NOTE- I own Alecvander, Jo and Hauna. I don't own Rise of the Guardians. All original stuff belongs to me, suck as the Story plot.
CHAPTER 3: SCOLDING CHARMS.
Jo had never had eggs and bacon before, which the old man had found hard to believe as he considered it one of the most common breakfast dishes in history. But with Jo's parents, large breakfasts weren't really needed- or considered. They'd have a sandwich or maybe some dry cereal, lunch varied, and dinner usually consisted of getting a fish-and-ship take away.
But it was a nice change. Jo sat at the table in Alecvander's home above the shop, a wide apartment that differed greatly from the chilly, stiff feeling shop below.
Jo wanted to go on talking about his new powers- but he reminded himself just in time that he'd promised not to say a word until he'd gotten his protective charm. Though he didn't know why; If Pitch already knew about his powers powers then what was the point?
He decided to leaves those thoughts for another time as he saw Alecvander reappear from the kitchen, carrying two plates of eggs and bacon.
"Wha..." Jo almost gaped in amazement when the feast was placed before him. "You can't be serious sir, I've- I've never had a breakfast this size!"
Alecvander rose a grey brow "Are you telling me you don't want it?"
Jo did a double take, shaking his head. "Of course not, sir!"
"Then I suggest you be thankful rather than amazed." He looked mildly amused at Jo's expression.
Jo tucked in immediately after giving a fair thanks. It was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted.
Over the next few hours Alecvander and Jo shared some of their live's history with each other, swapping interest that they agreed and disagreed on and such.
Apparently Alecvander had grown up with his parents on a farm in Scotland, with a large patch of woods nearby.
He'd moved to America with his family much like Jo's parents (who were english) did when they were young.
"We'll go and see our friend for the you-know-what in half an hour- I suggest you run back over to your house and get dressed." Jo's face flushed with empressement when he realised that he was still dressed in his pajamas, jumper and boots.
"Be quick mind you. Tell your family- that is, if they ask- that you're off with a friend. Hurry now. Don't be too long. Stay in the light, away from shadows."
The creature galloped through the shadowed areas of the land, its bright, narrowed eyes surveying its surroundings at it drew nearer and nearer it's target.
A town up ahead was beginning to appear on the horizon. Eyes narrowing even more, the Nightmare rose up on its hind legs, letting out a triumphant, eerie whiny before pounding on forward at a high-speed as the clouds closed over the winter day's sun.
"Where've you been?"
Jo avoid eye contact with his teenaged brother as he entered the house. He shut the door behind him quickly, cutting off the bitter breeze creeping in.
"Out."
Jo hurried past the living room/ kitchen quickly, stepping over the discarded cans of juice and pieces of crumpled clothing. His brother treated this place like his person rubbish bin.
"Out where, Dummy?" His brother asked in a slurred, bored tone, eyes still glued to the TV's blurry screen.
"Just with some people I know." Jo answered shortly, taking hold of the banister and beginning to hurry upstairs.
"Since when did you have people you know?" His brother seemed to be on a loop, answering answers with more questions.
"It's none of your business anyway, John." Jo replied curtly before running up the rest of the stairs, doing his best to avoid every single shadow as he entered his room.
He dressed in the warmest clothing he had, which was only a pair of jeans, T-shirt and black winter coat (Once again a hand-me-down given to him by his brother.) They weren't the best clothes, but they did fit and suit him which was more than than he could say for the rest of his wardrobe.
Despite all the danger at hand Jo found he was exited about meeting a real witch, and it would be interesting to see a magic charm being made, just for him...
He turned and hurried back out of his room, and back down the stairs. His brother didn't even bother stopping to ask him drawling questions as he made his way out the front door again.
"I'll be with a friend. Tell mum, will you?"
John didn't answer, just took another gulp from his can of juice. Jo sighed and closed the door behind him.
He headed across the snow-covered street. Now, people were up and about, with other children throwing snowballs all over the place, some of them aimed at himself.
He ducked in annoyance and sprinted over to Alecvander's shop before they could hit him.
Somewhere else, an average sized sprite wandered across the rooftops, stand on bare feet at t
he edge of a building. He knelt, glancing around the town square. He grinned upon seeing a bunch of kids having a snowball fight beside a frozen fountain.
Laughing, he leapt off the rooftop, the wind ruffling silver white hair.
"Snowday!"
