Escapism- RAYE, 070 Shake
Your pov
I watched as Hunter walked out of his room wearing a standard scout uniform and putting a palismen in his jacket.
Why In the hell would he have a palismen???
Since my moms passing I've done my own amount of research on wild magic, mainly trying to figure out what happens to her but I always ended up empty handed, so I eventually stopped.
Still though, Hunter was THE Golden Guard Belos right hand man next to me. Him having a palismen-for lack of a better word- was just wrong.
I shook the thought out of my head as he put the mask on and began to fast walk down the halls; I was guessing to the exit.
No no no, it's none of your business. Plus I mean if Hunter has a palismen and wants to break the rules then he can do that. Actually, if Belos found out he's be pissed, like royally pissed, and I could receive his praise. I mean obviously I owe him for everything he's done for me, and he's breaking the rules and-
I shook my head again,
NO BAD Y/N! We don't know why he has it, I'm sure he has some type of explanation, plus Hunter is our fri- partner..? I dunno what we are, barley bearable acquaintances? With his mood swings I honestly never know.
Either way it's none of my business he's a big boy he doesn't need some random witch spying on him even if he's suspicious as hell.
I began to walk away.
It's none of your business, it's none of your business, it's-
I casted a spell circle and made myself invisible as I followed him out the door.
Ok so nobodies perfect.
I carefully walked behind him as he exited the castle, he was walking quickly and I knew his sleep deprived- oh sorry tired from refusing all the witches at his door- ass doesn't quickly do anything unless he needs to, so what in the isles is he doing?
He walked outside walking through the castle door, the sun shined down and for once didn't illuminate him like a peice of art with the golden armor and hair being missing from its rays.
I kept the spell going but was growing tired for holding it for so long. He then boarded the ship and my eyes creased with confusion.
That's the little trolls ship, Kikimora has the mission to go to eclipse lake to find more titian blood.
Wait didn't that mission used to be Hunters before Belos decided I was better than him and made us go on duo missions?
I'm not soaking that in I swear.
I felt beads of sweat form on my head as he climbed onto the ship looking around totally unsuspiciously, the spell was getting tiring and I needed a way to blend into the ship. I needed someone's uniform but who would give it to me? That's when I heard a thankfully familiar 26 year old man conversing with another scout about motorcycles near by.
Oh thank titian.
"Past! Steve!!" I whispered but nothing.
I groaned and tapped his shoulder still invisible but he just brushed off his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes and just grabbed his collar and dragged him behind a bush and finally let down my spell circle.
"Whoa! Kid how- okay it is not everyday I'm dragged into a bush. What's up?" He asked crossing his arms looking confused.
I held up my hands, "sorry didn't mean to drag you like that, but I really really need a favor."
He sighed and looked at me with an- uh oh- face, "alright what is it?"
"I need your uniform."
"Why..?" He asked like he didn't want to know the answer.
"I have a mission and I have to blend in with the other scouts but I don't have enough time to find a different uniform." I informed looking at him with as much plead as I could.
"Isn't my uniform too big on you?" He asked cautiously.
I looked back to the ship noticing it was almost a ready to sail, "I don't mind, please!"
"I dunno kid-" he began.
"I'll give you 500 snails!"
"Deal."
With that I quickly changed into the scout uniform- it being a little big but I could manage- and climbed onto the ship.
Why was I doing this?
I actually didn't know.
The ship began to fly as coven scouts and Kikimora talked to a higher scout at the control panel. I looked around trying to find the Golden Guard.
Right, okay game plan, I need to figure out what he's doing. He isn't aloud onto others missions like this and just because he's the Golden Guard doesn't give him the right.
Yes I know how hypocritical I'm being right now but ignore it. I also needed to make sure it was a palismen and figure out why he had it. To be honest he was lucky I wasn't turning him in to Belos, titian knows how much I could gain from it.
So why wasn't I? It's not like we were really friends, we just had to work together.
I was stuck in my thoughts as the ship landed on the snowy mountain range, I watched as scouts piled off and onto their stair ions but I then noticed a certain scout running off to where he shouldn't be.
The scout ran behind a tree about twenty feet away from the ship and I nodded to myself and began to sneakily run in his direction making sure he couldn't see me.
What are you doing Golden Guard?
Hunters pov
I ducked behind a tree, scoping out my surroundings and how I could get to the titian blood without being spotted. Then the little bird jumped out from my cloak suprising me.
"Gah!! Why do you keep coming out?? I thought I told you to stay in my cloak!"
It chirped only response.
I scoffed, "I don't speak palismen," I began and then began to tell if my plan.
"Okay, I slip in with this disguise, I find the titian blood before Kiki, I give it to Belos, then boom!! I'm useful again and no more duo missions with the Amethyst guard!" I said enthusiastically.
Then I heard the sound of a cannon and quickly ducked as the tree I was under was shot through.
"Gah!"
