shadows like statues | brigh

[rhys alexander greyback]

theres no such thing

as second chances

June 30, 2026
BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH

It was hitting a bit of a critical point in the summer for Rhys. As the days went by, Maria’s due date grew closer and closer. And the bank wasn’t about to let him go until the last minute it appeared. While many Cursebreakers were finally out of their training status, they were not yet in the place to train the new and young faces that were now trying to fill their ranks. Fortunately, he only had one trainee today. Rhys had recognized her immediately from the Career Fair, and while she had seemed to have the right attitude and fortitude, he wondered how it might go now that he was the authority figure.

After reading some notes and spending a few days back in London, he realized that this girl was purposefully put in his path. Claire. Apparently, this girl was friends with her younger sister, which meant that she’d been in the same year as his own sister, Max. Nonetheless, none of that mattered now in the ancient sands of Egypt. Rhys desperately avoided this desert, but that seemed about as possible as avoiding a full moon. It was the best training ground for the first year before taking them along to other countries with more risks. And yet, Rhys always had better luck avoiding the dragons in Peru than he ever did coming out unscathed from this country.

He stared off into the desert. The heat beamed down on them, and the light distorted the horizon in his view. But, he was used to it—and these new faces would need to get used to it as well. Turning back around, he crossed his arms as his boots sank slightly into the sand. ”You.” Rhys’ eyes narrowed on the boy that stood next to O’Dalaigh and looked like he was about to pass out already, but slowly he approached though his eyes never left him. ”Go back to the safe house.” The kid looked confused and opened his mouth to speak before Rhys interrupted him. ”You think you’re the first trainee to ever show up hungover? Go.” The boy’s face turned green, which might have just been the hangover, but Rhys was used to less than friendly reactions by this point. But he turned and scurried away.

Shaking his head, he looked at his remaining trainee, at least grateful he didn’t have to deal with more than two of them today. ”And you?” Rhys picked up his backpack. ”You’re not going to be a liability to me today, are you?” His tone was bored, but he’d sent away that kid for a reason. When he had been a trainee, he’d been forced to work hungover, and while he’d learned his lesson it was also, quite frankly, very dangerous. Cursebreakers needed to be focused and ready to respond. ”Ready?” Rhys looked over. She was eager, he’d give her that. The last thing he needed was to drag a trainee when his mood was already on edge.

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[BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH]

Brígh felt sticky and gross, and she wasn't even ten minutes into her first day in the field. It wasn't that it was a heavy heat, but the dry air swept sand around, sticking to the back of her sweaty neck. She'd swept her deep red hair up into a ponytail, but still it seemed she could do nothing to cool off. The older curse breakers suggested light, linen clothing. She had followed their instruction and yet... nothing. Some of the trainees had suggested having a tipple the night before, but Brígh had shockingly refused. It was simply too bloody hot to do anything but lay there miserably. And complain. She did a lot of that too.

Brígh wished so badly that Aidan was here. He would make light of this sort of impossible situation. He would point out the way the shifting dunes sometimes looked like great beasts were dwelling just beneath the surface. And perhaps that was even the truth. Brígh hadn't seen much of Aidan since the fall of Hogwarts, but they were both incredibly busy with work and exams and everything else that life seemed to throw in their way. Aidan had told her that he'd moved to London to live with his cousin. Brígh had been delighted by this news, though was rather confused as to why someone like Aidan would pick a big city like London. But then it clicked - could it have something to do with her new residential address?

Pushing sweaty strands of hair off her forehead, Brígh traipsed up the dune to Rhys' side. Of course, this grumpy idiot would be her trainer. She had tried so hard to impress him, and had fallen flat. She wondered if he remembered her - or her offering of firewhisky all those months ago.

