You watched Kikimora check her watch and followed Hunter with your eyes. He held a sack full of sleep inducing plants.
You stayed with Luz and helped her draw on a wall. Hunter climbed up the wall and went up to you two.
He stood next to Luz, and you stood on her other side.
"Huh. I've...never seen magic like this." He said quietly. "What will it do?"
Luz smiled. "We don't wanna spook Kikimora's steed because it might drop the nest and hurt the palismen!" She said thinking. "Soo, using these fire and ice spells, I can command the glyphs to produce a thick mist!"
Hunter took the sleeping nettles. "And the sleeping nettles?" He asked handing her one.
"They're essential!" She said taking it and putting it in the hole at the bottom. "Combined with the magic mist, it'll create-"
Hunter cut her off. "-A sleep inducing smoke! Forcing Kikimora to land!"
Luz paused to look at Hunter. You looked at him too, surprised.
He noticed you two staring at him. "Oh! I...um." He muttered scratching his cheek lightly, "I-I read a similar spell in the book From Bones to Earth."
You raised your eyebrows. "You too?" You asked incredulously.
Hunter looked at you. "You read it?" He asked.
"Yeah!"
Luz leaned in. "A study of wild magic!" She exclaimed looking at the two of you. You looked at her and she smiled. "Eda even pickpocketed the guy who wrote it."
You grin. "No way! Really?" You asked.
She turned to you. "Yeah!"
Hunter glanced at the symbols on the wall. "I've never seen glyphs before," He said smiling at it. He gets excited as he looked at you and Luz "But it seems very similar to the elemental magic practiced in the savage ages!"
Luz looked interested. "Really?"
You stared at him. You haven't seen this side of him. It was almost cute that he was this excited talking about different types of magic.
You smiled, because he looked happy. You knew he loved learning new things about the Boiling Isles in the past, or present, but not this much.
He continued. "Actually, not many people know this, but..." He stopped himself. "No, no, no, no, no. This stuff is restricted for a reason." He said crossing his arms.
You frowned. But it's just learning...what's so bad about learning?
He looked away. "You should forget about before you're hurt."
Right. The emperor. You thought. You had a vague idea about Hunter's family. His family was gone because of wild magic. He only confided it to you recently.
Your face showed sadness as you looked down. Hunter didn't say anything. Luz glanced at you and Hunter.
"Uh-huh," She muttered. "Other than Lilith, I've never spoken to anyone inside the emperor's coven..." She looked at you, then Hunter. "What made you guys want to join?"
You frowned before looking away. Hunter noticed your discomfort. "Y/n...doesn't want to share. So...I'll go instead. You were right before." He said, leaning against the wall. "I'm a powerless witch...a lot of my ancestors were." He looked at Luz. "I never thought I'd have a future in a world like this."
He looked at his hand while fidgeting. "Then Belos found me...and gave me a staff with artificial magic. Said the titan had big plans for me..."
"At least you have your future figured out now..." Luz said sadly, looking away.
"At least you can figure out your own." Hunter responded.
Luz looked at him surprised. A red cardinal flew toward Hunter, making him jump startled. You start to reach for your staff.
Wild magic! If wild magic took Hunter's family, I don't want it to take Hunter either! You thought. "Hey-..." You trail off.
You realized. You don't have your staff.
Hunter panicked and said, "Hey!" He moved his arm making the bird fly and land on the ground. The bird pecked at Hunter's foot.
Luz smiled bringing her hands up to her mouth.
"Stop! Get away from me!" He snapped. He moved to the side to separate him and the bird.
Luz smiled at him. "He's just being friendly." She said softly.
You stared at the bird, lowering your guard. She's right. The bird isn't even trying to attack him...
"I don't care!" He said to Luz. "These things are made from wild magic!" He used his foot to move the bird away. "It's dangerous."
She motioned to the bird. "And does he seem dangerous to you?"
You and Hunter stared at the bird and it chirped. It froze. There was a loud growl and you all get up. You walked to the edge of building and saw Kikimora's steed getting ready to fly.
"Masks on!" Luz said to you guys.
