The creature turned to face the group, its eyes on Willow as it started to bound forward. All the teens readied themselves, each preparing to use their unique and varied abilities to stop the creature from attacking... before it suddenly skidded to a halt on its front claws. The mud fell away from its body, the smoke from its back easing to reveal a dirty blonde mane and fur that framed the still witch-like face of… Hunter smiling? He snuffled at Willow before sitting down and dropping the pig demon in front of her.
"...Uuuuuhhhhhh…" Matt looked between the now unconscious pig-demon, Willow, and… Hunter? Stag Beast? Lion Beast? Whaahh…?
"...D-did he just not only respond to you, but give you Tibbles?" Luz asked, looking just as baffled as Matt and everyone else. She eyed Beast-Hunter carefully, the similarities in his looks to Eda's Owl Beast form seeming… uncanny. He had a witchling face, more or less… His lower-jaw was skeletal and green, giving way to golden teeth that protruded from his maw under a nose that more resembled a snout. His ears had become longer, though the notch in the right one remained. Large golden antlers had sprouted from his head, one of which Lil' Rascal was now sitting on. She would have felt her heart drop seeing the cardinal doing so if it wasn't for the fact that the Beast's focus was entirely on Willow.
"H-hunter? C-can you understand me?" Willow asked him, having to crane her neck somewhat to even look him in the eye. This form was much larger than Hunter, standing about three heads over her when not including his antlers. She noted that his tail was wagging back and forth wildly. He made another snuffle sound before reaching his head down to nudge the still unconscious Tibbles at her, before looking back to her unexpectedly. "A-aaahhh…"
"...Wait...wait...WAIT!?" Luz smacked her hands on her cheeks, snorting deeply as she shook from trying not to laugh. "My Beast-Keeping classes… The teacher once talked about how a beast who takes on singular partners will hunt down gifts for them… Did-Did Hunter just hunt down Tibbles to give as a gift to you?!" She snorted. Willow was having a hard time processing what was happening, and slowly reached down to pick up Tibbles by the back of his shirt before staring off into the distance.
Her exclusive was currently in his cursed form, sitting in front of her acting as tame as a spirited pet, and just gave her Tibbles as a prize? Her Hunter just… hunted...a… She slowly looked back up at the Beast-Hunter, who moved his claws slightly in a proud way, still smiling down at her as he snuffled. This was… a lot.
"I don't understand… Didn't Eda act wild and unpredictable when she was transformed? Why is he so tame compared to her?" Amity asked, moving slowly to look up at the beast.
"This is… uuhh..." Matt mumbled.
"This feels kinda surreal," Gus added, moving to Hunter's side and reaching a hand out. As fingers grazed the fur on Hunter's side, Gus was suddenly met with a loud snarl and low growl as the creature whipped to face him, and the witchling stumbled back and fell over, arm up in defense as the snarling Beast backed away with his fur standing upright. "O-Okay! Not completely tamed!"
"Hunter, no!" Willow moved to stand between Gus and Hunter, watching as the latter looked at her, his fur slowly deflating before he stood back up properly. He sniffed at the air, blinking a few times before his head turned to the direction the group had been heading before they were interrupted. The Beast turned, starting to trot away deeper into the forest. "W-wait, Hunter! Stop!" Willow called out, moving to follow him. He slowed his trot to look back at her, snuffled again, and faced back forward and speeding into a run.
"Hunter!" The group called after him, before racing after him. Willow quickly summoned vines to wrap around Tibbles's arms, fingers, and legs as she tucked him under her arm. She would deal with this little demon later, after she dealt with Hunter. After running for a few minutes the group stopped, gasping in horror at where they saw their cursed friend disappear into. The entrance to the Bat Queen's lair…
"Okay… okay… don't freak out!" Luz said shakily, almost hysterically as she pulled out a few plant glyphs. "I'm gonna bind Hunter in a few vines with Willow and we can just drag him out of-"
"Ah ha! You have returned, friends." The Bat Queen's declaration rang out from inside the cave, prompting the five to freeze before looking at each other and then into the cave. With a hesitant first step, Willow started her way inside to be followed by everyone else.
The cave was lit by a burning fire, above which the Bat Queen sat, a smile on her lips as she looked up at Lil' Rascal, who rested on one of her wings to chirp gleefully at her. Beast-Hunter had laid down and stretched out across the ground, allowing the children of the Bat Queen to climb on top of him and roll off his back. Everyone, especially Willow, was… stunned, to say the least.
"Oh, you have brought more friends," the Bat Queen noticed as she looked over to the arriving group, watching with a matronly smile as Shimmer, Clover, and the gopher palisman Matt was still holding onto unscrewed themselves from their staffs and rushed forward to greet their Queen.
"A-aah, heya, B.Q." Luz gave a nervous wave. Owlbert unravelled himself to hoot up a greeting.
"Hello there, Human. Have you come to tell deepest desire?" the Bat Queen asked, lowering her wing as Lil' Rascal fluttered back over to rest upon one of the antlers of his witch. Willow quickly moved over to Beast-Hunter, who snuffled at her.