Rhys, looking rather like a thundercloud, turned to face the trainees, and dismissed the one next to Brígh at once. He had been one of the ones to suggest a drink. Turning green, the boy turned tail and ran, dry heaving as he did so. Brígh winced, grateful for the amount of water she'd drank since arriving in Egypt. Rhys turned his glare on her, and Brígh stared back, unflinching. Did he think he could scare her? Ha! As if.

"Me? A liability? Never," muttered Brígh under her breath, picking up her backpack as well that was stuffed with medical supplies, potions, rations and water, just in case. She nodded eagerly. "Lead the way, boss," said Brígh at once, nodding towards the distant excavation site that was their destination.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

theres no such thing

as second chances

June 30, 2026
BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH

Rhys was accustomed to trainees that talked too much. They read a few books about Egypt and the Valley of the Kings, and suddenly, they were the experts. Rhys had never been the type to talk too much during his own training except when someone made a quip about Greyback or something of the like, and his temper suddenly made him less shy. Looking back, he was grateful to have been stuck with Cas for all those months as he learned a valuable less about what a name was and when did it matter. He’d needed to hear it, and it was why he wore it out in the open rather than hide it.

The other trainee hardly flinched as Rhys dismissed the hungover one. But even with the training tombs, a lack of focus could still end in injury. Nothing that a trainee couldn’t sleep off, but Rhys didn’t want to deal with the paperwork. The stifling heat added to his exhaustion this month. That last accident in Greece had left him feeling a little unbalanced, but this was a basic training exercise of sorts that he could still handle easily. Rhys threw his back over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing and began walking across the sand. That was the other part of his job, dealing with the weather and terrain. Walking in the sand was like walking in deep snow—exhausting.

Every once in a while, Rhys would glance back to make sure his trainee was still there, and they approached the entrance to a tomb. This one wasn’t immediately visible. In the Valley of the Kings, the tombs were cut into the rock common during the New Kingdom. Many thought that they would immediately walk into the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was visibly what came to mind at the thought of Egypt, naturally. But the Old Kingdom was far more dangerous considering the magic of the time. Rhys waited for O’Dalaigh to catch up before clearing his throat. ”Tomb of Ramses III.” Rhys announced, dropping his bag on the old stone, kicking up the light layer of sand that had been there. ”I’m assuming you read the file?”

Rhys stopped being surprised about how many trainees showed up to training without reading the file. Pharoah Ramses III was not an unsuccessful ruler, he was a great military leader of his time, but he’d hardly lived up to his namesake Pharoah Ramses II. Rhys always found this tomb interesting, the traps and curses were real, but the worst one would leave the trainees uncomfortable for some time, but nothing that would take them out of training by any means. Perhaps scare some enough to weed out the ones that weren’t meant to be here, if anything. Plus, Ramses III had been assassinated, which typically made the tombs just a bit more interesting in terms of the intent behind the curses. It was a real tomb, but also a good training one.

He took a few steps forward and waited until he was a few steps down to speak again. ”You read the handbook, yes?” It wasn’t really a handbook as it was more of a pamphlet for new Cursebreakers that basically said “don’t die” but had some basic notes for them to get started. ”So, tell me. What do we check for first?”

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[BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH]

With a final grunt, Rhys set off towards the pyramid, leaving Brígh to trail him. She nearly slipped in the sand as she scurried after him, keeping her senses aware. Sweat dribbled down her spine, pooling at the waistband of her loose trousers. Every so often, Rhys would glance back at her, and Brígh kept her eyes down, making sure she didn't misstep. Old tombs were known for their traps, and even before they would reach the tomb, Brígh knew the journey would be harrowing. That was what she had been looking for, after all. "Do you do anything except grunt and swear and drink whisky?" asked Brígh as the pair finally drew to the entrance of the tomb.

