Chapter Two
As the sun began to rise over the Boiling Isles the next day, it found Hieronymus Bump at the school long before anyone else. Bump had been principal of the school for as long as anyone could remember and had arrived early every school day during his tenure. He had long discovered that doing his paperwork before the students and faculty arrived made it easier to get through without … interrupting incidents.
As Bump flipped through a proposal for allocating funds to the Beastkeeper stables, Bump started at a sound he very rarely heard at this time of morning. Someone was knocking on his office door at sunrise.
"Come in," he called, preparing to summon an Abomination to protect himself. The door to his office opened to reveal a young man with ash-blond hair and dark circles under his wine-red eyes, a large scar across his right cheek and a notch taken from his left ear. He was dressed in a goldenrod vest over a purple long-sleeved shirt, with dark trousers held up by a leather belt, paired with leather boots and gloves.
And Bump did not recognize him as one of the students of Hexside.
"May I help you, young man?" Bump asked neutrally, weaving his fingers in a picture of calm.
"Principal Hieronymus Bump?" the boy asked, to which Bump gestured at the nameplate sitting on his desk. The boy smirked before continuing. "I'm here on business from the Emperor's Coven," he said, drawing back the cuff of his right glove to show the sigil of the Emperor.
"You know, temporary tattoos are quite common," Bump said, now tenting his fingers. "Though I believe they tend to be popular with younger witchlings."
"It's not temporary," the boy said through clenched teeth. "Why does everyone-?!" He cut himself off and took a breath. Then he removed a length of metal from his belt and flicked it to unfurl an unmistakable tool. The staff of the Golden Guard.
"Ah, I stand corrected," Bump said mildly. "May I ask what the Emperor's right hand wants with my school?"
"I've been leading an investigation into recurring wild magic," the Guard said, his expression smoothing as he placed his hands behind his back in an all-business pose. "I doubt Hexside is teaching the subject, but I know for certain that something related to it is happening here." He took a deep breath. "As you are no doubt aware, the Emperor takes wild magic very seriously."
"Oh yes, I am aware," Bump said. "I was alive during the last years of the Savage Ages and during the Emperor's rise to power. I am very aware of his stance on the matter and can assure you that whatever you have found is not directly related to Hexside school."
"I believe you," the Guard said. "But I still have my duties. As such, I have been given permission by the Emperor to ferret out wild magic in a more … covert manner than we typically do things."
The pieces fell into place before Bump's eyes. "Are you asking to be enrolled at Hexside to spy on my students?" Bump asked, rhetorically as he was certain of the answer.
"If you want to look at it that way, then yes," the Guard replied coolly. "I would of course be happy to recommend a donation of funds from the Emperor's Coven to cover repairs from — how do I put this? — recent events." His lips twisted in a mischievous smirk that drew Edalyn Clawthorne to mind.
"Ah, the carrot or the stick," Bump surmised before sighing heavily. "I would of course welcome extra funds. And as long as you don't cause trouble," he pointed at the Guard with clear meaning, "you are free to enroll and perform your duties." He smirked in return. "But if you enroll, you would be wise to live up to your chosen cover story and keep up your grades." He tented his fingers again. "We wouldn't want it getting out that the famed teen prodigy of the Emperor's Coven was failing classes at Hexside, would we?"
The Guard narrowed his eyes, his nostrils flaring in ire, before he tightened his lips and nodded. "I assume there will be paperwork involved?"
"Oh yes," Bump said gleefully, rifling through his desk drawers for the reserve forms he always kept on hand. He found them and splayed them across the far side of his desk — a mere dozen forms to read over and sign, nothing major — and stood from his desk. "If you'll look over those and sign, I'll be right back."
Bump returned a few minutes later to find the Golden Guard halfway through the forms as he painstakingly examined every word of what he was signing. Bump arced his brows in surprise at a clear sixteen year old taking paperwork so seriously, then realized that the ruling body of the Boiling Isles had likely bombarded him with the bureaucratic bane of joy for quite some time.
