437 The Start of The End (Part 2)

Chris had never seen Maligno this angry and this strong at the same time. Her vision got darker as Malgino's grip on her throat tightened and she tried to pry his fingers off of her throat. Chris even tried to kick him but her feet were dangling far up the ground. His grip just got tighter and Chris was sure he was using magic to hold her in place as the strength slowly started to leave her body. 

"Answer me, spoilt girl, how do you know about him?" Maligno repeated gritting his teeth as if he had to pull out every word from his mouth with great difficulty. "Nobody knows what happened. How do you know?"

Maybe Chris wanted to catch Maligno off guard, or she didn't want to seem weak in front of him or maybe she was completely losing her mind at this point, but for whatever reason she started to laugh. Very loudly.

"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out Maligno," Chris spoke hoarsely between laughing. "I'm surprised you haven't recognized the power inside me."

Maligno's eyes widened and the shock loosened his grip. Taking advantage of the situation, Chris grabbed Maligno's hand and used the fire spell to burn his hand. Maligno abruptly released her and she dropped to the ground. Chris rubbed her throat and started coughing as Maligno stared at her. 

"No . . . That's impossible." Maligno's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Many thought your . . . existence was impossible as well," Chris spoke in between her coughs. "But you are here . . . and you are just a muggle-born. . . while he was the son of a . . . powerful royal Vampire and . . . one of the greatest wizards of their time . . . is there really something impossible for him?"

"You -- He --" Maligno stumbled over his words and Chris noticed her surroundings dimming and getting distorted, meaning he was losing control over his magic. He was completely distracted.

Now Chris just needed to concentrate and break out of this place. But in order to find a way out of here, Chris needed Malgino to be distracted for a while.

"He was alive, Maligno," Chris started speaking without thinking too critically. There was only one thing that could make Maligno lose control. "Fergus was alive. In fact, he still is in a way. He was still there where you left him. You just never went back. You just abandoned him, didn't you, Maligno? At least I tried to be a better friend than that."

Maligno glared at her before trying to look unfazed but Chris could see her words had cut him deeper than he wanted to.

"Would you look at that, you are getting good at playing mind games," Maligno gave a thin smile which looked extremely forceful. "But don't forget where you learned it from. No matter how good you get you can't beat the teacher."

"You think I am lying?" It was Chris who laughed this time. "So do you really believe that a muggle-born girl like me - no, the daughter of a squib and a muggle could --" 

"Christina Norton."

Chris abruptly stopped as a voice called her name all of a sudden. It wasn't Maligno's voice. She looked at Maligno but he seemed lost in his own thoughts and Chris guessed he didn't hear the voice either. 

"Christina Norton, listen to me carefully," the vaguely familiar voice spoke to her directly, and Chris realized it was the same voice she had heard before she fell into this illusion. The voice spoke again. "This is the time Christina Norton, you can break free from this. Use your magic and follow my voice."

Chris was about to ask who it was when Maligno turned to her.

"No, that's just -- I always thought the founders gave you the powers. Something in Helga Hufflepuff's blood carried on the powers and skipped your mother to make true of the prophecy. But Fergus couldn't be --" As Maligno spoke, Chris realized for the first time there was doubt in his eyes. He was almost talking to himself.

But there was no time to ponder over it, Chris needed to get out of there as soon as possible and even though she didn't know whose voice it was, she decided to follow its advice.

Chris tuned out Maligno and focused on getting out of the illusion, she imagined the illusion like a dome and her powers breaking through, and sure enough, the dome started to crack.

And then a sound started to get closer to Chris. Not a voice but the sound of hooves running towards her. Chris snapped her eyes open and looked around and this time so did Maligno. He seemed to snap out of his thoughts as well but it was too late. A man on a horse came into view as he was running towards Chris at full speed. No, not a man on a horse -- a centaur. 

