Chapter 7: Dealing with the damaged

Hello! Long time no see! Now, before we get to the story, I know I promised angst-therapy in this one, but it came out way, way bigger than I originally planned. So, the angsty therapy session will be moved on to the next chapter. Hope that's okay. And I promise, I'll try to bring it out earlier than this one. Now, enjoy the biggest chapter I've ever written!

"Your palisman came up to us and lead us to you. You were unconscious and both of you were pretty hurt. So, what happened?"

As the Owl Lady was speaking, Hunter was holding the bowl so tightly, that part of him was worried he would break it. While at the same time, he was struggling to keep himself from trembling. He couldn't have this now (Not in front of them...).

But now, she had finished. Now they had all their attention to him, their gazes resting expectantly on him, waiting to get an answer. And they felt so heavy. Almost as heavy as a single gaze of blue behind a mask...

He lowered his head even more, as his shoulders started shaking (!).

The group exchanged worried looks, all of them unsure how to react, until Luz stepped closer to him. She kneeled next to the couch, her eyes trying to meet his and her hand ready to reach out.

"Did something happen in the emperor's coven? Lil' Ras- Your palisman got really upset when we mentioned it." She ventured softly, withdrawing her hand when she heard Hunter grit his teeth a bit.

A few seconds passed and he still didn't say a word. But he was clearly more distressed than before, his shoulders slightly hunching up and his breathing getting uneven a few times, as if he was holding back tears.

This only proved Luz's theory correct, but she wasn't exactly glad about it. Based on what he told her in Latissa, the emperor's coven (as messed up as it was) must've been the closest thing he had to a home. Somewhere where he felt he had a place and a future... So, having something happen there, something so bad that ended with him alone and wounded in the forest, it was bound to hurt. A lot.

Her mind immediately went to Kikimora, since she had tried to get rid of him before. But the fact that he was with Lil' Rascal, who had also gotten hurt, and he didn't have his artificial staff, made her think of someone else. And if she was right about it too...

"Listen, I know it can't be easy for you to talk about this. But-"

"Then leave me alone!" He cut her off, half-shouting, but he seemed to calm down a bit, when the (now awakened) cardinal came to sit on his lap. "...It doesn't even matter. I'll just stay in here until the rain stops, and then I'll be on my way."

"Yeah, unfortunately, that's not happening. In case you haven't noticed, your palisman can't fly and you're in no better condition." Eda said, going by her apprentice's side, her tone and her expression equally hard to decipher. "And even if you were, where would you go? You really don't seem very fond of the idea of going back to your little castle."

"That's none of your business! And actually, what do you care all of a sudden?! About what happened in the coven, about my 'condition', about where I'll go! Last time I checked, I was your enemy! I was the Golden Guard!..." Now Hunter was shouting, enraged that they still instisted on this charade. But the moment he declared his... former title, it all disappeared, and all he was left with was something jarred and regretful.

That mantle, just a day ago he would wear it with pride. But now it was nothing but a reminder of everything he lost. And saying it out loud, made him feel ashamed and honestly just... sick to his stomach. He wasn't worthy of it. Not after what he did...

And he realized only a moment too late that he let them see that.

...!

...!

"...Maybe." Luz spoke again, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But, that doesn't mean that we'd leave you out there like that. And maybe we could help you. But not unless you tell u-" She suddenly stopped at an unexpected sound.

Hunter... was laughing.

At first it sounded soft, almost forced. But as it kept going, it was getting louder, more unhinged and kind of scary. That kind of laughter one would expect to hear from a maniac, but not this scrawny, bandaged mess of a kid.

Luz stepped back, feeling Amity's hand almost immediatelly catching hold of her own, before the two exchanged a quick glance of understanding. She must've realized her discomfort (By Titan, was she grateful for that...). And she didn't seem to be the only one who did.

"What? What's so funny?" Eda asked, stepping next to them (and an inch before them), her eyes narrowed in a bewildered, yet stern look.

"I think he's lost it." King whispered to her, after climbing across her shoulder.

"Oh, pretty much everything, about this whole situation!" Hunter's laughter slowly subsided as he spoke, his voice still carrying its intensity, and his face bearing a big, tremulous smile, that was fading as he kept going. "I mean... I get chased out, I barely survive and then I end up here! And I get help from you, of all people! But hey! I guess deserve this! I guess I'm that much of a pathetic screw-up that I deserve this!"

"All right, kid, calm down-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! You asked for this! You wanted to know what happened, to 'help' me, right?! Well, answer me this, Owl Lady! Or any of you for that matter! Would you honestly help me get my life back?! Would you find me a way to get back to the castle and have everything be the way it was, even though I blasted Belos?!"

...

...

Outside, a thunder tore the skies. The bowl fell on the floor, with enough force to break it. The cardinal had jumped off his witch's lap, staring at him worriedly.

And Hunter was out of breath, his eyes locked on the shocked faces of the others in an intense glare. He felt as though time had stopped and only started moving again...