He swooped down, and with a flick of his curling staff, Jack Frost sent a flurry of blue ice towards all the window nearby, and immediately they began frosting over with herb-patterned ice. He scooped up a pile of snow himself, throwing a handful at some of the kids nearby. They didn't see him, but where hit by his throws all the same. With all the other snowballs flying through the air his where hard to pick out among the rest.
Jack loved these kind of days- just running about, spreading clear frost and snow all over the place. It was better on weekends- all the kids were out and that meant snowball fights, something that was always great fun.
He leaned against the frozen fountain lazily, gazing around the cloudy sky. Hmm. Maybe some snow would be cool...
"Alecvander, is it any farther?"
"Just a while away now. Not many go there, you see, since it's a bit dark and dreary-looking to most. Mind those snowballs, now..."
Jack looked over and saw an old man dressed in winter clothing making his way along the edge of the town square. Behind him trotted a smallish boy with oddly straight blond hair, wearing less warming clothes. Compared to all the other children, with that frown on his face and his back all stiff, he looked completely miserable.
Jack grinned mischievously, bending down and taking a handful of snow into his palm.
Hardening it into a fair-sized ball, he took aim.
The snowball flew through the air like a bullet, straight towards it's unsuspecting target.
"Ah- what-!" The boy jumped when it his the side of his shoulder and he rubbed the snowy specks off immediately "Oh, that's cold!"
His accent was different from the others as well- english? Huh. Jack grinned upon seeing the kid looking so annoyed, the sprite promptly burst out laughing.
"Hey Wise guy, watch it next time!"
Wait, what-
He looked back up at the kid, who he found, was staring in his direction. What...
Jack glanced behind him to check if he was looking at someone else, only to find that no-one else was there. Frowning in confusion, he looked back att he other boy.
His icy blue iris met a pair a hazel-brown ones, and he could've sworn that they were looking at him.
"Yeah you!"
Jack stepped back, eyes widening. "Wh-what?"
The kid turned angrily away and darted after the old man, who seemingly hadn't realised he'd fallen behind.
Jack Frost stood still for a few moments before what had happened finally sunk in.
He's seen me?!
immediately he jumped up onto the rooftops, careful scaling the sloping shingles while still keeping his eyes on the old man and the kid. A part of him knew that it was probably a mistake, but there tthere was no harm in making sure.
He followed them through town, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, all the while still wondering if he had been right.
Soon, they came to a narrow alley in a shadowy part of the town, a place Jack didn't really like. It was kinda creepy in his opinion.
"There's her place, at the end of the street. Once we're inside, we'll lock the doors tight..."
Lock the doors tight?
Now this had really sparked his interest. He watched as the old man and the boy disappeared into one of the doors at the end of the narrow street. Then, he hopped down from the rooftop and quickly began making his way towards it.
Suddenly, something stopped him. It was as if the wind had pushed on him with great strength, keeping him from moving forward. Frowning, he tried taking another stepped, only to find the same force holding him back.
"Huh? What the heck!?"
Growling in frustration, he hopped back onto one of the rooftops and sat there. Well, if some sort of weird magic was keeping him out, then he'd just have to find another way in.
Jo found the shop they'd entered was a botique, oddly enough. It wasn't really what he'd been expecting in a witch's shop.
"This is not really what I expected..." He murmured to Alecvander as the entered. The old man grunted a little.
"Well, obviously some want to keep a low profile. Witchcraft requires a lot of equipment, all of which shouldn't be left lying around for normal people to see."
"Oh."
That was obvious, Jo. C'mon!
"Now I'll see if she's here. Oh, and it's best if you let me do the talking..."
"What d'you mean?"
"Just hush for now, Jo. Hauna! Hauna ."
CLUNK.
Jo almost jumped in fright when a young woman slipped intro view via a sliding ladder. The ladder was attacked to the wall, where hundreds of different shelves stacked with threads, cloth and other items related to cloth making.
The woman herself had of an asian background, with long, straight black hair. Her dark oval eyes were narrowed a little in annoyance, and her black-painted nails tapping on the ladder's side with equal irradiance.
Looking closer, Jo realised she may have had a parent who wasn't asian- maybe white, for her skin was might lighter and freckles adorned her sharp cheekbones, and her nose was quite long.
Hauna slid down from the ladder and folded her arms, proceeding to drum the fingers of one hand on her other arm.