A big tall wild-looking black-haired and black-bodied Centaur rode towards Chris and held out his hand. Chris slightly glanced at Maligno, who looked surprised as well but raised his hands probably to do some sort of magic, but Chris didn't wait. She ran towards the Centaur and caught his hand and the Centaur lifted her off the ground.

Then everything went black.

***

Chris felt like she was emerging from deep water as she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, only to realize Oziyat was supporting her to stay upright as a worried Rosaline hovered over her. Confused Chris looked around and saw she was still holding onto the black centaur but she was back where she was before entering Maligno's illusion.

"Are you alright, Christina?" Oziyat asked as he and the centaur helped her stand up.

"Yes, but what happened?" Chris asked straightening up and stepping back to look at the tall centaur in front of her. Now that she got a good look at him, she realized she had met this particular centaur years ago in the forbidden forest. He was the one who once told her -- "Wait! You are the centaur who asked me to leave Hogwarts but the stars told you I wouldn't give up . . ."

"The stars never lie, Christina Norton, as I have said you still haven't given up, have you?" the Centaur spoke impassively.

Well, not yet, Chris thought remembering the stuff Maligno told her. But this wasn't the time to be lost in thoughts, so she turned to Rosaline, who answered what Chris wanted to know.

"You suddenly fainted when the centaur came to talk to us and tell us something about Maligno. After you fainted, we tried to wake you up but nothing worked."

"Since the vampires have arrived, they were blocking all telepathic connection coming towards you from Maligno's side but once you fell into his mind control, getting you out of it was difficult. That is why I had to step in," the centaur explained. 

"So what happened there?" Rosaline asked Chris.

"Did you hurt you?" Oziyat spoke next. "Do not worry, we are very close to breaking do--"

"Before you continue," the centaur interrupted Oziyat. "I would like to talk to Christina Norton about the purpose I arrived." 

The Centaur looked at Chris and she immediately nodded. As much as she wanted to tell Rosaline and Oziyat what Maligno told her and how the vampires unwillingly helped Maligno, she knew how Centaur never got involved in wizard matters and if a Centaur went out of his way to save Chris, she needed to listen to him.

"Just a moment, Rosaline, Oziyat," Chris said quickly before following the centaur away from the vampire crowd.

"The vampires will be able to hear us if we are not far enough," the centaur answered Chris's unasked question as he led Chris farther and farther away until they were almost at the edge of the forest. The centaur turned to Chris when they finally stopped and proudly faced her. "Christina Norton, I am Bane and I hope you know we centaurs are not fond of wizards, and we do not interfere with the destiny of humans regardless of their powers."

"But?" Chris asked calmly even though her mind was in chaos. Every word of Maligno was still ringing in her ears. Was he really going to win?

"But he -- He is threatening our home and you already know what he has planned, don't you?"

Chris blinked at Bane, the centaur's words.

He knew.

"You know about his plan. The runes." Chris whispered. There was a tiny hope blooming in her chest.

"Of course, the stars changed their course so suddenly," Bane spoke looking at the night sky. "The Saturn got so close."

"So . . . what does it mean?" Chris asked when Bane got quiet. "Sorry to do this, but you know we cannot waste any time, if you know something and help me --"

"You are right, you are running out of time. The sunrise is in an hour and you still haven't found the place that the keys unlock. Vampires can't help you once they attack again, Christina Norton."

"You know where the place is," Chris's eyes widened as the realization sank in. Centaurs knew almost everything. Her voice took a frenzied tone. "Please tell me where it is. I need to stop Maligno before it's too late!"

"The mirror reflects the soul of the warrior,

Only for the calm minds but not the minds that stir.

The memories of deep can be hidden so fine,

Yet can be found as the stars do not lie." 

Bane finished his riddle nonchalantly as Chris stared at him and without any further explanation he turned away. But as he walked away he spoke again,

"We are on your side, Christina Norton. The centaurs will join the fight once the sun rises but we hope you end this before then. Good luck."

". . . Wait - what?" Chris almost screamed in frustration. "You just said I didn't have much time and now you give me a riddle?!"

But Bane was already gone.

[To be continued]