Chapter 2
In the Demon Realm, on the Boiling Isles, there sits the Owl House, home to Eda the Owl Lady, King of Demons, Hooty the house Demon, and now Hunter Wittebane, their newest addition, who now sleeps in the attic of the ocular adorned home. Unfortunately, his dreams are anything but sweet, evident by his tossing and turning on his makeshift bed of various cushions, the floor rug he had been using as a blanket now kicked away from his jerking body, his face contorted in fear.
"No. Stay away from me." He mumbles to himself. "Don't hurt me… Stay back… Gah!"
The young Witch jerks up into a sitting position, sweat beading from his forehead. His breathing slowly calms as he looks around and remembers the events of the day prior.
"Oh, I guess it wasn't a dream." Slowly, the corners of his mouth pull up into a small smile. "Awesome."
After a quick trip to the bathroom to freshen up, accompanied by an unwelcome intrusion by Hooty, his face extending from the front door through the bathroom window to wish Hunter a good morning, followed by Hunter, in an instinctive moment of shock, punching him in the face, and apologizing before getting on with his business, Hunter changes out of his dirty clothes. Sadly, these dirty clothes are all that he "owned." Aside from a stolen tunic, stolen black trousers, stolen leather gloves, and stolen polished leather boots, Hunter had nothing of his own. Luckily, the Owl Lady had previously given him a box of clothes he could wear; unfortunately, none of them were… well… his style. But, they're all he's got so…
After dropping his tunic, trousers and socks off to be washed, Hunter walks down the stairs and enters the kitchen, still wearing the same stolen boots and gloves, but now accompanied by a pair of pink denim jeans and a white T-shirt labeled "16 Going On 60" in red, cursive letters over a skin-tight undershirt with sleeves reaching his wrists.
"Seriously? You didn't have anything else?" The frowning boy asks, receiving a frown from the Owl Lady herself, who is now dressed in a purple sweater, a blue, ankle-length skirt and a pair of bunny slippers, as well as some hysterical laughter from the small Demon sitting at the breakfast table with a plate of scrambled griffon eggs and eyes.
"Maybe later, we can take a trip to the mall and go shopping!" King laughs.
"Big talk coming from a short guy in a highchair."
King's laughter is brought to a gasping halt.
"How dare you disrespect my royal throne!"
"C'mon, kids! I didn't pull myself out of my nest this morning just so you two to ruin my morning apple blood."
Nest? Apple blood? As in the alcoholic drink or the child-safe, boxed version? Actually, he doesn't care enough to criticize the woman's life choices, strange as they may sound. After helping himself to a bowl of breakfast cereal, savoring the flavor of non-stale flakes and fresh milk, which was rare in his days as a "street urchin", he asks a question that had been on his mind for quite some time.
"So… what kind of work will I be doing?"
His answer doesn't come until after breakfast, when Eda drops a bag full of glass bottles at his feet, their contents completely unknown to him.
"Like I said yesterday, you'll be earning your keep under my roof."
Hunter kneels down to examine the mysterious contents.
"Are these what you sell at your stall in the market?" He asks before pulling out a bottle of 'snake oil' from the bag.
"Actually, these are for my potion deliveries."
She leaves the kitchen and enters the living room, and Hunter, after slinging the bag over his shoulder, follows.
"Deliveries? I thought you just sold trash to suckers?"
She freezes in front of the mantle while King laughs from his place by the window. She rolls her eyes at the assumption and the reaction but quickly returns to a proud disposition. She explains how she often retrieves human treasures from the Human Realm (a prospect that greatly bewilders Hunter) and sells them to an unsuspecting, Demonic public. When he asks how she is able to do this, she just tells him that it's a "trade secret" as she magically pulls Hunter's hair back and ties it into a ponytail.
"Ow! Hey!" He exclaims, rubbing his stinging head.
"Might as well make you look a little presentable." Eda tells him.
Eda then informs Hunter that she runs multiple small businesses to help put food on the table, mainly selling and distributing potions, which is what he is being tasked with for the day. She leads him to a terrace overlooking the vast ocean on one side, the waters bubbling and steaming due to their boiling nature, hence the name "Boiling Sea", and on the other side, Eda points to the bustling township of Bonesborough where he is to begin his work.
Hunter looks on at the town, having not had the chance up till now to finally see it from a distance and takes note of the large mouth-like coliseum, a giant hand holding onto an uprooted house with several smaller rooved protrusions clinging to its arm, the large, cathedral-like building in the distance, and before it all, four curved, pointed bones, protruding from the ground, standing between Bonesborough and the river beside it leading into the sea.
After warning him of the dangers of the town and its residents who may be rivals seeking to end Eda's business, Hunter is sent off to work with his wares in tow, accompanied by King, whom Eda sends to make sure he doesn't slack off, run away, or die. At least, that's what Hunter believed.
After making several deliveries and selling a potion or two, making sure to stay clear of any guards, Hunter decides to rest and grab a bite to eat.
"Sweet! What's for lunch?" Askes an excited King.
"Let's find out." After searching around, he finds a trashcan and dives in, headfirst. "Score!" He emerges with a mostly eaten sandwich in each hand. "Looks they were just thrown out earlier today!"
Disgusted with his acquaintance's idea for lunch, King slaps the garbage food out of his hands.
"Are you out of your mind?! Let's just go to the market and buy some food!"
"Oh, yeah. We have money now." As realization dawns on Hunter, he can't help but notice his companion's judgmental stare. "Hey, don't give that look! When I was on my own, I had to make good with what I could get! I either had to fight, steal, or dumpster dive just to get a scrap of food! All without magic, might I add?"
"Without magic?" Hunter's eyes widen as soon as he hears King repeat his words. "Why wouldn't you us—"
"FUN fact, the first time I ever tried to steal food from someone bigger than me was how I got this scar."
Sweat beading his brow, he quickly lifts up his shirt and points at the exposed area, and King retches at the sight of the boy's abdomen. Why did the sight of some kid's side make him sick? Well-
[SPOILER REDACTED]
"Okay, my appetite is officially gone now."
Hunter sighs in relief, having successfully dodged that metaphorical bullet.
"C'mon, let's just get this done and go home."
"Who's next on the list?"
"Someone named Adegast. You ever met them?"
"Meh. This is usually Eda's job. She just brings me along to pickpocket people's purses and pockets."
Following the address, the two of them are led to a ragged curtain. Pulling it back, the duo stare wide-eyed, gaping at the elegant castle before them. Crimson-red-topped towers with blazing blue flags flowing in the wind. Shimmering, blue banners hang from the walls and the topiaries sheared into menacing dragons. Statues depicting lion-headed chimera stand at the sides of the stairs and the redwood double doors that serve as the entranceway to the building's interior are engraved with powerful-looking figures holding fire.
"Wow, that is a big house."
They approach the large "house" and find the doorbell, a sapphire surrounded by silver, the whole thing designed to resemble an eye. They press it and a light ring can be heard. Almost immediately after, the massive doors pull open by seemingly no one at all.