"Uhhh… w-well, no, uh…" Luz looked at Hunter, before looking back to the Bat Queen. "D-do you know him?"
"Yi yi. The Kirin is good child. Came to play with palismen and babies and to chase off intruders from home," she explained with a nod.
"T-the Kirin?" Willow asked in a mutter.
"H-he didn't try to eat any of the palismen?" Luz asked, looking back over to Hunter. Willow looked back at Luz, giving her a shrug before turning back to Hunter, who seemed content to let the Bat Babies play on top of him as he looked around idly at the area.
"No ho ho!" the Bat Queen laughed. "Very gentle creature, he is."
"Wait, so… then why does Bel-" Matt found his hand covered by Gus, who shook his head at him.
"Now, now. Why have you come?" the Bat Queen asked, staring down at Luz who had made herself de facto-leader.
"Well… one of the reasons seems to have gone out of the window, but ,uh…" Luz looked back at Hunter before sighing and turning back to the Bat Queen. "The Emperor's Coven has placed a bounty on palismen."
The Bat Queen frowned deeply, dread filling her heart. Clover and the gopher palisman buzzed and chittered as their protector's eyes turned to them and then to the pig-demon Willow was holding with a slow and stony glare. Willow hesitated for only an instant before setting Tibbles down in front of her, not waiting to get between the dreaded Bat Queen and her target. She heard Hunter give a small snarl and bark behind her, the Bat Babies fluttering back to their Mama to hide in her hair as the Beast stood up. The Bat Queen flicked her wing, her trademark webbing entanging Tibbles as he let out a small groan.
"I will deal with this one," she said with a faint snarl. "Thank you for coming to give warning." The Bat Queen looked at the others. "Please leave now," she requested in a dangerously calm tone that made it clear that it was not a request. The teens all hesitated except for Hunter, who snorted and obediently turned to leave at the order. He paused at the entrance to look back at Willow with clear expectancy, and Willow moved to scoop Clover up in her hands and jog over to him. As all the teens followed, the Bat Queen called out, "Young builder-witch, give pause."
"A-aahh…" Matt froze, looking back over his shoulder at The Bat Queen, eyes wide and fear gripping his heart.
"You have shown bravery in the face of unknown today, from all Pibbole speak of," the Bat Queen said, motioning to the gopher palisman who ran forward and stopped in front of Matt's boots. "He is wish to join your side, if you will have him." Matt blinked up at the Bat Queen before looking down at… Pibbole, who chittered and turned back into a staff. Matt quickly took him up as a smile spread across his face.
"I-I will… I will! Thank you! Thank you!" Matt bowed, then bowed again as he stepped away, earning a warm chuckle from the Bat Queen before he left clutching his new palisman close to him with a great smile. He stopped next to Gus, holding out his new palisman with a somehow even bigger smile and a small spring in his step.
"Congratz, man!" Gus laughed, giving him a thumbs up.
"Well… today's adventure has been a lot…" Luz said, putting her hand on her hip.
"Should we have asked the Bat Queen more questions on Hunt-?" Amity's question was cut off by the distant scream of Tibbles. Everyone turned to look back into the cave, except for Hunter who was busily scratching his ear with a claw. In silent agreement, everyone turned and rushed away from the cave entrance. Hunter snorted and then followed after them, keeping close to Willow's side before they stopped back in the small clearing Tibbles had originally captured them in.
"W-we can come back and ask her more questions later," Luz said, shivering slightly at the thought of what the Bat Queen could be doing to the diminutive pig. "For now, uh… should we try to go back to the Owl House with Hunter like… this?"
"Maybe?" Gus replied. "Eda might be able to help figure out why he's like this… maybe even help us come up with how to get him to transform back?" Gus rubbed his neck as he looked over the massive creature that used to be their sixth member. Amity frowned as she glanced from Hunter to Willow, who appeared to still be in minor shock over the whole situation. She could imagine how overwhelmed her old friend was feeling between the sudden capture and adrenaline rush, to now having her newly-animalistic exclusive standing next to her as he sniffed around at the air.
"Well, at least we know he hasn't tried to eat any palismen," Matt pointed out, distracted as he turned the staff in his hand to look over Pibbole with a small smile still on his face.
"Wah!" Willow let out a small sound of alarm as she felt Hunter suddenly pressing his head into hers, almost knocking her over as he let out a strange and prolonged sound and then snuffled again. Willow looked back at him, raising a brow. She couldn't help the small smile on her face. At least in this curse, Hunter was indeed still Hunter. "Y-yeah… Let's head back to the Owl House," Willow said quietly, looking back to the group.
They slowly made their way back to the Owl House, ignoring the fading cries of the pig demon in the distance.
_AN_
Thanks again to Mr. Spinner for being my beta reader and editor!
I hope you all are enjoying this new route I am taking. I know it is a lot different than OBS! Please leave a comment telling me your thoughts, they really do help give me the drive to write! As always I love you!