Hunter layed in his bed, trying to go to sleep. His day didn't quite go as expected. Instead of getting the palismen for Belos, he let the human girl Luz get away with them. He had never questioned his loyalty to the Emperor's Coven more than he did now. What if I'm on the wrong side?
He had to get these thoughts out of his head. Even thinking that is equivalent to treason...but he couldn't. He couldn't get Luz's last words to him out of his head...
He looked down at the cardinal palisman that came to him. This palisman chose me...but why? He hid it under his bed and closed his eyes.
The next morning, he woke up to Steve telling him that Belos needed him right away.
Still tired, having not gotten much sleep, he begrudgingly got out of bed. As Steve left the room and Hunter started getting into his uniform, the cardinal palisman came up to him. Hunter pet him.
"You can't come with me...it'd be bad if Belos saw you..."
The cardinal palisman seemed to be saddened, but went back under the bed and attached to his staff.
Hunter got into his full uniform, sans helmet considering Kikimora fed it to her pet. He walked down the hall to Belos' chamber. He went inside and saw Belos' on his throne. He was having a hard time trying to keep the curse under control. Without palismen, it probably won't take long for the curse to completely consume him.
"Ah, Hunter...I have a new task for you...you see, the Bat Queen happens to be a palisman herself..."
"Are you suggesting I...capture the Bat Queen?"
"Having a palisman of that size, we wouldn't need to stock up on palismen anymore..."
Hunter was silent.
"What's wrong, Hunter? Not...up to it? I could always send Kikimora..."
"No...I'll do it..."
"Excellent...you may go now..."
Hunter left Belos' chamber. He couldn't believe what he was just asked to do. The Bat Queen has many powerful allies. Capturing the Bat Queen is akin to signing his own death warrant.
He went into his room to ponder what he should do. His palisman came to him, sensing that he had conflicting thoughts.
"What do I do? I can't disobey Belos again...but I also can't let him get his hands on the Bat Queen..."
The palisman sat on Hunter's shoulder.
"If I could just find a way to cure him...but he wouldn't accept a cure that uses wild magic...honestly, I don't know if I even want to be in the Emperor's Coven anymore...I mean, Belos doesn't actually care about me...Kikimora tried to straight up murder me...I just...don't know what direction I want to go in..."
Outside the door, Kikimora was listening in.
"What do you think I should do, little friend?"
The palisman nudged at Hunter's face, seemingly telling Hunter something. He seemed to understand what the palisman was trying to say.
"Maybe...but it would be risky...I'll have to think about it..."
Kikimora heard him move, so she quickly found a place to hide. Hunter came out.
"Okay, little guy, you can tag along this time. It's probably safer than you being in the castle."
Kikimora saw the palisman on Hunter's shoulder. Belos needs to hear about this...
Hunter hid the palisman and with his mechanical staff, he took off.
I have to warn the Bat Queen...
On his way to go see the Bat Queen, Luz saw him and thought he might be up to no good. She decided to spring a trap.
Hunter was getting creeped out. He'd never been in this area before. The palisman told him they were close. He continued walking forward when he stepped on something. A net came up and trapped Hunter in it, and Luz and Eda popped out of hiding.
"What are you doing in this area?" Luz asked.
"And you better start talking! The Bat Queen doesn't like intruders!" Eda said as she eyed up Hunter. "Especially ones who are with the Emperor's Coven!
"Listen to me...I'm here to warn the Bat Queen..."
"What do you mean?" Eda was confused.
"Belos wanted me to capture the Bat Queen...that way he wouldn't have to replenish stock on palisman..."
"So, he wants to slowly drain the Bat Queen?" Eda had a look of anger on her face.
"But...I can't go through with it..."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Luz asked.
"I get that...maybe you can send this message on my behalf..."
Hunter's palisman came out from under his shirt.
"Little rascal? What're you doing here?" Luz was surprised that the little cardinal palisman was here with Hunter of all people.
"He came to me...watch..."
The palisman attached to it's staff and came to Hunter.
"He...chose you..."
Luz decided to let Hunter go. He got back up.
"Thanks Luz, now we need to warn the Bat Queen..."
Hunter, Luz and Eda ran over to the Bat Queen, who was taking care of her babies.
"Bat Queen! You're in grave danger! Belos wants to capture you!" Luz said.
"You brought Golden Guard with you?"
"Bat Queen, I...was the one assigned to capture you...but...I can't go through with it...not when you gave me a palisman of my own..."
The Bat Queen came closer to Hunter. "I sense...sincerity...I'm glad you tolds me."
"I could be banished from the Emperor's Coven if Belos finds out I warned you..."
"You are conflicted...I sense it...but you must listen to heart..."
"I understand..."
The Bat Queen flew away, along with her babies and the other abandoned palismen. Hunter, Luz and Eda looked on in awe. Hunter smiled.
I did the right thing...
Back at the castle, Hunter came back empty handed. He hid his palisman in his room and went to Belos to tell him the bad news. Belos was not thrilled.
"You keep coming back to me without palismen...you're not...hiding something, are you?"
"No...the Bat Queen got away before I could get her, and the human got in my way..."
"That's a very likely story...but...I have reason to suspect that you haven't been entirely honest with me..."
"What do you mean?"
"I got word that...you have something in the castle."
Kikimora came in to the chamber with the palisman and handed it to Belos.
"No!"
"Well well, Hunter...looks like you were holding out on me..."
"Don't hurt him! He's my palisman! He chose me!"
"You know you can't have your own palisman...I gave that privilege to Lilith, and look what happened to her..."
"Please...don't..."
Belos looked at the cardinal palisman, and then back at Hunter. He started to squeeze the palisman.
"No!" Hunter used his mechanical staff to fire at Belos, freeing the palisman. It flew out of the chamber.
"What the hell are you doing, boy?"
"Doing what I should've done a long time ago...standing up to you!"
He fired another blast at Belos, who deflected it, vanished and appeared behind Hunter and tossed him aside. Hunter was on the ground, his nose bleeding from the impact. Belos leaned into his ear.
"If the palisman means so much to you, then fine...you can keep it...but effective immediately, you are to be stripped of your rank and banished from my coven..."
Hunter nodded. He got back up, handed his mechanical staff back and walked past Kikimora, who was showing her sinister smile. He left Belos' chamber and went to grab his things and left. Outside of the castle, he was joined by his little palisman buddy. He knew where he had to go now. He no longer had his future figured out for him. He can walk his own path now.