"Big houses always belong to big whack jobs. Let's kick the package inside and get out of here."
For but a moment, Hunter considers it, but then considers the following, that such a large house might possess a lot of valuables that, should a small amount suddenly vanish, may or may not be missed. Surely Eda wouldn't mind if he was to… bring home some souvenirs from his time working for her that might fetch a pretty penny at the Night Market. Letting his curiosity and thieving side take over for the moment, he steps forward.
"Hey, wait!"
Hunter halts and looks down at the tiny Demon.
"C'mon, King. Let's just take a look."
King looks around the darkened interior, unable to see much aside from the red carpet on the floor before finally relenting, following cautiously.
"I don't know about this, Hunter."
Suddenly, the doors shut behind them and the foyer is consumed in darkness.
"Just be quiet and follow me." Hunter whispers to him encouragingly, and the little Demon rushes behind as they move further into the building.
As their eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, Hunter looks around and listens for any sounds that could belong to the home's owner. They eventually reach the doorway connecting the hall to a round room. Looking around the windowless interior, it is discovered to be an expansive library, fully stocked shelves of books and tomes of unknown natures making up half the walls around them. Stairs leading up to three higher levels of the rotunda stood before them, portraits of unrecognizable figures clad in armor holding crystalline staffs hang from the second level walls around the stairs, and the walls of the highest level are nothing but bookshelves save for the wall in front of the stairs which possesses an even larger painting depicting an elderly wizard clad in purple robes adorned with golden stars, his snow-white beard reaching as low as his stomach.
Before Hunter can start to scan the room for valuables, every light source in the vicinity magically ignites, starting closest to the ground, and ending with the sconces lining the walls at the highest tier. The boys flinch in surprise, but quickly adjust to the new light just in time to notice the door at the top of the stairs beneath the painting immediately open, and who should walk out, but the very same wizard depicted in the portrait above. His rose eyes partially hidden behind half-moon glasses gaze down upon the duo.
"Um! H-hello! W-we're just here to deliver a package from—"
"Eda." The elder man finishes for Hunter with a warm smile, making his way down the stairs at a leisurely pace, but much faster than the boy in pink pants would expect from a man his age. "Yes, I know. But forgive me, I was expecting Eda herself. You must work for her, do you not?"
"Um, yes. I'm new and uh—" Hunter instantly takes a defensive stance when the man suddenly glides across the floor to him, not raising his hands, but balling them into fists, ready to fight should this kind-faced man suddenly turn hostile.
"Forgive me, young man, but dareth I say, I sense something… unique about you."
Hunter's eyes widen. Could he already know?! This could be trouble. He has to get out of here before this man decides to—
"Please, won't you join me for tea?"
Drawing a circle with his hand, that elderly man summons forth a table with a teapot, steam flowing from the spout, two matching teacups, a small tower of teatime side desserts and on both sides of the table, two chairs. The old wizard takes a seat in the larger one, white in color, the head covered in discarded jewelry and an old crown. O-okay, he wasn't expecting this. Perhaps he didn't know and was just making idle chit-chat. Still, Hunter doesn't want to take the chance. He's been through too much thanks to his condition, and he isn't about to be lured into a false sense of security… again. King clearly shares Hunter's wariness, whispering to him how he clearly doesn't trust this man's kindly façade.
"Um. Thank you, sir, but we really need to—"
"I also have scones~."
"WHERE?!" His stomach getting the better of him, King climbs up onto Hunter's shoulder, and as soon as he spots the hors d'oeuvres, all previous reservations are forgotten as he leaps from his vantage point and scurries onto the table, burying his face into the delicious assortment of teacakes and the like while Hunter presses his face into the palm of his hand, sighing in defeat.
"I guess we can stay for a bit."
Despite his desire to leave, he figures Eda wouldn't approve of him abandoning King in some stranger's home. So, taking a seat in the smaller, green velvet chair across from the man, he puts down his sack of goods and money, and pulls himself closer to the table. First, he examines the cup and notices that it's completely clean, save for the dark water of the tea within.
He picks it up and swirls its contents by moving the cup around, wafting the aroma of the fresh beverage towards his nostrils before finally taking a light sip, savoring the flavor in his mouth. At least, that was how it appeared at first glance, but what he was actually doing was checking for poisons, of which he finds none. Half-assured of his safety, Hunter continues to drink, actually enjoying his tea now, and proceeds to scan the room just as he had initially intended. His search for easy-to-steal valuables is brought to a halt when he finds a wheeled table of bottles, vials, and jugs surrounding a mortar and pestle, two candles resting at the corners.
"Wait. Do you… Do you make potions?"
"Why yes. As a matter of fact, I do."
"Then why are you buying from a competitor?"
"Well, I can't very well keep up with my own supply and demand, so it's always good to have your own local source for ingredients."
"I suppose that makes sense."
King, after finishing the whole plate of scones, stands up on the table to speak to the wizard.
"Well, the King of Demons demands that you keep supplying more scones… into my mouth! Ha-ha! Yes!"
"Now I believe that I get to ask a question, if you would so kindly allow me too."
Hunter looks down at his tea and then nods his head.
"You say that you've recently come under her employment. Would that imply that you are her apprentice?"
Hunter hesitates for but a second, and then answers.
"I just help her out with her jobs. Nothing more."
"Ah. Forgive me. I would have guessed that the self-proclaimed 'Most Powerful Witch' would have one by now. An apprentice, that is." Hunter notes the almost inaudible tone in his voice when he repeated the very same title Eda herself used when she first introduced herself to him, making his trust in this man's words lessen. "Then again, I suppose it makes sense." With a twirl of his finger, more scones appear on the table, and King digs in. "I can only imagine how difficult such a life can be for someone without magic."
Hunter goes stone still, his mouth open as wide as his eyes.
"H-how did you—?"
"How could I tell you were a magicless Witch? Oh, when you get to be my age, you learn to pick up on these sorts of things at first glance. All Witches give off a certain aura of magic. Think of it like magic sweat, only you can see it rather than smell it. But I see no magic coming from you."
Hunter lowers his head. He had hoped that no one would ever find out, and now this total stranger just spilled the beans to—
"Did you say something? I couldn't hear over the sound of me eating."
False alarm. He was too busy stuffing his face. And… he just went right back to it. Still, the fact that Hunter is a magicless Witch has been something he has kept close to his chest for a long time. He knows what can happen to him should more people find out about his condition.
"I get it, you think I'm pathetic and useless."
"What?!" Now it was Adegast's turn to widen his eyes. "No! Of course not!"
It's Hunter's turn once again.
"Really?!"
"I hath no right to judge thee for something outside of thy control, my boy." Hunter is shocked that this elder wizard seems to sympathize with his plight. "But what if I were to tellest you that it could be."
"What?!"