As the Guard finished off the last form, Bump offered him what he had gone to fetch: a blank-white Hexside uniform in his size. Bump turned in his chair to look over the forms and make sure everything was in order, giving the boy the privacy to change. When he'd examined everything and found them in perfect order, he turned to find the Guard dressed and standing at attention.
"Well, Hunter," he said, having gleaned the name from the forms — Hunter Strong, the surname clearly false and rather on the nose — "everything is in order. There is just one more detail to iron out." He pointed upward, indicating the banners of the nine tracks. "Which track would you like to pursue?"
"Plants," Hunter said without hesitance.
"You seem rather sure of that," Bump said, drumming his nails on his desk. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Something that I won't tell you unless you swear an everlasting oath not to reveal it to anyone," Hunter said firmly.
Bump blinked before mulling it over for a moment and, deciding that it was related to his students and thus his priority to learn, formed the spell circle for the oath. He stood and met Hunter's grip with his own to shake, the circle dissolving and the magic seeping into their bodies to seal the deal.
"There is one particular student I am looking for," Hunter revealed. "A chubby girl with round glasses and shoulder-length hair in the plant track. She has a staff with a bee-themed palisman. And she is friends with the human, Luz Noceda."
"There is only one student I know of who fits that description," Bump said. "Her name is Willow Park." He pursed his lips and made a decision. "Would you care to match her schedule in plant magic?"
"I would appreciate that," Hunter said sardonically.
Bump nodded and began writing out the schedule. "Your classes have been set up, and I will keep your identity between us," Bump said. "But maintaining your cover is your responsibility, Mr. Strong. If you are discovered, I will have no part in it." Hunter winced a bit at those words, something Bump noticed but decided not to comment on. "Now then, classes start at nine, so you have some time to kill." With a quick spell, he changed Hunter's sleeves and leggings to the green of the Plants track. "You may make yourself at home or tour the campus if you wish." With that, Bump settled back in his seat. "Welcome, Hunter Strong, to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics." With those words, he returned to his paperwork and, for all intents and purposes, Hunter was no longer there.
As he distantly noted his office door opening and closing, Hunter apparently deciding he would rather tour the campus, Bump sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose before scratching Frewin's head. There was no way this wouldn't blow up in his face.
As the first bell of the day screamed, Willow was helping the plant track teacher, Mrs. Kissiae — a young and attractive tan-skinned woman with hair dark like mulch and perpetually filled with twigs — bring the last few plants for today's project into the classroom. Mrs. Kissiae brushed her arm over her forehead with a contented sigh and patted Willow on the shoulder with a warm smile in thanks before taking her place at the front of the greenhouse to begin writing on the chalkboard.
"Hey Willow," a familiar voice said. Willow turned to find Jerbo, the dual-track plant/Abominations student and ex-member of the detention track. After the incident with the Greater Basilisk, and the magnetic pull of Luz's joint friendship, the two had become good friends in their own right in the weeks since. Jerbo was as gangly and awkward as ever, and it made Willow smile.
"Hey Jerbo," she said in turn. "Are you ready to handle the Snaring Nettles?" The plants that she and Mrs. Kissiae had just finished bringing in had originally been tranquilized with a sleeping spell, but it was quickly wearing off and the students would have to work with them at full awareness. The plants were tall stalks that bore long stems ending in broad teardrop-shaped leaves, every inch of both stems and leaves covered in tiny needles that caused intense pain and even caused the skin to smoke when touched. And even worse, or better depending on who you asked, was that they liked to ambush prey and wrap around them to feed on their skin. Hence the name of "snaring" nettles.
"Uh, heh, yeah," Jerbo said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "It looks like fun." Willow looked at him quizzically, even tilting her head to the side in a way that made Jerbo chuckled before he relaxed. "But, uh, since you brought the project up … would you like to-?"
"Willow, could you come here please?" Mrs. Kissiae called.
"Yes ma'am!" Willow said. "Sorry, Jerbo. Raincheck, okay?" she said, using a phrase Luz had taught them all.
"Uh, yeah. You got it ..." Jerbo said, trailing off in disappointment before searching out another partner.
