Invictus [Tom Riddle / Tomione]

Mutiny, Part 2

Tom flew through the stifling expanse of the cavern, casting his magic across the deep, rocky chasm in search of Hermione.

He reached the other side of the caves, which contained the entrances to three tunnels, each of which was lined with vaults.

He felt nothing as he gazed at the three archways, their blackness seeming mournfully empty, void of Hermione's warmth and light.

He turned, feeling drawn away. He scanned the various levels of the cavern and their stony ledges which bore carts on iron tracks, smaller vaults, and more tunnels.

His inhuman eyes slid downward, gazing into the Stygian abyss below. The tether which bound him to Hermione seemed to tighten, tugging him downward, toward the darkness of the pit.

He dove deeper, letting his soul free fall into nothingness, descending into the pitch black chasm.

When he neared the bottom, he began to hear a strange, animalistic sound... not a growl, but something he'd never heard before. He felt the impression of his hair standing on end, skin crawling with warning.

Tom felt the tether tightening, a feeling of warmth beckoning, something pulling him further, deeper into the darkness.

He needed light.

His sense of urgency peaked, so he closed his eyes and began to chant the incantation to summon the body of darkness, calling forth the blackest, darkest energy into his soul. He molded it as it filled him, channeling it into a corporeal form, giving it arms and legs, giving it hands, giving it substance .

When he had fully shifted, he sent a ball of light forth from his hand. The sphere of light, like a translucent moon, drifted away, trailing through the darkness and illuminating the contents of the pit.

The space appeared to be empty until the glowing orb slowed, revealing a wall of pale ivory. Slowly, it ascended, climbing higher as it highlighted the uneven texture of the wall.

Tom's hackles rose, and he stepped forward with eyes narrowed, feeling a hint of dè ja vu, but for what, he couldn't recall.

Then, the wall moved.

Tom retreated several steps, watching as the wall seemed to turn, pivoting to reveal spiny, bone-like protrusions.

Tom suddenly had a realization, and, as if in answer to his thoughts, the light moved to reveal immense wings emerging from the back of an enormous creature . The roughly textured wall was no wall, but a patchwork of metallic scales. His eyes followed the tail of the creature, which was lined with pronounced spikes and then he saw them...

Two red eyes gazing at him from the darkness.

—————-

Hermione stood beneath the invisibility cloak against the wall of the Malfoy vault.

She knew that it belonged to the Malfoy family, because she'd seen a chest of gold engraved with an enormous dragon, the Malfoy crest.

She cast all of her will and intention into the spell  as she whispered, " Hallucidorus totalus !"

Suddenly, there were upwards of twenty clones of herself standing around the cave.

She heard Walburga gasp and shout, pointing at one of Hermione's clones, only to realize there were many, all with their wands aimed directly at her kidnappers.

Hermione kept her focus on the illusion, and suddenly her clones lifted their wands and began to cast spells.

Walburga shrieked and threw up her shield. Kogrod disappeared, hiding behind a great chest of galleons, while Malfoy and Dolohov began to fend off her remaining clones.