Vaibhav Marwah Ⅱ

Left alone in the girl's bathroom, Vaibhav Marwah peers down the dark slide. "The wizard is gone," Shesha excitably hissed and peered down into the tunnel. "The cave looks damp and dark. I like it," she exclaimed in satisfaction.

"I am certain that you do," Vaibhav Marwah chuckled at his familiar's words.

"An adventure," Shesha enthusiastically cried out and leaped into the damp pipe with a loud squeal.

"Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah cried out but only heard the excited hissing of the cobra as it speedily slid down the pipe.

With a grunt, Vaibhav Marwah lowers himself into the pipe with a pained grunt. It was horrible as he slid down an endless, slimy, dark pipe. Hurtling down the pipe through various openings he saw dozens of pipes branching off in all directions. Against all impossible odds, the pipe twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward far deeper than he would have ever imagined.

Unprepared, Vaibhav Marwah shot out as the pipe leveled. With a pained grunt, he landed on the damp floor. The wind had been knocked out of him. He lay there panting only to see a small, worried serpent's face peeking at him.

"I am fine, Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah painfully panted. "Just had the wind knocked out of me." He let out a pained groan as he sat up. "I suppose I should be relieved I didn't break anything at my age." Though he did wince in pain knowing he would have some dark and rather painful bruises tomorrow.

"Old!" Shehsa loudly snickered.

 "Old!" Vaibhav Marwah weakly protested knowing full well that the serpent was teasing him.

"Yes, old!" Shesha swayed in a chuckle.

Allowing the cobra her tricks, Vaibhav Marwah peered and saw how dim the light was. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a small glass orb with two-pointed bronze tips. The top bronze tip has a circular ring from which he takes a sash from his satchel. He tightly ties the sash around his waist and through the circular ring. The small orb hangs at his side and begins to glow having spoken the enchantment.

Able to see his surroundings again, Vaibhav Marwah gazes at the slick slimy walls. The walls would have to be regularly maintained; he made a note in his mind to tell Master Linnaeus his concerns. He had only taken a step before he heard a crunch under his feet. It was shards of glass.

"I suppose I should be grateful I didn't land on the glass shards," Vaibhav Marwah mumbled before moving forward.

Leading the way is Shesha who happily hissing a snake song about herself.

"The day is begun; the sun is up.

Sunning in the sun and warm stones, Shesha eats tasty mice and rats in the high grass.

Deep in the Earth, twisting and hiding, Shesha catches a plumb rabbit.

Up the trees, Shesha climbs, high up, up above, a tasty bird and egg to be found.

Near the water, a squirrel here or there.

Shesha swims in the river and eats tasty frogs and lizards.

On the ground and everywhere, Shesha seeks tasty food even if it be an ophidian.

 Food is what Shesha seeks, and food is always about.

 Until the sun goes down and it is time to nest for the serpent to rest." 

A crunching sound can be heard coming from underneath Vaibhav Marwah's feet with every step. He warily furrows his brows at seeing the number of animal bones. He grows more cautious at seeing so many bones. This was not a natural place of death but rather a predator preying on prey.

"Do you smell anything, Shesha?" Vaibhav Marwah intently asked.

"A powerful serpent once dwelt here," Shesha called back from further up ahead "The scent is faint. The serpent is long gone."

Some of the tenseness in Vaibhav Marwah's stance leaves, but not entirely. A powerful serpent can slumber for hundreds of years. The serpent may not be gone simply in a deep slumber.

Shesha cries out loudly causing Vaibhav Marwah to reach for his wand in his satchel. His hand stops hearing no signs of fear or anger from the cobra. He hurries down the tunnel to find himself in front of an enormous stone door.

Two large serpents are carved into the stone. The serpents entwined from one side of the door to the other. Their heads separate on either side of the door. Two large, glittering emeralds are set as the serpent's eyes, yet the carved serpent's eyes eerily glitter as though still alive.

Shesha happily hums to herself and eagerly waits to be praised for finding the door.

"You did well, Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah thanked the cobra, who happily preened at the praise. Raising his wand, he casts several spells to reveal traps or magical snares.

Seeing that nothing is revealed, Vaibhav Marwah speaks in parseltongue as he channels his strongest magic into his words, "Open," and successfully forces the doors to obey his command. 

A rumble is heard as the wall seems to crack and is forcibly pried open. The intertwined serpent's part into two as the wall slams open. The halves slide smoothly open and halt against the wall. Casting another spell at the ground before Vaibhav Marwah cautiously steps forward while Shesha eagerly slithers forward without any such worries.

The Chamber of Secrets is an enormous, long, dimly lit chamber with towering stone pillars that have carved serpents in them. Vaibhav Marwah marvels at the scene for even he had heard of Salzar Slytherin in his homeland. There is an odd sensation as though he is underwater. It is from the strange, odd greenish glow in the chamber.

 At the end of the chamber, Vaibhav Marwah found himself before a pair of pillars and a gigantic statue from the ceiling to the floor of the chamber. The wizard is an ancient monkish wizard with a long thin beard that fell to the bottom of his sweeping robes. At the bottom of his robes, two enormous gray stone feet stuck out from the smooth chamber floor.

Though Vaibhav Marwah had never seen a picture of Salazar Slytherin, he could easily conclude that this was a statue of the wizard in question. Waving his wand again he began to check the chamber for various traps. An alarming number of pillars throughout the entire chamber began to ominously glow.

 Seeing this is much more expected, Vaibhav Marwah begins to chant in parseltongue. "That which has been forged, I undo, I ask not for my sake but for the snakes that will come hereafter. A safe nest, a warm place for snakelets to grow in number and in safety."

Seeing the glow in the chamber change color, Vaibhav Marwah knew he had partially succeeded and began to methodically break down each curse one at a time. By the time it was over, it had been an hour or two. He was panting a bit and sweating.

"Hungry?" Shesha offered a juicy plump mouse she had found and hunted to share.

"Not quite yet, Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah wearily declined.

"All mine," Shesha happily said before greedily gulping down the mouse down in one big swallow. "Tasty," she hums to herself in satisfaction.

Wiping the sweat on his forehead with one sleeve, Vaibhav Marwah closes his eyes and extends his senses. He frowns and walks over to a spot on the floor. He presses his hands against the floor and concentrates. "There is a trace of death here."

Vaibhav Marwah frowned and stepped back to gaze up at the stone statue. Considering the infamous reputation of Salazar Slytherin, it is not out of the question that a life was taken within the Chamber of Secrets. Yet after thousands of years, the scent should have long ago faded.

However, Vaibhav Marwah has been within ancient tombs where the magic lingered just as strongly as the day it was sealed. It was possible that the death had not occurred recently but rather hundreds of years ago. Regardless, there is no corpse or skeleton to be found.

Stepping back on his heels, Vaibhav Marwah rubs his bearded chin, before speaking in parseltongue. "Open for the speaker of serpents, a distant kin, I seek no harm or foul play, simply to ensure all is well. I vow to do so on my magic."

Nothing occurred, but Vaibhav Marwah was not surprised. Salazar Slytherin had a reputation for being distrusting. Thoughtfully he continued to ponder on the nature or rather the character of Salazar Slytherin. Arrogant and vain to a certain extent, but cunning in all things.