Beyond the daylight
Into the stars
We rest awaiting
These friends of ours
That will come to try
And break the bars
Of ground enchainment
To steal rewards
But not so easy
It will be
For no one passes
Without a fee
Come unprepared
And you will see
The gifts we offer
Are never free
Once she had returned to school, Melody was surprised to find her room laden with textbooks. She had only mentioned the clue to her father and he had in turn sent for every text on nighttime creatures in print. Now, settled in her sitting room, she was paging through each book in search of a solutions.
So far she had determined the biggest obstacle. “Into the stars” was a blatant sign that the task would involve space travel, a very new, tricky skill rocking the wizarding world. Due to her ample amounts of free time over the summer, she had read up a great deal on the practice and though confident that she understood it, she was greatly concerned over the many instances of fatal mistakes.
Space travel aside, she was still lost as to what may be awaiting her beyond the atmosphere. Space creatures were a very new study for wizardry so text was limited. Most of the creatures she may come across were said to be barely conscious and would pose no threat. She knew she had to keep looking for something that would put up a fight.
Only days before the test, Melody came across what she assumed would be her most likely opponent. “Luce Stellare” were devilish star creatures that posed as shooting stars until they came across foreign objects in space at which point they transform into rock-like creatures and pose a test. The victim is given three choices as what to be tested on “ beauty, brawn or brilliance. If they pass, they are given a remarkable gift. If they fail, they are brutally attacked by the beasts.
The roar of the second task filled the air the morning of the anticipated event. Melody had spent the night entering space and returning to Earth to meet a terrible exhaustion that consumed her through breakfast.
Once she had finally surfaced from her room, she dressed in her tournament clothes and with a spin arrived at the task site. There were a meager number of students but the entire fleet of tournament officials, the school heads, and champions. Harry stood off to the side listing off something to himself before he noticed Melody pulling her wand from her jacket.
He slowly pulled himself together enough to approach her.
“You figured out the clue, then?” he asked half teasing, half concerned.
“I did,” she replied haughtily, “You?”
“Luce Stellare. I assume you are going to play the beauty card.”
Melody was still brooding over their last encounter, so this stab at her vanity was not welcome.
“Not this time, Harry. I think it’s getting a little worn out.”
She turned her back to him to hide the emotion welling up in her face, and listened to his breathing for a moment as he took a step closer only to back away and retreat to the side of the pitch.
Melody’s sight was filled with the masses of students cheering for her and the other champions. Positioned in the center of the ring, the champions were awaiting the signal to begin the second task. Three sets of eyes nervously watched a small wand raised above a judge’s head to initiate the event. The instant the anticipated blue spark shot into the air, Melody was at work preparing herself to enter space.
She began by performing the spell to create an invisible shell around her to protect from the heat of leaving and later entering the atmosphere. Then she leaped from the ground with her wand pointed down as a rocket.
Her mind was set on the prize, nothing else. The world faded away as she reached the outer atmosphere. With a great deal of concentration, she entered the vacuum of space and hovered for a moment as she searched the sky around her for her nemesis. Weightlessness slowed her movements, but even the slowest swipe of her arm alerted the Luce Stellare of her presence.
In an instant what appeared to be a shooting star began to hurl directly at her. She made to drive out of the way, but couldn’t move fast enough. The burst of light was only inches away as it turned to circle her three times before revealing the small monster.
Like the textbook had said, it looked like a large bat covered in rock. Two white eyes were illuminated in the center of what looked like a head. The creature hissed as it continued to hover in front of Melody.
The other champions were no where in sight as Melody had a stare down with this Luce Stellare. The tense moment lasted only a little longer before the creature began its speech.
“Three options are all you have. No other given and no other necessary if you are an apt witch. Your first option lies in the eye of the beholder. A test of beauty lies with Shrill…” the monster claimed just a second shot through the air to take its place behind the first, “If you have the strength you may also choose brawn. But don’t let the size of Hexis soothe you, for within his small frame lies the death of many past challengers.”
Another shooting star revealed another Luce Stellare. Accurately described as small, Hexis shook with rage as he too took his place.
“Your final choice relies on your true brilliance. Knowledge is all that can save you from the wrath of our kind under this option. Howrid will examine your intelligence and be satisfied if you wish to return to your hollowed Earth.”
With the conclusion of his speech, the first Luce Stellare, Howrid, took his place as third in line. The three rock creatures hovered in a straight line before Melody.
She was determined to win this the right way, so she moved closer to Howrid. Upon her approach, Howrid moved away.
“Madamoiselle, you must be mistaken. Howrid is the Luce Stellare of brilliance. You must mean to be tested by Shrill of Beauty, for that test you are sure to pass.”
Melody was taken aback by the creatures comment, but only stepped closer.
“I wish to be tested by Howrid of Brilliance.”
With that Shrill of Beauty and Hexis of Brawn took their leave as bursts of light into space.
“Howrid of Brilliance will not go easy on you just because of your faulty selection in tests. So let us begin…”
The remaining Luce Stellare continued to ask a number of difficult questions all of which Melody answered carefully and correctly. The final question answered correctly, Howrid of Brilliance burst into a million beams of light and was gone. All that remained was a small, golden scroll which Melody unrolled and read.
…As reward for your completion of the Luce Stellare’s test, you are bestowed a gift. This scroll is only the proof of your victory, but with you will go a lasting present. From now on you are given the ability to survive the environment of space without the concern of spells and incantations. You are forever a welcome star among the Luce Stellare…
Immediately, Melody rolled up the scroll and wrapped it tightly around her wand. Remembering the race to finish first, she quickly moved to return to Earth.
As her feet touched the ground to a mass of cheering, she enthusiastically turned in hopes of being the first to return. Her excitement faded as she spotted Harry standing on a hovering disk announcing him the winner.