You tied your mask around your face and saw Hunter do the same. You ran to the wall and Luz looked at you and Hunter. "Once they're surrounded by the smoke, we'll need to stay close to see where they land!"
You nod.
"Mhm!" Hunter said. Hunter looked at the wall and you saw Luz staring at him.
You widen your eyes when she held out his staff. He looked at her surprised.
"Are you...sure?" He asked.
"Just take it!" Luz snapped.
He took it and you all jump when the monster flies over you. Luz put her hands on both the glyphs and they start to glow. A light brown smoke came out, making the steed disappear in the smoke.
You hopped on the staff and held on to Hunter's waist as Luz come on behind you. Hunter made the staff fly and you start to chase after the monster.
"I think it's working." Hunter said turning his head slightly. Luz nodded and made a light glyph making a small light sphere.
It glowed and the staff went ahead of the monster. Kikimora's notices, though tired. She makes her steed follow the staff, making them land.
Kikimora's fell forward and face planted into the ground you snorted and Hunter gave you a look.
You look at him. "What?" You whisper. "It was funny!"
He rolled his eyes and you jump off the staff when close enough to the ground. Luz lit up and brought down her mask.
"The palismen!" She said.
She ran forward and Hunter looked at you. You understood what he meant. Take the palismen from her.
You looked at Luz who said to the palismen, "Hello babies! Aw, you guys look so cold and scared..." She took off her cloak to place it around the group of palismen. "Make sure your share. Now, stay in here okay?"
Weirdly, you feel bad about it...taking them from her. Like Hunter, you knew what the Emperor did to palismen.
But there's was nothing you could do without making it look like treason, and the Emperor's coven was your only home...
"Do we have to?" You whisper.
Hunter looked at you furrowing his eyebrows. "Uh, yeah." He murmured back. "The emperor needs them!"
You looked away. "Fine."
Slowly, you and Hunter corner her. "We'll get you home safe and-" She turned, noticing the red glow of Hunter's staff. She widened her eyes and gulped before smiling nervously. "Right. I didn't think this through...again." She shut the palismen door and stood.
She frowned. "So you guys are really gonna do this?" She asked quietly. "You're just gonna hand all these little guys over to Belos?"
You looked away. It's all for the emperor, to thank him! You remind yourself and turned to Luz.
She glared at you and Hunter. "I know what he does with them!" She said. "I thought you might've been good people..." She looked away. "But I guess it was just wishful thinking. You're not my friend." She looked at him, and then you. "You're just... the Golden Guard and the Silver Soldier."
It's quiet.
"Hunter, I can't do this." You said backing up.
He sighed and lowered his staff. "I know...Y/n." He looked at Luz, taking off his mask. "My name is Hunter."
You looked at Hunter surprised and then smiled. "And as you might know, I'm Y/n."
She gasped looking at you.
There was a loud boom and your forehead was shot by magic, making it bleed. "UGH!" You grunt. Hunter looked to the said quickly and grabbed your arm.
Kikimora was still awake. "I can't tell who's there...but I know I've got you!" She stumbled up shooting.
You ball your fists and start your way over to Kikimora. Hunter stopped you. "Let me!" He said wiping some of the blood off your forehead. "Help the human! I'll handle Kikimora!"
You nodded. "Okay!"
You made your way to Luz and grabbed her hand. "Let's go!"
Another shot was made at you and Luz, and Hunter used his staff to reflect to the ground, protecting you and Luz.
He pulled his mask up and ran at Kikimora. You pulled her on top of the steed, then jumping down. Hunter came up from behind and hit Kikimora across the head. He tossed you the whistle from around Kikimora's neck. You caught it jumping up.
Kikimora got up and started a spell circle at you you gasped and Hunter jumped in, hitting her hand before the spell could hit you.
"This is treason against a coven official!" She crowed.
Her spell hit Hunter, making the single string of hair in his face catch on fire. He put it out with two fingers.
"I will have your head!" She shouted, shooting another spell.
Hunter blocked it with his staff and you used this opportunity to toss the whistle to the human. She caught it and blew. The monster woke up and started to fly up the the sky.