Stretching her arms over her head, Brígh appraised the ruin that loomed over them. "Yes, I read it," she replied, sliding a glance over at her trainer. He wasn't a man of many words, this Rhys. He was gruff and off putting, and even though she had offered him an olive branch, he didn't seem very keen on indulging her. Brígh had wanted to learn. From someone who had already been in her shoes, who had gone through this training. Yet his mention of the handbook drew an exasperated sigh from Brígh. "Of course I read the handbook. But that's an awful lot of reading, isn't it? Ultimately, you've got to go with your gut," she replied. She let out a low growl of frustration at Rhys' next condescending words.

Brígh turned from Rhys and whipped out her wand, staring intensely at the ruins. She squinted slightly in the unrelenting Egyptian sun, before beginning her incantations. "Aparecium. Revelio. Homenum revelio. Luxvia!" She finished with a flourish, a faint golden glow emitting from her wand and winding through the broken stones at their feet into the ruin itself. She smirked at Rhys. "Adequate?"

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

theres no such thing

as second chances

June 30, 2026
BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH

Rhys looked back slowly, an unamused look present on his face. This one talked quite a bit and without any hesitation. While it was refreshing, Rhys was not in the mood. It was hot. He was exhausted and barely able to keep his own anxiety at bay as Maria endlessly complained as she neared the end of her pregnancy. His daughter would join them sometime during the next month, but for now, he had to worry about these particular children. ”Sometimes I find gold.” Rhys responded. ”You might find some as well if you worry less about me and more about you're doing.” It wasn’t his job to be nice, but it wasn’t an impossibility. She would just have to earn it.

She was impatient—like many Gryffindors that he’d known in school. This wasn’t a job for those not willing to look before they leap. It was far too dangerous for that. Crossing his arms and squaring off his stance, he gave her a serious look. ”It is an awful lot of reading but its there for a reason. Imagine going on a job and not reading that dragons lived nearby?” He thought about his approach to this tomb. While it was harmless compared to what he’d personally experienced, maybe letting her try it her way would teach her something valuable about patience. ”Going with your gut will only take you so far, and for most, it simply takes them out.” Rhys issued the warning. Out could have meant many things, and Jasper and Renfri’s presence at Hogwarts should have been visible reminders.

She stepped forward and easily cast some basic spells. They would help reveal most hexes and traps but unfortunately, not everything. If only their job was ever that simple. ”Good. What else?” Runes were a different type of magic than simply casting some jinx on a door frame. Sometimes, information at the entrance could reveal more information about what else lay inside. ”If you feel that the entrance is adequately cleared, then you can enter.” He wasn’t going to sit here and lecture under the high Egyptian sun. Practical training was best, and if she fell flat on her face, it was easy to heal and move on and ensured she wouldn’t do that again.

His stoic expression didn’t betray what the correct answer was. But this trainee would learn why it was best to work in pairs at a minimum. A second brain to bounce ideas with and brainstorm, and make a plan. A single perspective was not enough sometimes. Past the entrance with runes in the door frame were simple traps. In fact, some were simply mechanical, though the items that swung down from tall statues holding axes were rather sharp, and Rhys couldn’t recall if they’d left the poison on the blades—a harmless one. Tombs of assassinated leaders were often mazes with many dead ends and traps as if to not even leave the victim with the respect of being found one day.

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[BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH]

Brígh raised her brows, but had to admit that Rhys' response was compelling. "Fair enough," she replied. He went on to remind her that reading was fundamental, and though she was bored to tears by his lecture, she tried to arrange her face into that of an interested pupil. Instead, she was thinking about what sort of dragons would hang out in the desert. It was impossibly hot. Why would they want that? Didn't dragons prefer mountainous regions? Or perhaps they would be locked away in the vaults, protecting treasure as they once had at Gringotts.

"But if you've got to make a split second decision?" Brígh countered, shifting her glare from the ruins before them to Rhys. "Why are you a trainer when you're so horrible at interactions?" she asked suddenly, scrutinising the man before her. He looked weighed down, not only by her presence but by other trouble in his life. She thought about asking him, but was certain that he would response something equally cruel. She huffed a great sigh, then performed the enchantments she had learned from her classes and from the reading that she had actually done. Brígh looked to Rhys, feeling quite smug about her performance, but Rhys was not impressed. Merlin, would he ever be impressed? She didn't actually think so.

