genessia | [Closed]

Albus is nothing if not prompt, at least when it matters. The Patronus had only barely reached him and delivered his message before he was off, wand in tow, his mind racing.

It was good that they were doing this. He knew all too well that they needed to act, that Li's curse would not wait on them forever. And the dull headache thudding in his skull had not gone away -- the docks were still gently pushing him to go, to seek them out, but he would hold away from them as long as he could.

Still, better to take care of the curse right away, in case he was no longer left with the choice to stay.

When he Apparates, he hears Gellert's greeting and wears a wry smile. "You seem to be in good spirits for this."

Li had been napping when she heard the knock on her walls. It was winter time, the more time she spent somewhere warm, the better unless she was in the water. But, when she heard Gellert's voice, soon followed by Albus's, she was pulling herself out of bed and shaking off the last remains of sleep to trudge towards the entrance.

Li looked well, tired. Very tired and weary but, happy to see the both of them once the last part of what Gellert said registered with her.

Time to be free. She perked up a little more, looking guardedly hopeful and wary at the same time. "You sure this is going to work? What if something goes wrong?"

"Someone should be." Gellert shoots Albus a grin before pulling Li into a gentle embrace, "I don't want to hear any upsetting questions from you. This should be painless - for you - and then Albus is going to Apparate you to the water for some fun."

Because she deserves it and because he doesn't want her to see him struggling. She is the sort that would want to intervene and suffer in his stead and he refuses to let her be a hero. In the end, it would just make her suffer more and Merlin knows he deserves a little pain. Okay, a lot.

Albus' expression is relatively blank, neither matching Gellert's exuberance nor Li's wariness. In truth, he is worried about this and how well it will go, yet he will not show that, especially not when this is their best shot of fixing things -- his own hesitance will not help anything, only his participation.

At Gellert's remarks, he nods at Li and says, "I'll make sure that as soon as the transfer is done that you'll be all right. As well as watching out for any little quirks that crop up while the transfer is underway."

Li leaned into the embrace despite still being more than a bit weary of this entire thing. Where she knew he would try to make it painless for her, Li was well aware of what the hell the curse was doing to her.

"Yeah, and you'll be suffering instead." She glared up at him. Obviously, she wasn't thrilled about that part and Gellert was right, Li was the kind of mare that would try and intervene to stop someone she liked suffering. However.. this might be her only solution to get rid of this fucking thing."Just both of you be careful. If it seems like he's bitten off more than he can handle, give me the curse back. I hate it, but, I've been dealing with it a lot longer."

Gellert fishes out the Elder wand and holds it out to Albus. He keeps one arm around Lithium, tutting at her conclusion. It's absolutely right, of course, but he doesn't want her focusing on that.

"Think of the water, sweetheart." he pulls out a vial of blue potion and uncorks it with his teeth, "Drink this - all in one go - and..." he shifts to stand before her, holding onto her shoulders, "Et nunc absolvo vos, Lithium. Quid detur tibi et iniquitatem meam non delebitur." now he smiles and speaks clearly, "Libertas!"

A spell - the same blue as the potion will spark from his fingertips, entering her skin.

It's almost funny how he can simply take the Elder Wand in hand -- the Elder Wand, the item they spent so much time obsessing over, one of the greatest magical items of their world -- and he barely has the energy to focus on it. Even as its power hums in him, thrumming through his hand and up his arm, he can't afford to focus on it.

Still, he appreciates Gellert giving it to him all the same.

As the spell takes hold he keeps watch carefully, eyes focused intently on the both of them and the Elder Wand at the ready. While the blue sparks sink into Li's skin, he is on guard, ready to act.

Li watches him hand over his wand and almost asks how he's going to pull of this spell when he pulls out the bottle. She hesitates for a moment before nodding. She trusts both of them completely. At this point, she just had to as she tossed back the potion and shuddered as Gellert uttered the spell.

She felt the jolt of sparks race through her skin, igniting a path to her very core that stole her breath away for a few moments. Think off the water.. of her true form! She can feel the pain of the curse fighting against being relocated and trying to hang on to her. Though it was quickly loosing its grip as the spell overwhelmed the curse and shifted it to Gellert.

Li was panting slightly as her sun bleached hair started to darken, becoming the black it had been when she was a siren and lengthening slightly. She shook her head, feeling more herself than she had in a very long time.

As soon as she was positive the spell and potion did what it was supposed to, she broke away from them and raced outside the entrance and into the open space outside her cavern and her form just...shifted.

Standing outside the cave was a pure black mare with a dripping mane and tail. She looked like a typical horse.. except, Lithium looked starved and weak. But, despite that, she looked thrilled to be a true kelpie again and was approaching them eagerly with a soft nicker and nudge of her nose.