"Mamm'! Is everything alright?!" I heard the higher up guard yell.
Then the troll bit through her teeth, "I thought I heard an annoying voice."
That girl has some issues-
I crawled a few feet ahead and began to run, "meh! We'll find another way in!" I said to no one trying to comfort myself as the Palismen sat on my shoulder.
It then flew to a branch and I looked where it was looking, there walked the tall owl lady, the dog, and... was that the youngest blight?
I watched them walk and talk about titian blood as I smirked, "alright. New plan, they can lead us to-!"
Then the demon spawn in a cute body pulled on my hair and made me fall down the ledge I was on, falling right in front of them.
"A coven scout!" The blight yelled and put her hand on fire.
I stammered trying to figure out what to say, "a-ah- yes! I am but a humble scout and I.." then I noticed from a tree another scout staring at me.
Crap! Kikimora must've..
Then their good blew off and I noticed a very familiar hairstyle and hair color peeking through it.
Oh you have got to be kidding me.
"I uh- I surrender." I stammered as I looked back to the owl lady.
"Well! That was easy!" The dog boasted proudly. Then the owl lady interrupted him.
"Not so fast King- don't you recognize that annoying voice?"
I sighed softly, remembering what Kikimora said, "why does everyone say that?"
Then I remembered what y/n had called it, cool and sexy..? Titian people just can't make up their mind.
Then I noticed a certain not so official scout begin to lunge forward.
She can't be that dumb?
"His voice is cool!" She yelled before leaping in front of me and then engulfed us with magic, forming an invisible shield.
Oh, yes she is.
She then picked me up like I weighed nothing and used plants to move us underground. I gasped for air when I finally saw the dim lighting of a cave, the vines separated and the Shield lowered. She then pulled off her mask and offered me a hand.
I hesitantly took it and took my own mask off, "I uh- thank yo-"
"What the hell were you thinking?!?" She yelled as I finally made it off the ground.
I paused, "I uh-"
"I mean sneaking into Kiki's mission??? That's a serious offense Golden Guard! I mean I wondered why you were in such a good mood today but now I'm figuring out why! You wanted to steal the titian blood and give it to Belos before her to prove yourself right!?" She yelled again, I felt like I was being lectured by a mom- I mean it's what I think it would be like.
"I-"
She cut me off again, and used her hand to force my cloak open as the palismen flew out on my shoulder.
"And why in the actual hell do you have a palismen?!? You know they're made of wild magic right?!? I mean you're lucky I don't just tell Belos and turn you in Golden Guard! But you're lucky I tracked you down to find out myself!" She yelled, putting her hands on her hips.
I felt my blood run cold, " I..." I had to regain my composure, "can I explain now?"
"Yes."
I bit my bottom lip and I sighed, "Belos.. he switched me out for Kikimora and with having to go on missions with you- no offense-"
"Some taken."
"He always makes me strive to do better, to be better after I failed a mission . But we've gone on over three missions now, and I still don't get my own missions and he hasn't at all hinted he would give them back! And-" I wanted to mention how he wanted to replace me, how he could with her. But I didn't want to give her that power. "I just want to prove to him that I can do this, and that I can handle my own missions again.. I can be useful again., I have to be able to repay him, I have to be useful."
I watched her gaze soften and she nodded, "what about the palismen?"
I looked at it and nodded as it looked at me, "it followed me after the failed mission in latissa and won't leave me alone. And..." I paused wondering how much I should tell her, "I... I've been trying to find a cure to Belos curse."
She paused and interrupted me, "I thought it was incurable?"
I nodded, "maybe, but maybe not. I mean he gets power and energy from Palismens so... I thought-"
"That since it was coincidentally there it's easier to have it to study, so you kept it around." She nodded to herself.
I felt myself getting irritated, "well you just know all my answers so why ask?"
She paused again and looked at me, "I'll help you."
"What?" I was surprised as her face became determined, the cool blues and dark purples of the cave shadowed her complexion and in a way highlighted certain features of her face as she smiled sending a weird feeling in my stomach.
"I'll help you, I'll help you get the titian Blood, I'll help you find a cure." She said hastily.
"Why? What's in it for you?" I asked cautiously.
She shrugged, "the titain blood is purely because I don't want you to get your ass kicked if Kiki finds you. She's been on one, and the second one is because I... I owe him too."
I thought for a moment and knew it'd be easier with her help but I still wasn't purely convinced.
"I'll let you take credit for it. I don't know why you want the titian blood so much or why Belos does but if it's that important to you then I'll help plus I'm already committed so..."
I finally let out a light hearted chuckle, I held my hand out, "alright. Deal."
"Deal," she said shaking my hand.
Her hand lingered on mine for a moment before she turned away and headed in a direction. For some reason I kept stretching my hand as we walked, her touching me felt weird. Not weird because i didn't like it or it was new.
Weird because it was welcome.
Titain this is all just weird.