Brígh looked from Rhys to the entrance of the ruin. What else? If you feel that the entrance is adequately cleared, then you can enter. Something didn't sit quite right in her gut. She hoped that Rhys wouldn't put her in immediate danger, but then again, he hadn't shown any care for her wellbeing thus far. Brígh chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, but did not move. She glanced over at Rhys, who's expression was stony. "I don't think it's adequately cleared. Do you have any ideas what else we can check for?" she asked, her cheeks heating though she knew that as a trainee, she wouldn't know everything. That's what training was for.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

theres no such thing

as second chances

June 30, 2026
BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH

It hadn’t even been half a day, and Rhys was already irritated. She talked too much and didn’t listen enough. He had half a mind to let her walk into one of the relatively harmless traps but still not harmless enough that she wouldn’t learn from it. Even Dahlia had not been that difficult, but perhaps she had cared a bit more when Rhys was conducting her training rather than some other know-it-all trainer. Rhys didn’t immediately answer her question, but he supposed it could be a learning opportunity as well. ”Fast response times require training which requires knowledge which requires reading.” Sure, you could respond quickly, but knowing whether to jump left or right made all the difference.

The next question was not unexpected, nor was it new. Rhys would have been worried if nobody had asked him this season—that would have meant he’d lost his edge. ”I had a friendly and polite trainer once.” Rhys mused, crossing his arms in the process. ”He almost got me killed.” Due to Brigh’s constant arguing and pestering, he hadn’t gotten a chance to explain more about Egyptian burials and tombs. They varied by location, historical periods, dynasties, religion, and other variables. That excursion was over six years ago, and it always made Rhys wary of walls that would vanish, reappear and move. The ones that had taught Rhys the most had been the harshest, but blunt honesty was needed in a job that was life and death at times.

She paused and looked back at the entrance. This job required critical thinking and processing and seeing the things in front of them and that were not. Rather than run ahead like the character in that muggle film Nixie had made him watch, she actually looked back and asked him about it. Surprised but thankful she didn’t run ahead and get herself beheaded, Rhys took a few steps forward. It was his job to train, after all. ”RUGS. Runes. Unremarkable. Glyphs. Symbols. H” Rhys spoke as he approached the large doorway. The acronym had always stuck in his mind but hadn’t made sense at first. The seal and stone slab had been moved years ago and sat on the side covered in sand.

”The years and sand wear away at anything near entrances. At one point, it was all in plain sight, so revealing spells won’t have an effect. Runes aren’t common in Egypt, but glyphs and symbols are. And the ones that seem…unremarkable…” He trailed off as he crouched down, letting his fingers trail on the old frame. It felt smooth, but one had to pay close attention to everything. ”…are the actually the most important.” As his fingers stopped, he gently wiped away the sand and dust from that spot. Removing his sunglasses to see better, he saw the faint outline of something. The first symbol was clearly visible, a wick. The second was fainter, but the two upraised arms were recognizable to Rhys. And the last one was the faintest, almost gone at this point, but the symbol of a God.

”Heka.” He now stood, hanging his sunglasses on the front of his shirt. ”God of Magic and Medicine.” The resting places of the old Kings often had this symbol to warn the magically inclined that there was magic here. But considering only the wealthy and powerful had tombs like this with hieroglyphs, it wasn’t always present. Every once in a while, the bank gave them a job that required little or no magic. ”You’ll never know exactly what you’re walking into. The walls inside will have clearer glyphs.” Maybe Brigh could find a few more Rhys knew to be on the frame, though, whether they warned of the simple traps inside? He didn’t know. There were ways to use various charms against the mechanical traps and she clearly knew the revealing spells for other things.

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