As for what Gellert got..he'd be feeling the Curse's unending weight trying to force the feeling of guilt and remorse for past crimes. It was coaxing, unending madness that was slowly eating at one's sense of self. The first lock was easy, the second a little trickier.

But the third lock of the curse was meant to drive someone insane. Li's defense against the curse had been her anger, pride and her grief. It wasn't part of the curse itself.

Guilt is new to him and when it descends on him with such tenacity, he is physically staggered. He pushes himself backwards and leans his back against the cave's wall, golden hair falling into his eyes. But he does see her shift and it's the sight he has wanted to see for months.

"Albus...take her." his voice is hoarse and strained, but his hands are steady as he reaches for a second potion vial. This concoction is the color of dragon's blood and he uncorks it hastily before downing the brew. The dragon's Magic will be added to his own - another force to battle the curse - and that seems like a fine idea.

Except dragon blood really shouldn't be swallowed by a man. Gellert turns away from them, finds a place to hide further in the cave and shakes, willing himself not to throw up. It has to have time to work. Unfortunately the guilt alone is making him feel nauseous.

Poor Lithium. His respect for her has tripled - no quadrupled - and his hatred for the creator of the curse has deepened. If he sees them, they will die horrendously.

Albus moves quickly. Seeing Gellert pained worries at him, but he knows he is strong enough to handle it for a moment while Albus takes care of Li. With the Elder Wand in hand, he smiles slightly, running his hand over her nose while flicking the wand all at once, Apparating them away.

And when they reappear, they are above the middle of Lake Bellaheim, far out enough that the water will be deep enough for a kelpie to swim in. Albus casts two spells in quick succession -- one that keeps him above the water, floating an inch or two above its surface, while the other lets Li into the lake with a gentle push.

Li nudges her nose against Albus's hand while her ears flicker forward at the sound of Gellert's voice. She whinnied softly and nearly pushed past Albus to him when the wand flickered out of the corner of her vision.

The next thing Lithium knew, she was over a lake and Albus was casting spells. There was a gentle push and Li was diving into the water, taking to it quickly as her form shifted into something more capable in the water. She allowed herself to sink for a few moments, twisting and swimming quickly around before breaking water and looking happier than she's been since she was a siren, maybe even happier as she enjoyed her true form for the first time in a very long time.

He closes his eyes and buries himself deep in his mind. Occlumency is useful and distracting, which is precisely what he needs at the moment. The barriers around his mind are stronger than steel; he has built himself a fortress to keep his secrets and his regrets. For now, this is where he resides.

Albus might want to look away. Gellert has arranged for a few...guests...to join Lithium while she swims. They are men - though they look questionable of nature (if not downright suspicious) - and they wait for her as if given specific orders.

Or the Imperius Curse. Either or. She has to eat and he promised her a meal when she was free.

Edited 2018-12-08 02:09 (UTC)

The look on Albus' face can be expressed very succintly as 'Are you actually fucking kidding me, Gellert'.

So the next spell he casts is a shield, a barrier that wraps around him and Li, like an orb over the surface of the water, keeping out anyone that might intrude. He'd meant to mostly be watching Li swim to make sure she was all right, but now his attention was split, keeping an eye on the men drawing nearer.

He does smile at Li swimming so happily, though. "Good to see you back in your element," he says, before pulling open an enchanted bag. Albus did prepare as well, though he had gotten artificial meat from Torchwood, and copious amounts of it -- which he dumps into the water in one fell swoop, staining the water pink as it sinks under the surface.

It didn't take long for Li to realize there were humans near her swimming and instinct took over as she started swimming towards the nearest one only to get blocked by a shield.

She slammed her hooves against the shield before turning her attention towards the scent of blood and meat being added to the water and took off. Pure predatory instinct drove her as she fed, churning the water as she consumed every bit of meat in the water quickly devoured.

Once she finished, she was back to swimming but, she was eyeing the humans beyond the barrier and testing it, looking for a way past it and to them so she could keep feasting.

He doesn't need to be with them to sense that reaction. Albus, she is a Kelpie. That questionable fake meat can never fill her! Not that Gellert can focus on their predicament for very long. As he pits himself against the curse, using spells on himself to support the dragon blood, he is feeling wretched. All of the color leaves his face and he is shaking, gritting his teeth against the inevitable.

The blood will come back up again. How lovely.

But not before the light around him turns chaotic, flashing like lightning and scoring the walls of the cave. His control of the men is broken in that moment and the men on the shore will blink, looking confused.

As much as he dislikes the sight of the Imperiused men, the sudden loss of their spell does not speak good things either. His stomach drops, knowing that it means Gellert must be seriously affected by the curse's influence. Albus glances at Li briefly, seeing her better now that she was in the water and fed.

He casts another spell, this one a barrier on the shore itself, before undoing the one on himself and Li, freeing them both. The new spell isn't a shield meant to last forever, but it should last long enough for the men to gather themselves and leave the lake.