From his beard, Adegast pulls out a scroll bound with a beige ribbon and sealed with scarlet wax, the letter "A" molded from it.
"I'm sure thou art aware of the innate magic that staffs already possess. With the magic of a palisman staff, even a human can become as powerful as any common Witchling." He unfurls the parchment, revealing a map. At its lowest point sit four mountains separated by a path between them. Following the path, it leads to what appears to be a cluster of dreary colored houses, a square printed beneath it with lettering that reads "Kaynign". Further up, the path leads to a small grouping of jagged, leafless trees with a sign that reads "Beast Hollow". Sadly, the path ends just before what appears to be a river and a forest of thorny, dead trees.
At the center of the forest is a tree, far larger than the rest, its white trunk and blue leaves a stark contrast to those around it. It is labeled the "Celestial Oak". Resting at the top of the tree is a drawing of a white staff, but the top is split and encircles a blue crystal. "But legend has it, there exists a powerful Celestial Staff crafted by an ancient order, prophesized to be claimed by a chosen one. A gifted child, born without magic who is destined to lead this world to a golden age of peace and equality. Perhaps thou hath cometh here for a reason."
Hunter stares at the painted image of the staff, imagining a life if he had magic, but then he remembers that he lives in the real world, not some fantasy role-playing game. He quickly shakes the thought from his head and pushes the parchment away.
"Thank you for your kind words, really, but I'm afraid I'm not the right guy."
The man's eyes droop in dreary disappointment and he sighs.
"That is a shame." His warm smile then returns. "But still, keep the scroll, just in case."
Adegast rolls up the scroll and hands it over to Hunter, who takes it out of respect for the old man who had been so kind to him.
Later, Hunter stands outside the Owl House's front door, staring at the scroll.
"Hiya, Hunter!" The sudden, high-pitched greeting shocks Hunter enough to make him let out a quick scream; of course, his fear is instantly replaced by embarrassment when he realizes the one speaking to him was Hooty, his face still stuck on the front door as it has always been. "I couldn't help but notice you've been staring at that rolled up sheet of paper for the past ten minutes. I didn't wanna disturb you, but now it's just getting weird."
"No one asked for your opinion, Hooty!" He harshly berates. With one last look at the paper, Hunter takes a deep breath and enters the house. "Eda!"
Eda emerges from behind a wall, holding and large severed hand.
"What d'you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"I just wanted to ask if you've ever heard of a Celestial Staff?"
"A what?!" Eda stares at Hunter as though he had just spoken gibberish.
It is at this moment that King chimes in, regaling Eda of the events that had just transpired, admitting that he was only half listening, but he soon begins to laugh when he gets to the part where Adegast alludes to the possibility that Hunter might be a "Chosen One". Eda can't help but join in, her patronizing cackles mixing in with King's own.
"Ha-Hoot!" Hooty laughs along, pushing his head through an open window. "I have no idea what we're laughing at!"
Hunter has had enough.
"Forget it! He was just some crazy old guy, and I just thought this stupid staff thing could be worth something, okay?!"
Hunter holds up the map given to him by the wizard, and after calming down from her laughing fit, Eda takes the rolled-up paper and examines its contents.
"You didn't think this was real, did you?"
Hunter pouts, crossing his arms and shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know. I just thought it'd be worth a look."
"Well, it's not. There's no giant tree with a Celestial Staff on the Boiling Isles. I would have stolen it ages ago."
"Well, maybe you just never came across it."
"Kid. I've been all over the Isles. I've seen everything on it. Trust me, this map is nothing but trash."
Eda tosses the sheet to the side and it drifts back to Hunter's feet. He adverts his gaze to the floor and then to his shirt, remembering what lies beneath. He clutches his shirt, Eda, King and Hooty's laughter still reverberating in his head, mixing with the laughter of others. Suppressed memories are forced back to the surface.
"You never saw me." He mutters.
"Huh? You say something?"
"Just forget it! You're right! It was a stupid idea! Just forget I said anything!"
Hunter kneels down and picks up the sheet before marching off to his room. In his emotional state, he slams the door before pressing his back into it and sliding down the wooden surface until his bottom reaches the floor. He then unrolls the parchment to stare at the decorative illustrations, sighing at his own foolishness.
"Maybe Eda's right. I mean, a Celestial Staff? Destined for someone without magic?" He releases his grip and drops the paper onto the floor where it slides until the sunlight graces a small portion of it. "Stupid! I can't believe I almost fell for that! I-I'm such a—!"
His words become caught in his throat when he sees the unfurled parchment on the floor, and his eyes grow to the size of saucers. As part of the upper half is enveloped in daylight, a light blue shine that was not there previously glows from the map's surface. He crawls closer and touches the parchment, accidentally pushing the sheet further into the light. As more of the page become shrouded in sunlight, more of the glowing character becomes visible. Carefully, he lifts the whole page, turns around so that his back is to the wall beneath the window and holds the map under the sunlight shining into the room. Now encased in sunlight, the top of the map magically becomes aglow with blue letters, smaller letters cover the section marked "Beast Hollow", small triangles encircle the top of the staff, resembling a star, and to his surprise, the path completes across the river and on to the Celestial Oak.
"The Chosen One." He reads the top aloud and then the smaller letters below. "The path will only appear to the worthy."
His eyes linger on the now illuminated staff, imagining himself holding it, using real magic. His eyes become hard as stone, his spirit resolute as he rolls up the paper. He is determined. He will see if this is true, or die trying… He has to know… if he can truly become a true Witch.
Time passes and Hunter finds himself marching past the city limits of Bonesborough, armed with a thin, metal pipe he found and dressed once again in his now-washed tunic and britches, he made a mental note to steal some more clothes on his way back, regardless of if this trek proves fruitful or fruitless. He slides down a hill and enters the woods, his determination ever present, even as an ominous cloud of mist sets in and the clouds above become so thick, that day practically turns to night.
Striking away the vines, he continues on until he finally pulls back some brush and gapes at the sight of a village full of bipedal dog-people. They stand at about a third taller than him, their bodies clearly three times more muscular than his own, and each of them wearing the same scowl if they weren't already snarling or growling. The town itself seemed to be falling apart with a few notes of patchwork and quick-temporary fixes here and there.
Looking around, he couldn't find a single Witch, but he did find an old, discarded brown cloak that was full of rips and holes. Weighing his options, he guesses that it's probably a better option to hide his face just in case they don't take too kindly to strangers. Hopefully they'll just think he's a really small local. He can defend himself against a group of town guards, sure, but a whole village of angry dog-people with razor-sharp teeth? Not a chance. He quickly and carefully makes his way through the village, hoping not to be taken notice of, and so far, it works. He's already halfway through and no one's said anything.
