As Amity woke up suddenly jolting from her slumber trying to catch her breath from the nightmare she had that night. Her breath calmed down as she began to walk to a bathroom where she held her hair combing it and looked at the mirror and declared, "This is a new start, make dad proud and not cause any trouble, and what better way of doing that than being a witch apprentice?!"
She squealed in excitement. She saw the closet. Putting on a black robe and what she assumed was a witch hat and a label saying, "Hello my name is Amity".
She fell down the stairs to see, a very sleep-deprived Hunter, "Who are you again?" he questioned as Amity face fell.
"Remember me? Amity? We freed the oppressed and defeated the evil coven leader together?" she sounded quite hopeful and desperate.
Hunter replied as the same cardinal bird from the other day popped up from his hair, "Jess! relax kid. I haven't even had my cup of apple blood yet or grape blood, I'll decide when I reach the kitchen." He walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a wine glass in a golden glow.
Amity questioned "You mean apple juice and grape juice?"
Hunter said blankly as apple blood/juice poured into the glass, "No, but what is even apple juice?" "The juice of an apple?" Amity answered or more like questioned.
Amity then said excitedly, "Teach me some spells. When do I get a magic staff? Was I supposed to bring my own runes? Do you have a dangerous magical quest for me?"
Hunter looked kind of bored, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, kid. Being a witch doesn't happen overnight. Also, you're wrapped in a bathrobe and wearing the dirtiest traffic cone I've ever seen."
Ember burst out laughing clutching his stomach, "Hunter! Why did you tell her?! She probably would've gone outside with that on, that would've been so funny."
Amity then takes the traffic cone of her head, blows of the dirt and looks annoyed at Ember. Ember laughs as the wine glass disappeared from Hunter's hand. "But a magic staff, you want, huh?"
Amity stopped glaring at Ember and looked at Hunter with wonder and awe in her eyes, "More than anything!"
Hunter look grew serious, as the red cardinal from his head flew down to his hand and transformed into a staff in a golden glow, "Now, witches are awarded their staffs from school but with me as your teacher, you'll be taking a different approach." He drops a bag with potions in it. "You'll have to work for it. I run a few businesses. On weekends, I offer rare human treasures that Flapjack drags over from your side of the realm." He then grabs a toy sword and presses the button on it.
'I shall smite my enemies! Ages 6 to 11.'
Hunter then continued, "But most days I sell only the finest homemade elixirs and potions. Though its more potions"
Amity then grabbed a potion from the bag and reads it, "Snake oil."
Ember curled around Hunter's neck, saying, "No one wants an un-oiled snake."
Hunter rolled his eyes and pushed Ember of, "Yes, that is totally what that means." Hunter said clearly annoyed.
Hunter sighed, "Follow me." As they walked on the balcony. "Today you'll deliver packages and sell potions to that town over there, Bonesborough. You'll have to be careful. I have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down and you along with it. You want a dangerous magical quest? Well sister, you've got one. Amity, Ember will go with you because he knows his way around."
Amity nodded her head, "I won't let you down, Mr. Hunter."
And then proceeds to drop the bag.
Hunter's eyes narrow down, "I'm sure."
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
" Remember, never befriend a man in sandals and always measure twice, cut once."
Amity was just confused saying, "Uh..."
Hunter wished them good luck and slammed the door.
Ember grumbled as he beckoned the witch apprentice to follow him.
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
Amity sighed as they were finishing up the packages "Let's just deliver this last package and go home. Maybe this world isn't what I thought it wa-" They get to a giant castle, they go up it and she rings the doorbell, the doors open.
Ember was tired and clearly frustrated, "Big house always belong to big whackjobs. Let's kick the package inside and get outta here."
The two still goes into the castle with King following them.
Amity stammered, "W-we're delivering a package from Mr Hunter, the Scarlet Beast." The lights suddenly go on, "Huh?" A wizard walks out of a doorway "Today just got good. Magical Wizard!"
Ember mumbled something along the lines of, "Weird old man in jim-jams."
The old man said, "I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars. And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity."
"Uh, I-I'm..."
Wizard then said, "Young woman, dareth I say, I sense something unique about you. Please, won't you join me for tea?"
" Okay, I guess."
King climbed onto Amity's shoulder saying into her ear, " Let's scram! Wizards are just old people with glitter in their pockets. I don't trust him."
Amity's eyes were full of wonder, "But the stars on his robe are sparkling. And look, there's a baby fox in his beard. Plus, I see cookies on the table."
Ember screamed "Where?!"
Amity ignoring Ember's previous statement and said, " We'd love to join you for tea. Do you sell potions, Sir Wizard?"
Wizard said, "Please, call me Adegast. And yes, I run a small business."
Ember jokingly said, You should run a small business of more cookies, INTO MY MOUTH! Yes!"
Adegast said, "I'm surprised to see you here. It was my understanding that Hunter delivered the packages himself."
Amity sat down next to Ember then intoduced herself, "Well, I am kinda, sorta, his apprentice."
Adegast said in delight, "Oh! And how are you finding the experience so far?"
Amity sighed then started, "Can I be honest, Mr. Adegast? When I decided to stay in this magical world, I thought I was meant for something special. But Eda thinks I'm meant for chores and I'm afraid I came to the wrong place."