And with that, he Apparates away, leaving Li to swim freely while he returns to Gellert's side. With the Elder Wand in hand, he immediately moves towards where Gellert is shaking and growing paler, looking him over to see how the curse is affecting him.

With the new barrier temporarily in place, Li was left swimming and exploring the lake, for now. She was still keeping an eye on a few of the men on the shore, wondering if it was possible to chase down one or two of them if the barrier ever dropped....

However, she did realize Albus vanished after casting that spell and felt worried about what might be happening with Gellert. How was he taking the curse? Could he handle it..?

Awakening from an Imperius Curse is like rousing from a deep sleep. The men won't move on terribly quickly; she might have a chance, but if she is unable to catch them, Gellert will see she has others. After he conquers the curse, of course.

That seems like an impossible feat at the moment, however Albus's presence gives him renewed conviction. He knows a way to make himself more potent.

"Albus." he stretches out a shaky hand, his gaze intense, "The pact. Join with me."

Their blood pact should give him the edge he needs to shatter the damn thing into pieces. Then he can rid himself of the dragon's blood and spend the evening feeling like a wet rag.

Albus nods, moving without thinking to do as Gellert asks, his entire mind wrapped around 'fix this' and 'keep Gellert safe'. The Elder Wand is a fine, clean way to slice open his hand, the spell cutting a clean line through his palm that quickly wells with his blood. Without hesitating, he takes Gellert's hand in his and does the same, slitting through his skin in a neat mark that darkens red and wet.

He grips Gellert's palm in his in a firm grasp, their blood mingling freely between them. With his free fingers, he holds the wand against where their knuckles grip each other, letting a silent spell work between them -- and quickly, he can feel its effects, with some of his strength ebbing out of him past his skin.

He inhales sharply and loudly at the contact; the pain of the cut is nothing compared to the hell going on inside of his head. But he recognizes Albus's power and his willingness to help and he seizes on both, siphoning strength through their pact to push the curse from his body.

The thing is black - like a parasite - and it is launched from his body in the shape of a foul specter. Gellert drags Albus into his arms, closing his fingers around the hand holding the Elder wand and utters a spell that will rip even something intangible into a thousand pieces. The spell is Dark, but it's the only one he could find that would do the job well and cleanly. Besides, who cares about the fate of a curse that has been feeding off the life and joy of someone undeserving for centuries?

The thing shrieks and then...the atmosphere of the cave seems to brighten and calm.

Edited 2018-12-10 04:30 (UTC)

Albus watches intently, one hand clasped with Gellert's on the wand, the other still pressing blood into Gellert's palm. He is ready to do more if the spell does not work -- but it does, and the cave seems freer as it vanishes, the air easier to breathe once it is vanquished.

When it's gone, he turns to Gellert right away, tugging him towards him so that he can lean against him while Albus looks him over. All the while, he mutters spells and lets the wand carry them out -- a charm for healing, a charm for vitality, a charm for stability.

While the spells are appreciated, the dragon blood is well on its way out. Gellert gently, but firmly, pushes Albus away and staggers outside to rid himself of the brew. Blood, strangely, cannot be digested by a human stomach, at least, and so it must come out one way or another. Once his stomach stops screaming in protest, Gellert waves a hand cleaning the mess away with an unspoken spell. He also uses a similar spell to wash out his mouth.

"Albus..." he stumbles back to the man, pale, shaky and looking feverish, yet triumphant nonetheless, "It's gone."

Albus politely stands off to one side, letting Gellert heave himself with some semblance of privacy. The curse does seem to be well and truly gone, and the rest is just cleansing -- Gellert's body ridding him of the toxins that had briefly aided him.

When Gellert is finished and stumbles back to him, he catches him in his grasp, looking grateful and still worried all at once. Still, there is a hint of relief in his expression as he pulls Gellert against him, holding him shaky against him. "It is. It's gone. It's all right."

What a gentleman. Gellert is happy that Albus won't have memories of him...doing that. When he returns to the man, he is covering his mouth with a handkerchief. It feels difficult to catch and keep his breath, but the minty spell he cast on his mouth is refreshing at least.

Albus's arms are a nice place to land and he leans against him, his heart thudding in his chest.

"That was awful. I can't believe she dealt with that so long." he hardens himself and holds onto Albus with all his strength, "Take us to her."

He nods slightly, gathering Gellert against him, arms wrapped warm about him. With a flick of the Elder Wand, Albus Apparates them both away, holding firmly onto Gellert until they arrive at the lake, hovering over it as he had before with Li.

This time, he casts a spell so that they seem to stand on the water itself, gently riding any movements of its surface. He kneels on it to look out for where Li might be, assuming she must be still enjoying her newfound ability to swim in her true form. Which he could not blame her for in the slightest -- it would be good to see her freely able to move about.

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