"Hey!" Never mind. Hunter turns around and comes face to abs with a towering figure. He looks up and finds the head of a giant rottweiler glaring down at him from the top of the body, dressed in black britches and a brown tunic that's almost too small for his bulky physique. The large, muscular man grabs Hunter by the cloak and lifts him off of the ground just high enough that he only has to incline his neck slightly to look down at the Witchling, forcing the boy to drop his only weapon as well as his map. "What're you doin', sneakin' around dressed like dat, huh?"
"I'm just passing through! I don't want any trouble!"
The larger man's eyes look Hunter up and down and his gaze falls upon the map at his feet. In that moment, his face shifts into a look of annoyance and exhaustion.
"Ah, great. Uh-nutha' one." Hunter calms down his fight-or-flight instincts as he looks at the man, confused. "Yuh lookin' fer that Celestial Staff, ain't you?"
"You know about it?"
"Mos' who do, either know it's a myth, or they find that out on their own, assuming they suh-vive Beast Hollow. Jus' about anyone'll tell yuh what I'mma 'bout to tell yuh," With that, he drops Hunter at his feet, "give up…" He then looks away in thought. "Well, except one."
"Huh?"
"The girl in the pub back there." He points his thumb to a building behind him, but from Hunter's position, what with a bulky frame before him, all that he can see through the man's muscular legs are the windows and the light shining through them. "She sez she's seen it, but I have my doubts. Take my advice, kid; go home."
With that, the man walks away. Hunter reaches out for the man, telling him to "Wait!", but he ignores him, and proceeds to disappear around a corner. Hunter stares for a bit, and then turns around to see the pub the man was previously gesturing to, windows aglow with yellow light, and the sounds of cheers roaring from within. He retrieves his map and weapon and returns to his feet, ruminating on what he's just heard as he continues to stare at the building in front of him. According to the muscular dog-man, this girl has seen the Celestial Staff before. If this is true, then perhaps it could prove that his effort is not in vain after all. That, or she's bluffing in an attempt to gain recognition.
He then considers continuing on his quest as he is, but his eyes soon return to the parchment in his hands, his eyes lingering on the section labeled "Beast Hollow" as he remembers the man's words "assuming they suh-vive Beast Hollow". He then assumes that if this girl is telling the truth, then she must know her way through the area… or not. He considers the possibility and guesses that it's at least worth investigating. He approaches the pub, and the moment his foot lands on that first step towards the door, the window beside him erupts into shards as a body flies through the frame and lands outside, into the dirt, face-first. O-kay, that happened.
"Alright, who's next?!" The sound of a young, feminine voice encourages Hunter to look through the destroyed window.
Inside, he sees tables filled with more denizens of the town, a bar to the right surrounded by circular seats, most of the seats remain empty. As for the patrons sitting at the bar, most are turned around, staring at the center, where Hunter finds a table with only two patrons sitting at it, but even more surrounding them at all sides, sans in front of Hunter. The majority of the pub are all watching an even bigger and bulkier, pink-furred poodle-woman sitting at the table across from a small Witch girl, who appears to be around Hunter's age.
Her dark hair is cut short save for a single braid lining the left side of her scarred face, reaching just past her shoulder, an indigo ribbon tied at the bottom. She is dressed in a purple tunic, a black belt tightening it to her waste, brown britches rolled up to revel black tights clinging to her crossed ankles, and mucky, faded boots on her feet.
The burly woman slams her elbow onto the table and the girl mimics her movements before holding the woman's hand in a vice-grip. One of the waiting staff walks over and holds the two different hands linked in the middle before barking something that sounded like "Ready, set, go." Almost immediately, the server pulls away, and the two females begin pushing their hands against each other in hopes to force the other onto the table. Hunter is intrigued, every citizen in this town appears to be far stronger than the average Witch, and yet one is sitting before him, arm-wrestling one of them. He soon decides to enter the establishment in hopes to better see this girl up close.
The girl's amethyst eyes are locked solely on her opponent's teal-green, sweat dripping down both of their teeth-baring faces. After what feels like hours, slowly, the more muscular woman's paw inches closer and closer to the table. Hunter is pulled in more and more by the girl's show of strength, that is, until he unknowingly steps on a loose floor board, resulting in a loud, drawn-out squeak that breaks through the cheering. The girl halts in surprise for but a moment, allowing the poodle-lady to push back the girl's hand, slamming it into the table on the other side.
The pub erupts in cheers for the woman, while the girl looks back at who just costed her a win. Whoops. She sneers at Hunter until her eyes fall upon the scroll clutched in his hand, and her face pulls into a grin. The burly woman behind her slams her fist on the table, and the girl casually tosses a bag of what can only be assumed to be money over her shoulder and into the woman's waiting hands. The girl then gets up from her seat and stands before Hunter, still smiling, half-lidded eyes staring at his nervous face.
"Um. Sorry about that. Didn't see the—"
"You don't have magic, do you?" She confidently askes.
Hunter's eyes widen, but he says nothing.
"I'll take that as a yes. C'mon!" Without warning, she grabs his hand and pulls him along. He stammers as she pulls him out of the pub and down the nearly empty street, attempting to question why she is pulling him and to where. Then, as though she can read his mind, she answers the former. "Trust me, you don't want to be here when she opens that bag." The pub behind them suddenly erupts with roars, growls and incessant enraged barking. "Yeah, that was just a bunch of pebbles. Let's go!"
Finally getting the picture, Hunter runs alongside her, finally prying his hand free, but keeping pace with her.
They soon find themselves outside the village, safely hidden in some shrubbery, sitting on the ground, panting from the run.
"Who are you?!" He asks.
With an air of confidence, the girl grins at him as she stands, straightening out her hair, save for her braid.
"The name's Nevera Thasmyne, thieving outcast." She then plants one of her hands on her hips and looks down at him, offering him the other. "And you?"
He looks at it hesitantly, eying the girl with suspicion before finally taking it.
"I'm Hunter." He introduces himself as she pulls him up "I've heard you've seen the Celestial Staff before."
She turns but keeps one of her eyes on him.
"Well, not the staff itself, but I've seen the forest it's supposed to be in. I've been looking for someone like you. Someone without magic."
So, this girl who's no older than him can also tell if someone has magic or not.
"Why?"
"Only someone who doesn't have magic can retrieve the staff. I bet you're looking for a guide through Beast Hollow. Normally, it would take days to reach the end, and that's if you can sneak past the deadly monsters that lurk there." She holds up her hand and pulls a finger down with every example on her list. "Hand-drakes, slither-beasts, giant spiders, even bookworms! But I've gone through the hollow so many times, I eventually found a shortcut, that easily bypasses the monsters and leads right to the Celestial Oak. All I need is someone who doesn't have magic to retrieve the Celestial Staff for me…" She turns around, feigning surprise. "and oh look! There you are! So, you in?"
Again, Hunter weighs his options.
"Why do you want the Celestial Staff?"
"I'm looking to join an elite thieves' guild, but they said I was 'Too young.' So, I thought stealing the fabled Celestial Staff for them would change their minds. And I'm willing to bet that you just want to have some magic, so here's the deal, you give the Celestial Staff to me once you have it, and I'll give you a staff of your very own. Nothing fancy, unfortunately, so don't push your luck. Or~ you could take a chance and try to find the oak on your own~."
