible and protect the children at all costs, everyone, get ready for the fight of our lives!"
More cultists appeared and were ruthless enough to use the bodies of their fallen comrades as shields, slowly encroaching on the Auror's encampment. Although the losses were heavy on the cultists' side, the Aurors weren't getting off scotch free either. After being struck by green flashes, some fell to the ground, lifeless.
Corrin and the girl watched in fear as the cultists got closer and closer. They instinctively bunched closer together, trying to make themselves as small as possible.
The Auror closest to them got blasted by a spell and fell, his wand rolling towards the two. Corrin quickly grabbed it, and a sudden force rushed through his body, making him feel stronger and energized. He watched the Aurors cast their spells and tried mimicking their wrist movement down. After getting the wrist flick of one spell down, he stood up and shouted "Confringo".
A bright orange flame spewed out of the tip of the wand, like a dragon unleashing it's fiery breath. The Aurors quickly jumped out of the way, but the cultists were not as lucky. They were consumed by a wave of flames, screaming out in pain.
The Aurors looked at Corrin in shock as the flames continued forward, only stopping after the rest of the hallway had turned to ash. Different runes were lit up all over his body, gradually fading away after he stopped. When the last rune faded, blood poured out of his mouth and nose. The healer quickly stabilized his condition and stopped the bleeding, but Corrin was unconscious again.
"That power… how does a child have that much power?"
"It must be the runes, right? That's why he was hit by the afteraffects when they faded?"
As they discussed what just happened, more footsteps approached. The Aurors all steeled themselves for battle once again, but instead of cultists, it was their reinforcements!
"Did you find my son?" A slightly disheveled Arthur asked with a little hope in his voice.
"Yes, but there's something you need to know… he just incinerated a bunch of people with a single spell. We think he might have been experimented on and his capabilities modified."
"I don't care… as long as he's my son and he's alright, I can deal with anything else."
Arthur rushed over to his son with tears in his eyes. 'I've finally found you, my son' he celebrated in his heart.
Corrin began to stir, and when he opened his eyes he saw something he couldn't believe.
"Dad, is that you? Are you visiting my dreams again?" Corrin asked wistfully.
"No, my son, I'm finally here. I took too long, and you've been paying the price for my incompetence. Everyone's been missing you, waiting for you to come back. Imagine how excited they'll be when you arrive home," Arthur could barely speak without crying.
"O-okay. Maybe in this dream I'll get to make cookies again," Corrin imagined with a smile before slipping back into unconsciousness.
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