"Alecvander, You've caught me at a very busy time." His voice was soft and accented slightly with a chinese air "If you are seeking anything out of the ordinary, you and your boy will have to come back later..."
"I am seeking charms, Hauna, but not for me- for the boy. And-" He cut the young witch off before she could protest further "And it is urgent. The boy's in danger."
The witch's sharp gaze turned to Jo, who shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze. Slowly, her expression morphed from annoyance into disbelief.
"Impossible!"
"It is possible."
"What do you mean?" Jo asked curiously.
"The aura around him is strong. If I had not been so irritated with your arrival, Alecvander, I would have known about it sooner. You!"
She pointed a black-nailed finger in the boy's direction, her sharp tone making him jump.
"You cannot go walking around without a charm to mask that aura. Many creatures have probably already sensed you."
"Sensed me? is that why..."
"That is what I've feared." Alecvander interrupted. "That is my we need a particular strong charm. It's Pitch. He's after him."
Jo was a little scared by the horrified look in the witch's eyes. But soon her expression turned to that of serious business, not worry.
"Come. We will begin making the charm now." She took hold of Jo's wrist and pulled him behind the counter and up the stairs. Alecvander followed.
Above the shop, through a very bolted door, wasn't much different. An average home, Jo thought- until he saw The Woman clap her hands together meaningfully.
Suddenly, the room morphed into a completely different one, and the shock made Jo gape in wonder.
The room was now darker, with candles hanging on walls lighting the place. Many bookshelves adorned the walls, all stacked with old books.
A table with many bottles and jars sat in the corner, and in the centre of the room sat a large cauldron.
As Jo mouth the word 'Wow' Hauna strode over to the cauldron and muttered a sharp word into her clenched fist. Suddenly her had blazed with a red light, which she through with disinterest at the wood piled beneath.
A fire rose up quickly. Again, Jo was amazed and couldn't keep the grin off him face.
Haunda shuffled about the room, grabbing things from here and there and muttering to herself. She through the ingredients in the cauldron as she did so, sometimes make odd movements with her hands.
Jo knew better than to question her and stood beside Alecvander Quietly.
Finally, Hauna turned to them. "Now. I'll need something from you." She said, taking a menacing-looking knife from her pocket and advancing towards Jo.
"What?" His husky voice was a little more octaves higher than usual.
"It's just a nick on the thumb for a spec of blood." Alecvander said beside him. "It's a lot better than what could happen if you didn't get the charm, isn't it?"
"I don't get it- why do you need something from me?" Jo asked, keeping his fists clenched.
Hauna sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes "In order for the charm to work, it must be bound to you. In order to hide you, you must be a part of it."
Seeing no other way to argue, Jo hesitantly stuck his thumb out.
The knife sliced through the air, and for a moment a sharp pain traveled through his thumb. With a sharp intake of breath, Jo quickly pressed his slightly bleeding thumb into his jumper to put pressure on the pain, though it wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be.
Hauna wandered back to the cauldron and shook the blade lightly, so the red drops fell into the cauldron, turning a bright shade of red. Finlay the Witch retrieved a round stone from a box of the table, tossing into the brew without even looking.
Jo and Alecvander, now standing beside the cauldron as well, leaned over and watched as the liquid slowly drained from the cauldron.. It was as if the stone was sucking it up like a sponge.
The stone was bright red, and scolding hot, for Hauna used a pair of tongs to lift it.
She held the tongs with one hand, and began waving the other over the red-hot stone.
The stone morphed as if it where claw into a thick, flattened ring shape, almost like a donut, with bright markings all over its face. Then, a small piece of string floated over and looped through the circle before tieing in a note with the other end of the string, acting a necklace.
Hauna blew on the stone gently, and suddenly the red light vanished.
"There. it is Done. Never take it off, no matter what you do."
In the Nightmare King's realm, Pitch watched as the tiny sand figures representing the three people moved around the sand disc with mild amusement.
Pitch couldn't help but grin. Masking charms? Is that all they could possibly come up with? how amusing.
"It appears this little game is going to be more entertaining than I had previously thought. Very well..."
He held as hand out over the sand figures, and another he conjured up another figure of sand below his palm, this time in the shape of a horse.
"I suppose I'll throw in my own set of rules..."
Chapter 3 is up.
Seriously, is anyone reading this? I won't bother with it if no one likes it...
But for those who do...YOU'RE GREAT. Review please to let me know if you like!
Nosy Jack Frost in Nosy.