Hunter once again remembers the wizard's words:
"With the magic of a palisman staff, even a human can become as powerful as any common Witchling."
"Alright," He says with a sigh, and Nevera reaches her hand out, "but" she halts, startled, "if your 'Thief's Guild', pays you any money, I want half."
Again, she grins.
"That sounds doable."
With that, he takes her hand, giving it firm shake.
"Then we have a deal."
More time passes, and after sneaking cautiously around monsters, following the overgrown path behind the trees, and almost getting spotted by a giant serpent sleeping overhead by tripping on its tail (thank goodness for Hunter managing to pull her way at the last second, leading to an awkward moment that they quickly shake off), they eventually make it to the shore of a wide river, racing faster than any river he had ever seen. At first glance, there appears to be no way across, but as Nevera wipes away the mud from a grey rock resting near the water, a picture is soon revealed; a blue diamond shape with light-blue lines stretching out from it on all sides. Nevera ushers him forward and he stands in front of the blue diamond shaped stone.
"If my intuition is correct, and it always is, you're supposed to press in the diamond to reveal the path, but it only opens to a 'Chosen One'." She flexes her fingers in quotation. "So, every time I touch the rock, nothing happens. But I think it should work for you… maybe."
Although hesitant, Hunter takes a knee, extends his hand, and presses his finger against the diamond. It moves down like a button until a "click" is heard. The ground suddenly begins to shake, and the duo jump back as a bridge of marble suddenly rises from the water. The duo look at each other and smile.
"You did it! The Celestial Staff is as good as ours!" Nevera cheers as she rushes to cross the bridge. Hunter, for a second time this week, feels hopeful. He might actually pull this off, and by the end of it, he might finally have magic, real magic. And it'll all be thanks to Nevera. "You coming, Goldilocks?" Speaking of whom.
With his head and heart full of more optimism than he could ever remember before, he races on to follow her. The duo make quick work of the dead tree branches blocking their path, Hunter swinging at them with his pipe, and Nevera breaking them with her magic. Eventually, they break through one last wall of tree branches and reach a clearing. All around them, more dead trees encircle the area, and at the center rests a massive, white-barked oak tree with sapphire-blue leaves that shimmer in the sunlight shining through the dead thicket. Although neither of them can see the top, they do see a bright blue light shining past the pearly branches.
"Is that—?"
"The Celestial Staff!" Nevera finishes Hunter's thought.
"Let's get it!"
Hunter runs ahead, but soon halts when he hears a feminine voice cry out in pain. He turns around to find Nevera kneeling on the ground, clutching her shin, her face strewn up in agony. He calls her name and races back to her side.
"I'm fine!" She tells him, but as soon as she removes her hands, he discovers all is not fine, evident by her swollen leg. "I just hit it on a branch. I thought it was dead, but I guess it wasn't."
Hunter attempts to determine the severity of her condition, but as soon as he gently touches her leg, she lets out a scream and immediately forces it back down. Hunter pulls back in worry for his new friend.
"I gotta' get you to a doctor!"
"No!" She screamed, shocking Hunter. "I mean, we came all this way! Just grab the staff and then you can carry me to a doctor!"
Hunter sighs and agrees reluctantly. But before he can run off to begin his climb, she hands him some metal claws from her bag. He thanks her and after plunging his pipe into the dirt and tying the claws to his feet and hands, he swears to come back for her. He turns to the blank-colored tree and then, after a running start, jumps up and clings to the bark with his claws. He climbs higher and higher, his perforated cloak flowing in the wind. Eventually, he does make it to the top and as he pulls himself up, he looks back at Nevera, her body barely visible through a thick fog that seems to have rolled in out of nowhere.
After taking a minute to catch his breath, he turns around, and his jaw drops to the floor at what lies before him. Plunged into the white wood of the oak tree is an equally white staff that appears to be made entirely out of marble, save for the glowing blue jewel held in place at the top by the staff splitting in two and twisting around it. Awestruck, he approaches his prize and reaches out his hand. To his surprise, as soon as his hand grazes the staff, its marble surface suddenly becomes encased in a light-blue aura that spreads all the way up his arm and throughout his body.
His eyes widen as the jewel glows brighter than anything he's ever seen before; blue wisps encircle the staff in his hand as an ethereal force pushes his hair and cloak. As though his vigor had become enhanced, he grips the staff with both hands and pulls it free from its resting place, revealing a second blue jewel at the bottom. The blue light disperses from his body and he holds up his prize.
"I-I did it. I have it!" He then stops himself before he can let his excitement get the better of him. He still needed to be sure that this was the real deal. So, holding onto the staff tightly, he raises the staff into the sky and thrusts. A bright glowing burst of magic is shot forth from the jewel, flying higher and higher into the sky until it explodes into his name written in ethereal blue fire. "That was… magic… I just used magic. I just used magic!" He holds the staff in the air triumphantly, wearing the biggest smile he's ever had. "Finally!"
He then remembers his friend on the ground. "Wait I still have to…" He takes a second to compose himself and then makes his way to the edge. "Okay, first get Nevera to a doctor, then she can give this to the thief guild, and then—" But before he can make his way down the tree, a shocking turn of events occurs. "Wait, what?" The staff suddenly disappears from his hands, fading away into dust in the wind, and then nothing at all. "No! No!" All around him, the scenery shifts and blows away in the wind. The trees change in shape, the Celestial Oak disappears into the ground, which quickly turns to stone, and in front of him Nevera vanishes the same way as everything else. Before long, he understands. "Oh, no."
With his world shifted, the ominous fog returns, as though cutting him off from the outside world. Behind him, a familiar voice calls him by name.
"Hunter."
Hunter recognizes this voice.
"You!" He turns around to find the elderly wizard, Adegast, walking out of the fog, smiling his usual warm smile, but something is different. He looks different, as though his skin were…wood?
"Your trust has become your downfall, magicless runt!"
All of a sudden, his once calm, welcoming, rose-colored eyes turn a blood red, poping out of their sockets like marbles, and rolling out of focus. His body is lifted off of the ground, and as he is moved out of the way, Hunter finally takes notice of the giant tentacle protruding from his back, or rather, injecting into his back. With the old man no longer in his way, Hunter finally sees the tentacle's source. A grotesque figure, whose only features consist of a bulbous, inflated head with no nose, four golden-rod eyes surrounded by black sclera, two narrow like nostrils on its forehead, a wide mouth with teeth jutting out, gums and all, two arms like rotted tree branches, and beneath it all, an innumerable cluster of tentacles, some of which are plunged into the ground. Red veins can be seen pulsing out of the mass of pale flesh.
