He pulled up the bucket, then replaced it with the pot, and lowered it down carefully, biting his lip in concentration. Steady, steady... he felt the pot hit the water, and he let it fill, then began raising it up, the wound on his hand stinging. Finally, he was able to lift it, and lugged it out of the well with no small amount of effort. He held it tight, eyes widening with alarm as he felt a tremor run through the ceramic, almost as if it were shuddering with life.
He dropped it with a startled cry, the pot shattering before it hit the ground--it was as though the water inside had blasted out in all directions with such force that the pot could no longer contain it. He fell backwards and skittered back, his back slamming against the post as he watched the water twist and form like a snake, the pieces of pottery floating through it freely.
"W-what in the gods' names," he breathed, shaking like a leaf as the arc of water reared up in a cobralike figure, the broken pieces of pottery surfacing and slotting together to form a patchwork of solidity. It kept moving and twisting, sliding together until finally, it formed the shape of a humanlike figure with one glowing slit for an eye.
Severus found it in himself to hold his tongue. Surely, this was a message from the gods.