Adegast began, "Well, I have a quest-"
Amity squealed, " A quest!"
Adegast continued, "You didn't let me finish. I have a question."
Amity face began to fall, "Oh."
Adegast coninued, "Would you like to go on a quest?!"
Amity screamed, "YES!"
Adegast then grabbed a map from his beard saying, "I might have just the thing. The prophecy speaks of a young human who will claim the Celestial Staff and free this world from evil. Perhaps thou hath cometh here for a reason."
Amity looked at Ember in determination, "Perhaps I hath."
"Should you believe yourself worthy to attempt this quest..."
"So worthy."
"You need to know the road is dark and perilous."
Amity said excitedly, "Love peril. Big fan of peril."
"And only the Chosen One can pull the staff from its post."
"Chosen One."
Amity interupted and said, "Big story, awesome. Anyway, your food it gone and we are, too."
Amity hopped off of the chair and began to walk, "Yes, we have to go. And pack for this enchanted quest! I'm in!"
"Wonderful!"
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
Amity began, "So, guys, what kind of Chosen One should I be?"
Ember began to question, "What?"
Ember began, "Should I be full of optimism and goodness? Or should I be like a bad girl Chosen One with black nail polish and a mysteriously withdrawn attitude? 'I act like I don't care, but I secretly do.'"
Hunter appeared at the door, his haie having some soot in it. Apparently when Amity attempted a potion just a few minites ago it blew up.
Ember looked at Hunter then said plain out of the blue, "Hunter, tell Amity how dumb wizards are."
Hunter rolled his eyes and lowered his voice a bit, like a mock tone, "Ugh, wizards are the worst! Never trust a man in casual drapery."
Ember began as tears of happiness came out of his eyes as he laughed, "Your wizard told them that she was a Cho-" he burst out laughing and when he settled down, "Chosen One."
"Wait, wait, Amity?" Hunter starts laughing as well.
Ember began between breaths, "He even gave her a map." Soon they stopped laughing.
Hunter snatched the map from Ember, "Let me see that map." Hunter inspected the map. "You didn't think this was real, did you?
Amity looked up, "What?"
"This map is bunk. There's no lake with a Celestial Staff on the Boiling Isles. I would have stolen it ages ago. Ah, don't worry. Couple more months here and you won't look like such a mark." His attempt of comfort helped a bit.
Amity muttered, tears beginning to form, "Can I have some time alone?"
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
Ember burst into the living room declearing that Amity was missing. After they, go to the castle and find it in rubble and the town in rubble. The take of towards where Amity would be.
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
Amity was confident as he said, "Hunter isn't stupid enough to fall for your trap!"
Hunter in return, "Adegast!"
Adegast screamed, "Hunter, I have you now!" Three of Adegast's tentacles grabbed Ember and Hunter.
"Yea that's right, you have me. Now release Amity."
Ember squealed, "I didn't have to be a part of this!"
Adegast said miniacly, "Oh, he can leave if he wants to. But I sense she wants a real fantasy." Adegast sprays something around Amity which makes it fog up around him and some of the puppets swarm around.
Amity muttered not to loudly, "It is beautiful here."
Hunter then shouted, "Amity!"
Amity continued to mutter, "And you guys think I'm special."
Amity stood up, "But it's not real!" She then goes out of the fog and runs to the toy sword. "But I am a Witch's Apprentice. And I'm gonna earn my magic staff the hard way. I believed you, Old Man. Now feel my wrath!"
Amity then stabs one of the puppets which makes Adegast yell out in pain and release Ember and Hunter. They work together to kill different puppets.
"I thought we had a connection, Cloe!" As she stabs the puppet in the abs.
Adegast shouted, "Back off, or the dog gets it!"
Amity was crying, worried for Ember's saftey, "Ember, Hunter, I am so sorry. I should have listened to you and never trusted that wizard. You were right, he isn't mystical or magical. He's just a big, slimy jerk!" She then kicks the sword into Adegast's head, he drops Ember and shrinks.
Hunter walks over to Adegast and picked him up to look at the slimey octopus creature, "Well, that's the last time I take an outside referral." Then continues to eat Adegast. "Mmm. Oh, did you want some of that?"
"No. I'm just confused."
"Thinking of calling it quits, huh?"
Amity finally spoke up, "This place is nothing like I imagined."
"Hmm. Maybe not here. But come with me. I got something to show you."
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
Hunter stopped Flapjack and said, "Okay, you guys can look."
"Whoa!"
"The bones of the isles. Up close, the isles can be slimy..."
Ember added cringing, "And very stinky."
Amity looked in awe, "But if you look from a different perspective..."
She spoke slowly and softly, "It's beautiful."
Ember nodded in agreement.
Amity looked up at Hunter then asked, "Hunter, how did you know that wizard was lying?"
Hunter sighed and replied, "Look, kid, everyone wants to believe they're 'chosen'. But if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting. And that's why you need to choose yourself, when I was around your age maybe younger thought I was chosen but I was wrong and that hurt me so much, I don't want that to happen to anyone else."
The Blight took some time to process what Hunter had said then Amity replied, " Oh, so off topic, does that mean you'll give me a magic staff of my own?
Hunter smiled and shook his head saying, "Not yet, but... someday." As the sun began to set.