From behind him, a rumbling is heard, and he turns around to find the wooden head of a rottweiler breaking through the ground, eyes the same as the wizard. Almost immediately after it is fully emerged from the earth, held up in the air by another tentacle, even more tentacles holding more people and even some monsters, faces he had encountered and seen throughout his quest, emerge from the ground, surrounding him on all sides, all of them laughing at him with its voice, including Nevera.
"Sh-she's… T-they're all puppets." Hunter finally begins piecing together all of the facts. "You tricked me. This whole quest was just a big trap. But you knew I was cautious, so you had me tire myself out by sneaking around and running for my life so I couldn't fight back."
"You're very perceptive, boy, but tell me, did you perceive this?!"
Raising its spindly hand, the cloak around Hunter's body suddenly wraps around him, transforming into magical, blue bindings restraining his arms to his torso. The claws around his hands pull together, holding them in similar magic bonds, followed by the claws on his feet. He tries to squirm and struggle free, but it's no use, he's trapped.
"I thought that cloak drifting in front of me was a little too convenient. I take it you're the real Adegast."
"That's right! I was originally going to trap Eda myself, but you and that dog appeared instead! So, I decided to have some fun with you while drawing her out. And once she gets here, I'll finally destroy her!"
"I still don't understand why?!"
"She's been stealing costumers away from my potions business for years!"
Hunter lays on the ground, waiting, but Adegast doesn't continue.
"And?"
"And what?" Adegast stares at Hunter, confused.
"Wait, you're just going to destroy her because she gets more customers than you?!" And all of the puppets just nod, verbally confirming that that was the only reason behind his actions. "Wow, you are both stupid and crazy."
Naturally, Adegast's puppets respond to Hunter's words by pointing sharp blades at his neck to silence him.
"You know, I was going to offer you to join me, but after that little remark, now I'm just going to make Eda watch as I kill you."
"That's the stupid thing! You actually think Eda cares enough about some kid who just started living in her attic to fall for your trap and come rescue him? Because I'm willing to bet you, she won't!"
"Adegast!" Hunter falls silent and looks up in both surprise and exasperation at the sight of Eda flying in on her staff, King seated behind her.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Is all he can say.
The two of them drop down once the staff is close enough to the ground, and Adegast makes his move.
"Eda, I have you now!" He cheers, sending two bulky puppets on tentacles to burst out of the ground and wrap around the both of them, forcing Eda to drop her staff.
"That's right! You have me! Now release Hunter!" Eda shouts as she and King struggle in their bindings.
"I didn't have to be a part of this!" Shouts King.
"Eda, what're you doing here?!" Hunter asks in enraged confusion.
"'What am I doing here'?! What d'you think?! I'm here to save you!"
Hearing this, Hunter is floored… or he would be if he wasn't already on the floor.
"Just like I knew you would." Adegast gloats before turning to look down at his magically bound hostage. "You see, Hunter? You've severely underestimated how much your boss cares." Hunter's rage is suddenly gone, but now guilt takes its place. He just unwittingly lured here, all because he wanted to believe in the impossible. "Unfortunately, Eda," Adegast turns to look at his two new captives, "your magicless pet just called me 'crazy' and 'stupid,' so, now I'm gonna have to kill him."
"You are crazy and stupid if you think I'm gonna let that happen!"
"Wait, Hunter's magicless?!" Asks King in surprise.
Great! Even more insult to add to the piled-on injury.
"How do you plan to stop me?! All three of you are at my mercy!"
As Adegast laughs maniacally at his impending victory, Hunter notices King jerking his head in all directions and gets an idea. A plan just crazy enough to work.
"Hey, King! I think I see some powdered sugar on his tentacles from those scones today!"
Adegast halts his laughter with a "Huh?", but it quickly turns into a scream of agonizing pain, and the reason why should be obvious. As King's teeth dig deeper into Adegast's limb, almost all at once, all of his tentacles start lashing out in all directions. Eda is released, and she catches King as soon as he is finally thrown off before picking up her staff and breaking into a sprint.
"Yuck! You lied to me!" King yells at Hunter as Eda carries him over to the teen. "There wasn't any sugar! Just salt, for some reas—Wait!"
King halts in shock as Eda puts him on her shoulder and holds up her staff.
"What is it with you and biting tentacles?" She asks Hunter as she swings down her staff, breaking him free of the magic.
"Duck!" Upon Hunter's warning, the trio just barely manage to evade a sword strike from one of the dog puppets.
"You should'a listened, kid!" It says, taking another swing.
Hunter rolls out of the way of another strike. Having previously discarded his only weapon, all that he can do as he is pelted and slashed at is dodge, but all around him more enemies gather. He looks to his friends only to find them standing on the opposite side of two beast puppets. Eda grabs King, narrowly avoiding a ramming head bash from one of the beasts, and attempts to hurl a magic fireball at Adegast; unfortunately, a puppet resembling the very same serpent (most likely is that very same one) grabs ahold of her staff with its teeth. With a jerk of its head, it fails to pry the staff free of Eda's grip, but still manages to keep her from attacking their master, the blast of fire only managing to take out a dog-person puppet. For a moment, Hunter hears a scream of pain after the puppet is reduced ashes.
Even with King "helping" (that is to say; throwing rocks and such) they are still severely outnumbered. Hunter is not only cut off from Eda and King, but he's also doing everything he can to avoid getting gashed by the puppets surrounding him. He jumps out of the way of another sword swing, and then turns around to see a familiar face; the Nevera puppet.
"News flash!" She says, swinging at him with knives, the voice coming from her mouth being a mixture of her own and her master's. "You are worthless! Your magicless carcass isn't even worth making into a puppet!"
Alright, that's it. No more mister nice partner. Hunter catches the faux-Witchling's hands at the wrists, and as soon as he sees more swords coming at him, he throws himself onto his back and pushes Nevera up with his feet, turning the Witchling puppet into an inhuman shield to intercept the attack. She arches her back and lets out a scream as the blades pierce her body, their tips narrowly missing Hunter's feet. Even as she disintegrates into dust, blowing away with the wind, a scream of pain can still be heard. Hunter looks back and finds it coming from Adegast's main body. That's his weakness. He's connected to the puppets, so he can feel what they feel.
Eda hits a few more puppets with a blast of fire, and Adegast lets out another shriek of agony as they burst into dust. Hunter holds his battle ready stance until another magical attack forces Adegast to spasm in his moment of pain, allowing the teenaged Witchling an almost clear view of his metal pipe, still stuck in the dirt, right where he left it. With his goal in sight, he takes the opportunity to blitz through the horde of puppets, avoiding any attacks that come his way, and jumps for his weapon. He grabs ahold and pries the metal out of the ground just in time to dig the narrow, circular end into the wooden body of a large puppet, and after giving another audible shout, it disintegrates, same as the rest.