Willow approached the board to find Mrs. Kissiae with a new student, a tall boy a couple of years older than her with ash-blond hair and dark circles under wine-red eyes like he hadn't slept well in days. He smiled at her, revealing a gap in his front teeth.
"Willow, this is Hunter," the teacher introduced. "Hunter, this is Willow Park, my prize student." She leaned in close and held her hand up to shield one side of her mouth. "Don't tell the others," she stage-whispered with a grin. Willow giggled and blushed at the compliment. "Since Hunter's new, I hoped you could be his partner for the project today," Mrs. Kissiae explained. Her smile faded just a bit. "And make sure he pulls his weight, Willow. I don't want any snipes in my class."
"I'm right here," Hunter groused with a pointed look.
"And we're very happy to have you here," Mrs. Kissiae said with a genuine smile. "Willow, you know what to do. Hunter, pay attention to your partner." She clapped her hands to draw the class's attention. "Alright everyone, come and get your worksheets for the snaring nettles activity!" She began passing papers out. "You will be-"
"-Harvesting the milky sap from the central stalk," Willow explained. "It's used in medicines to treat burns and prevent infection."
"I think it can also be used as a mild anesthetic," Hunter added, Willow blinking in surprise. He smirked and shrugged. "I read a lot, okay?"
"Did you happen to read about the best way to work with these plants?" Willow asked, her smile returning full-force. He sighed through his nose and shook his head, averting his gaze as if in shame. "Well, that's what we're here for," Willow said lightly, handing him a piece of wood six inches long and three inches thick. "Watch this."
Willow approached the snaring nettle and slowly lobbed another piece of wood in its direction. The nettle sent a stem to lash out at the wood, snaring it in its leaves and holding tight. Hunter did the same and another stem lashed out to snare the wood. The pair continued until all but one stem had been tricked, and Willow placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder to stop him from lobbing another piece.
Instead, she held up a piece of wood that had a length of chain secured to one end. She held the free end of the chain and tossed the wood to let the last stem's leaves catch it before deftly whipping the chain around and restraining the stems in one fell swoop. She handed a small glass tube and a ceramic cup to Hunter, who stuck the tube into the base of the central stalk and let the milky sap drain into the cup.
"Okay, I'll admit it," Hunter said with a more genuine smile, "that was kind of fun."
"I know, right?" Willow replied, adjusting her glasses. She tilted her head as she examined the stalk slowly wilting. She prepared a length of medical tape before gesturing for Hunter to remove the glass tube, then quickly and carefully sealed the hole with the tape.
No sooner had the pair sealed the cup of sap than someone screeched in pain. Bram, a brown-furred demon with pronounced fangs and large ears sticking out of his hood, cried out as his hands smoked from contact with the nettles. Amelia, his project partner, was using magic to paralyze and restrain the nettles before they could keep snaring while Mrs. Kissiae took Bram to the front of the room to treat his burns. Ironically, she used snaring nettle sap to do so, lathering it onto the burns with a soft brush.
"So, are we done?" Hunter asked.
"Just with the hard part," Willow answered, presenting him with his copy of the worksheet. "We have to summarize what we know and learned about snaring nettles, answer follow-up questions, and write a report on how it went. Then we turn in the cup of sap and have the rest of the period to study."
Hunter blinked owlishly at the sheer joy in Willow's expression and words before groaning and taking up a pen to begin their work. After fifteen minutes of writing, Hunter offered his report for Willow to look over, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise. His report wasn't inaccurate, but it was brief and blunt; the sort of thing you wrote when short on time and trying to use as few words as possible. Curious.
When they had finished, Willow summoned her staff and formed a sleeping spell to make the nettles relax as she unbound the chain and then, using gloves, pried the wood blocks away from the leaves. Finally, she slipped a tall cage over the plant to protect passersby until the next class. "There we go," Willow said happily.
Hunter resisted the urge to roll his eyes until he felt a commotion in his cowl. A little cardinal palisman poked his head out of the fabric with a delighted twitter and flew onto the table to tweet at Willow. "Aww, hello little friend," she said, holding her finger out for him to perch on. Then Clover awoke and settled onto Willow's elbow. The palismen regarded each other neutrally, the cardinal fluttering his wings to puff himself up and Clover fluttering her wings as if in agitation.