Hunter blocked another spell, making it hit Kikimora and she got knocked out.
You and Hunter looked at Luz, leaving with the palismen. Luz glanced back at you before looked away.
You stretched. "Woo, this has been a long night!" You said going up to him.
"Tell me about it." He said looking at the sleeping Kikimora. "How's your head?"
You held a thumbs up. "Nothing a band-aid can't fix!"
He stepped over his staff. "Get on, we need to head back to the castle."
You stepped over the staff and touched Hunter's waist as he flew up.
"I don't think I want to go in there," You said to Hunter. You both stood outside the throne room.
He sighed. "I don't want to either. Let's go."
You opened the door and you both walked in. Once in front of the emperor's throne, you two knelt down...
Telling the emperor you two failed the mission.
"So you return with nothing." Belos said quietly. "Is this the thanks I get for taking you two in?"
You squeezed your eyes shut as Hunter looked up, shocked. "Of course not!" He said. "We want to help!"
You looked up with a shaky breath. "A-And if you told us how wild magic did this to you, then we might be able to find a-" You were cut off with the emperor shooting a spike-like arm at you, making you close your eyes.
He pulled his curse back and Hunter stared at you scared, then at the emperor. I had almost said the same thing...
"I'm sorry." You said. "I spoke out of turn."
Hunter pressed his lips together, looking down. "It won't happen again." He said quietly.
Belos doubled over groaning. "These outbursts are painful...so is watching you two fail." He looked at you two.
"I know you can do better, Hunter. Y/n."
Hunter smiled sadly and you just stare at the ground. What a dick. You thought.
You two stepped out of the throne room. Hunter grabbed your hand.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
You nodded. "I'm fine. Kinda a dick move. Doesn't he know not everyone is perfect?"
"Shh, Y/n. He might hear you." He squeezed your hand and said, "Let's head to bed. I." He sighed, grimacing. "I owe you some cuddling."
You lit up and said, "YES!" just as Kikimora was walking through the hall. She seemed surprised to see you two.
"Golden Guard?" She saw you. "Silver Soldier? Y-You're alive!" She stammered. "I mean...I heard about the crash in Latissa."
Hunter smirked. "Luckily, some travelers picked us up out of the wreckage! So actually, we're doing great."
He pulled your hand has he start to walk away. He lifted his head looking at her. "Looks like you had a rough night though."
You snorted turning your head forward.
Kikimora blushed and glared at the both of you. Her eyes widen and she gasped when she was your bandage and Hunter's strand of burned hair.
Hunter made his way to his room, you following. "Remember, we're only cuddling for a few minutes!" He said as he opened his door.
"Yeah, Yeah!" You said grinning and looking around. He turned and opened his arms with a bored expression. You lit up and jumped in them. He caught you but fell back on the bed.
"OW- What the heck?!" He protested.
"Hey, you should have expected it!" You said hugging him.
He sighed putting his arm around you, spooning you. He said quietly. "Y/n, we can help..." You closed your eyes nodding. "If we just knew a little more..."
There was a chirp and you both sat up. You saw the cardinal from earlier. He ruined you cuddle time, but you couldn't even be mad because you were so surprised.
Hunter jumped up and went to the window, grabbing it. "Ah! Palisman!" He squeezed it and it chirped. He released his grip. "Oh! Sorry."
"How come he's here?" You asked peering over Hunter's shoulder.
Hunter shrugged and started petting it's head. "You shouldn't be here...It's be bad if Belos saw you..."
It chirped again and turned to a staff. You gasped and Hunter widened his eyes. You smiled at him as he glanced at you.
"Oh. I was not expecting that.."
You laugh. "Neither was I."
He got up and looked out the window holding it.
"What are you gonna do?" You ask carefully.
He turned to face you. "I guess I'll keep it."
You raised your eyebrows. "Really?"
He nodded. "TO RUN TESTS ON!" He said quickly. "I can learn more about it. You know?"
You smirked. "Uh huh. Sure."
He turned away. "Shut up!"