Now armed, Hunter begins mowing down the oppression, either using his pipe to block oncoming attacks, smash in the heads of puppets, or using it to help him vault over the enemy. He even manages to stab his pipe into one puppet, and before it can disappear, rip it off of its tentacle, and maintaining the momentum to aid him as he hurls it in an arc over his head and into another puppet behind him, smashing them both. Before long, it almost feels as though they might get out of this alive. It isn't until Eda and Hunter find themselves standing back-to-back, ready to rain carnage down upon whosoever they please that their optimism begins to take a nose-dive.
"Back off, or the dog gets it!" Adegast had King, wrapped up in the very same serpent puppet from before.
"I am not a—!" The disfigured cephalopod wraps his tendril around King's head to silence him, as well as make sure he can't bite him a second time.
"King!" Again, Hunter's rage begins to climb and he raises his pipe, taking aim right between the disgusting creature's eyes. "You hurt him, you're dead!"
"Don't do anything stupid boy! I'm the one holding all the cards."
As much as Hunter hates to admit it, he can clearly see that Adegast is right. He has no advantage in this moment. One wrong move and King is history. Admittedly, he and the little furball never really got along. In fact, it was safe to assume that he was only here because Eda dragged him along, but even so, Hunter still doesn't want to see him get squished. Looking back at Eda, she solemnly gives him a defeated nod, and they both drop their weapons.
Once again, the amorphous mass begins digging his tentacles into the earth, and Hunter is running out of time. Surely as soon as those tentacles surface, they will crush them, but what can he do? If he makes any kind of move against this monster, King will surely be crushed first. Then again, the fact that this creature managed to overthink this entire scenario when surely there were much simpler ways to get Hunter to tire himself out, is rather telling. And therein lies the answer. Hunter takes a breath and makes his final gamble.
"I gotta hand it to you, Mr. Adegast. You got guts. I'd be terrified for my life if King bit me."
The tentacles burst out of the ground and the two Witches flinch for but a moment. When they don't feel their slimy grip, they open their eyes and see the appendages halted, mere inches from their faces.
"What are you talking about?" Adegast glares at the blonde-haired teen.
Hunter is a little bit surprised that that worked, but he soon composes himself and continues with his bluff.
"Um… You didn't know?" Hunter puts on an air of worried curiosity as his twin rubies lock with the four splotches of ink in front of him. "King's species is highly venomous. But your so big, I guess it's just taking longer for the venom to pass through your system."
"You think I'm dumb enough to fall for that? I'm an apothecary! I know poisons better than anyone! Besides, I don't feel a thing. In fact, my tentacle doesn't even hurt anymore."
"Well, yeah. That's one of the venom's side effects, it slowly numbs your pain receptors so you can't feel it slowly destroying your body from the inside. Once that venom reaches your bloodstream, you'll start to feel sleepy until your heart finally stops." The boy and the Demon enter a staring match, both of them waiting for the other to falter in their resolve. "All it takes is a yawn to—"
All of a sudden, Adegast lets out a yawn, signaling fatigue.
"Huh?! Hey, wait a minute!"
"Looks like it's already starting."
"I said wait!" Adegast roars and then turns around to face King. "Listen, dog-breath! You better tell me, right now! Are you venomous?!"
Adegast pulls his tentacle down King's face.
"No." Is all he time to say before the tentacle is muffling him again.
"Ah-ha—Ah!" Adegast jerks his body back around and points an accusatory tendril at the humanoid pair, but rather than bask in the glory of his own superiority, a sharp pain in his head forces him to stop and freeze. He barely has time to look up and see the metal rod deeply plunged into his head, held firmly by the leather gloved hands of Hunter Wittebane before his final puppet bursts into a cloud of dust, freeing King once and for all.
"But you are very gullible." Says Hunter, grinning at the foolish blob as King lands in Eda waiting arms.
The Demon bellows one more time before his whole body begins to writhe and constrict, making Hunter almost lose his balance. Before his eyes, Adegast is, to his honest surprise, getting smaller, shrinking in size until the cephalopod is now no larger than an apple. Too small, apparently, for a nose or mouth, and too small for Hunter to stand on or to accommodate his pipe. With Adegast no longer a threat, Hunter breathes a sigh of relief and kneels down to grab the little slime-ball by his veiny, disgusting tentacles. Hunter grins at the miniscule puppeteer with confidence, the only noises coming from it being faint shrieks that sound more like chirps from a cricket.
"Who's useless, now?" He asks.
"I'll take that." Eda, after placing King down, stands behind Hunter with her hand outstretched and Hunter's smile disappears.
As the boy hands the older woman the shriveled-up mass of flesh, his smile doesn't return. And as she proceeds to eat the charlatan whole, Hunter steps away from her and King, his head down and his feeling of defeat returning.
"So now you know."
Eda eyes lock onto the depressed boy, already knowing what he means. She sighs before responding half-heartedly.
"Honestly, kid. I kind of always knew."
"Right. Because you're so powerful, you can see that there's no magic radiating off me, right?"
"What?!" Eda looked at him like he had just spoken gibberish.
"It's something the wizard-guy said."
"Kid, that's not a thing. I just noticed that since I met you, you never once cast a single spell." Eda saw how tightly Hunter was hugging himself. "And… Your clothes… King told me about your scars." His grip on himself grew tighter, and Eda's eyes wondered all about the boy's attire, finally noticing how every bit of skin below the upper half of his neck, save for the front of the lower half is covered. "Those aren't all for petty theft, aren't they?"
Hunter begins to shake.
"You said that you've seen everything on the Boiling Isles." Hunter's voice came out shaky and cracked. "But you never saw me!"
Suddenly, a warm hand gently grips Hunter's shoulder, and the boy instantly recognizes it. He looks up at her, and she sees the tears running down his face.
"I think I did, actually." She says, her shame growing more and more apparent with every word. "I just didn't care. I'm sorry."
Again, the memories resurface, and Hunter can no longer push them down.
"The things those bigger kids did to me… The things the grown-ups said to me… That was my life… for ten. Whole. Years…! All because I don't have magic." A tiny, clawed hand finds its way onto Hunter's other arm, and he looks down to see King looking up at him. He takes a few shaky breaths as his emotions start to settle. "Eventually… I-I decided that… if I couldn't be powerful… then I'd be strong and smart! Over the years, I learned how to steal, how to fight, and even how to read people." Hunter's mouth begins pull up into a grin. "But I guess that trick… doesn't work so well on puppets."
He laughs a little and wipes the tears from his eyes. With his vision not as badly obscured, he looks up at Eda to see her smiling warmly at him. He then looks down at King, who looks up at him optimistically, and that's when he finally realizes it; he's smiling while talking about his past. I mean, it still hurts him to talk about, sure, but he doesn't feel like he's drowning in pain, anymore. Now, after all this time, his bad memories just feel like… well, bad memories.
"Hey, Hunter, you want us to take you home?"
Hunter wipes away the remnants of his tears and nods.
Minutes pass and the staff comes to stop, but Hunter can still feel the wind that normally comes with high altitudes. He soon feels a familiar hand pressing against his back.