Then they began darting around each other with joyful tweets and trills.
"Huh, thought that was going in a totally different direction," Hunter commented.
"Willow, Hunter," Mrs. Kissiae called from across the greenhouse as she assisted another pair of students, "palismen are permitted in the greenhouse as long as they do not cause a commotion. You know this, Willow."
"Yes ma'am! Sorry!" Willow called, then snapped her fingers twice as the signal for Clover to calm down and return. She did so and settled onto Willow's head with a delighted trill. The cardinal twittered and cocked its head at the display before fluttering up and settling in Hunter's hair like a nest.
"Oh great," Hunter groused with a faint smile. "Now you've got him doing it."
"What's his name?" Willow asked. "He looks really familiar."
"He was a part of the Bat Queen's batch from a while ago here at Hexside," Hunter revealed.
"Oh, yeah!" Willow recalled. "He tried to get out of the pen but Principal Bump put him back inside." She giggled. "Then he got all huffy about it." She waggled her fingers in the cardinal's direction, to which the palisman fluttered his wings. "What's his name?"
"He likes 'Lil Rascal'," Hunter said, scooping the bird off his hair and settling him in his palm before carding the fingers of his other hand to try to straighten the ashen locks to little avail. "He picked it up from somewhere and I don't have any better ideas."
"Well that explains their behavior," Willow commented, scratching Clover's head. "They're probably old friends."
Hunter made no comment as he moved to turn in their project papers and the sap they had collected, Lil Rascal fluttering to perch on his shoulder. Willow watched as they did, more specifically watching Hunter absently stroke Lil Rascal's crest as he walked, apparently talking to the palisman in a hushed tone. Lil Rascal hopped up and down with sharp tweets at something Hunter had said, to which the new student laughed as he handed their work in to Mrs. Kissiae.
Willow felt herself grow warm at the clear affection between Hunter and Lil Rascal. Though she had gone to Hexside her entire school career, she knew as well as anyone what it was like to be excluded and looked down upon. And new kids, like Hunter, would be prone to such situations.
As Hunter returned, she resolved to make sure he wouldn't feel like she had for so long. He would feel at home at Hexside.
As the bell rang, Willow took a leaf from Luz's book and just went for it. "So, Hunter, do you have lunch plans?" she asked.
Hunter raised an eyebrow and gave a cocky grin. "Are you asking me to join you?"
Willow felt her cheeks warm up at the insinuation, but brushed it aside. "Yes, actually," she said, trying to mirror his smug attitude. That seemed to throw him for a loop and his grin vanished to be replaced by sheer surprise. "I thought you might like to sit with me and my friends. Unless you already have someone to sit with?"
"I don't, actually," Hunter said, shouldering his satchel full of books. "I've, uh, kind of been homeschooled by my uncle my whole life. So I don't really know anyone."
Willow smiled sadly and bumped him with her shoulder, as Luz had done to her before. "Well, luckily for you, I know a lot of friendly people." She chuckled behind her hand. "We'll get you socialized in no time."
As they neared the cafeteria, Willow waved at her group. Luz and Amity were holding hands in broad daylight, lost in each others' eyes as had happened often since they'd finally gotten together. Gus was apparently finishing up a discussion with Mattholomule, who nodded and left without turning back. Willow glanced around and saw the Troublemakers at a different table; not uncommon, though they did eat lunch with the group on occasion.
"Hey Willow," Gus called out, breaking Luz and Amity from their daze.
"Hi everyone," Willow said. "I'd like you to meet-"
"Hunter?" Luz asked, shooting up from the bench.
"Hey, Luz," Hunter answered with a half-grin.
Ooh, what's gonna happen next?! If you liked it, leave a review! They keep me motivated in an impulse-write like this.
*Mrs Kissiae is modeled on a dryad - very minor goddesses connected to trees - and her name comes from a dryad of Classical Myth who was connected to ivy.