"Hunter, open your eyes."
"A-are we still in the air?!"
"We are."
"Then why would I open my eyes?!"
"Would you just do it, already?!" King's yelling proves to be a much smaller annoyance compared to the feeling of his tiny hands applying pressure to his rear.
"Would you stop pushing me!"
Eda rolled her eyes and let out an audible groan.
"Fine, you can hold onto me. Just trust me and look ahead!"
Hunter takes a second to contemplate, but eventually, his arms wrap firmly around Eda's waist, and he slowly forces open his eyes. At first, he is blinded by the light of the setting sun, but his eyes widen in amazement as soon as he finally sees what she wants him to see. His posture straightens on the staff and his grip loosens as he gazes upon a gargantuan skeletal structure lying in the middle of the Boiling Sea; its knee reaching as high as a mountain, the top covered in snow, its pelvis split in half, its spine unseen (whether because its buried or missing is unknown), a canyon taking its place, the orange leaf covered trees covering it, resembling rotting flesh, its ribcage eclipsing the centermost land, its arms spread out at its sides, more spiking bones protruding from its shoulders and arms, its finger bones reaching at around a third the size of the ribs, and blocking out the sun as it sets is the inclined skull; its horns asymmetric, but reaching just as high as the fingers. Never in his life has he ever seen anything like this.
"I take it this is your first time seeing the Bones of the Isles?"
The boy looks back to the woman in disbelief.
"You mean that's the Boiling Isles?" He asks, pointing to the titanic skeleton.
"You've only ever seen it from up close, and we all know what it's like up close."
"Slimy, very stinky and gross!" King points out.
"What he said. Anyway, I figured you needed a chance to see it from a different angle."
Hunter is mesmerized by the view, even as some of it becomes shrouded in the dark of night, the stars twinkling above only adding to the scenery.
"It's beautiful." Is all Hunter can say.
The three of them continue to gaze upon the Isle's majesty… until King finally falls asleep against Hunter's side. Even then, Hunter himself keeps looking forward.
"Eda, I still don't understand."
"Understand what, kid?"
"Why are you trying so hard for my sake. I'm a total stranger."
Eda stares at him, confused.
"Still not following."
Hunter fights the urge to look at his shoes and focuses solely on the giant skull resting on the horizon as he contemplates and slowly puts his next words together.
"I mean… Why do you suddenly care… what happens to me?"
Eda's eyes widen in realization and hesitates, fearful that her next words might not be good enough of a reason.
"I… I was a different person back then. You clearly needed help, but I was just too caught up in my own problems to care about anyone else's. I had some growing up to do… I'm sorry it took me so long."
Hunter finally manages to pull his gaze away from the skull and look up at the older woman, his need for a concrete answer evident in his eyes.
"Even so, the isles are full of kids who need help. Why stick your neck out for me? I mean, you actually let me live with you! Why?!"
"Because…" Eda sighs, "you and I are… more alike than you think."
Hunter stares at her in skeptical confusion.
"How?"
"I… We're different. We're weird. And that's why you can count of me, King, and even Hooty to have your back, kiddo. After all, us weirdos have to stick together, right?" Her warm smile forces a grateful grin to come forth from within Hunter, but then he remembers, and his smile fades again as he turns back to the starry horizon. "Something wrong?"
"No, I-… I just realized that I spent most of my life coming to terms with the fact that… I'll never have magic… only to roll over as soon as some rando tells me I can. He lied when he said he could see magic, so, I guess he was lying when he told me a staff could change what I've always known was true."
This time, Eda understands perfectly what Hunter is saying and her face pulls up into a knowing grin.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." While Hunter is distracted, Eda twirls her finger before reaching over to the end of the staff. When Hunter finally notices her attention is no longer on either him, nor the scenery, he leans in to look over her shoulder, but fortunately, his curiosity vanishes when she turns back around. Once he sees what she has cradled in her hands, his eyes go wide in bewilderment. It's her palisman, his wooden surface now resembling real bird feathers, his yellow eyes blinking and moving, his entire body now almost completely indivisible from a real barn owl. "I never formally introduced you." Eda lifts up the little bird in front of Hunter, and he locks his tiny eyed gaze on the boy. "Hunter, allow me to introduce Owlbert, the Most Powerful Palisman on the Boiling Isles. And my best friend." Owlbert flutters his tiny wings and gives a cheery "hoot" in greeting. "You have seen a palisman before, right?"
Hunter gives her a look of hesitance as he thinks back.
"Only when someone was especially peeved with me."
"Oh," Owlbert and Eda share a glance. "Well, Owlbert is my real partner in crime. I usually send him to the Human Realm to fetch Human junk for me to sell. Wanna hold him?"
Hunter nods and Owlbert flaps his tiny wings, pushing himself out of Eda's hands and into Hunter's cupped gloves.
"Um… Hello." Owlbert returns the greeting with a "hoo-hoot" and Hunter smiles, blushing with a short giggle before letting him fly back to his master.
"Palisman are amazing creatures. They even have their own magic and share it with their masters, ain't that right?" Owlbert nuzzles Eda's finger affectionately.
For but a moment, Hunter smiles at the adorable display until he realizes what she had just said.
"Wait! Did you just—?! You mean that part was true?!"
"I don't know about the whole 'Human-being-as-strong-as-a-Witchling' thing, but I don't think Adegast was too far off the mark."
Hunter looks back at the isles, still fighting the urge to look down. Only glancing back at Eda to ask…
"Why are you telling me this?"
Eda places Owlbert back on his staff and undoes her levitation spell, granting the job of flight back to the palisman.
"How would you like to have your own magic staff?"
"What?!" Hunter is flabbergasted by what he's just heard, almost believing that he had misheard her.
"You know, I've never had my own student before."
Hunter had never been to school before.
"But it can't be that hard to teach you some magic."
Teach him, a magicless child (magicless), magic?!
"I might even help you get over your fear of heights!"
He isn't afraid of heights; he just prefers to be connected to the ground in some way.
As Eda continues to go over what being a magic teacher would be like, Hunter looks back to the horizon, stunned. Despite his ever-growing list of questions, Hunter falls silent feeling satisfied. Feeling understood. Feeling relieved. Feeling comfortable. Feeling… terrified as soon as he looks down. He screams and clings so tightly to Eda that he cuts off her words and nearly cuts off her circulation.
"Nyeh?!" King yells upon being awoken from his slumber.
"Okay, I'm ready to go home on the ground, now, please!"
"K-kid! H-H-Hunter! Loosen… the grip!"
With each passing second, the boy's grip grows tighter, and the woman's pain tolerance falls lower.
"Hey! Let'r go before she makes us fall!" Roars King, tugging on the boy's collar, but his words only make Hunter shriek and cling tighter to her waist.
"King, you're not helping!"
And as a shooting star passes over the sky, Eda desperately pulls at Hunter. Having just narrowly avoided being crushed by a gaint octopus, she does not need this.