As his cheeks started feeling damp...!

What was he doing?! What did he just say?!

He quickly tore his gaze away, his glare giving its place to a look filled with anxiety, as his hands clutched his head and he felt like pulling his hair out.

...

"...-ey..."

Someone was talking to him. He heard a voice close to him, but he wasn't sure whose it was.

No... no more... "JUST GO!" He screamed, pulling away from whoever was next to him, his eyes shut tight. He couldn't bear to face any of them. He knew very well what he would see if he did. And it was the last thing he needed right now.

The next thing he heard was steps heading outside and the door closing (Unaware of the two gazes that lingered on him, as it did).

And the moment they all left, he collapsed onto the couch, his arms wrapping tightly around his stomach, as an anguished whimper escaped him through gritted teeth. However, he soon brought one arm to his face, aggessively wiping his eyes. As he stopped, he saw his palisman next to his face, a worried question written in his eyes.

He simply scooped the bird up in his hand, as he turned to lie on his back, avoiding to look at him. If he did...

He couldn't do this. He couldn't cry again. Not now. Not there...

The rain continued to fall until the next day. And only stopped just in time for the sunset. But even the day after that, the sky wouldn't do them the honor of parting the clouds and letting some sunlight through.

It kind of matched the mood of the house though, honestly.

Things really couldn't be very much of 'sunshine and rainows' when there was a former (?) enemy staying in the room next door. Especially when he didn't want anything to do with them, even though they were the reason he was alive right now...

But despite all that, Luz still wanted to help him. Even if it couldn't be the kind of help he'd expect or want (if he even wanted any...). Hunter was hurting and it was going a lot deeper than the wounds on his body. And she was too nice to leave him like that. Though to be fair, what she had in mind this time... Maybe she was getting too personal too soon, but it wasn't like she could tell anyone else. Eda and Amity already seemed to have enough on their plates and King didn't really know much about this matter, not to mention the fact that she didn't want to give him false hope, in case it turned out to be a failure...

Well, here goes nothing... "Hello?" She knocked lightly on the door, before entering the room. "Brought you lunch. Eda made fillet today."

Just like every other time she came, she found Hunter lying on the couch, avoiding to look her way and not saying a word. Lil' Rascal, on the other hand, seemed happy to see her, chirping at her from his spot on Hunter's head and flapping his wings a bit, forgetting his injury (The little guy must've been really missing flying.). Thankfully, Hunter caught him before he could fall off.

And, as he removed him from his head, Luz caught him looking at the cardinal with a concerned, apologetic look on his face. Which almost immediately changed back to his usual one, unreadable and bitter, when he remembered she was there too.

Her attention then shifted to the tray that was left in the small table close to him. The eggs on the plate were nearly untouched, with only three or four bites at most being taken. The water cup though seemed to be empty (at least he was staying hydrated.).

"You know, you're not going to get better by starving yourself." She commented as she swapped the trays, but of course, no answer. "You really need to try to eat more. Maybe you could come eat downstairs with us, if you want to. We plan on making some pastries in the afternoon. Eda and King went to the market to buy more supplies, so we'll have a lot of stuff to work with."

"And couldn't you go with them?" Wow, he talked. First time since two days. "Honestly, why can't you be like the others? Come inside. Take the old tray. Leave the new one. Get out! It's not that hard!"

"Hey! I'm trying to be nice over here!"

"Right, I forgot! Well, since you are trying, try to leave me alone for as long as I'm stuck here!" And with that, he turned his back on her, pulling the blanket over him.

Luz had half a mind to keep exchanging fire, but she actually managed to stop herself and took a deep breath. After that, she started slowly heading for the door. "...Fine. I'll go. But first..." She could hear him growl beneath the cover, but carried on nonetheless. "I'd like to ask you for something."

"I'm not coming downstairs to help with your stupid pastries."

"This isn't about the pastries. It's about... some magic experimentation." She waited a second and when he didn't make another shot or comment, she it took as an incentive to go on. "I've been trying to create a special spell for... something, but unfortunately I've reached a bit of a dead-end. And you've studied wild magic, right? Maybe you could... help me with this."

Hardly a second after she finished, Lil' Rascal was excitedly chirping at his witch, while pulling a little at his blanket. Hunter himself though, didn't respond in any way.

All right. Let's try one more time. "Not to mention... I could help you too. If you're gonna leave at some point, you'll definitely need to defend yourself against scouts, beasts, possible bounty hunters, and having an extra way of performing magic, instead of just using your staff could be helpful. So? What do you say?"

She waited for a moment, letting him think, but again nothing...

Even Lil' Rascal seemed to be giving up. He had stopped chirping and pulling and now he was just staring at him, his eyes filled with sadness and a fading hope. He turned to Luz with the same look and she simply looked away, as her face fell, and opened the door to leave.

"All right then. I'll leave you alone..." But just as she was about to close it-

"Wait." She turned back at the sound of Hunter's voice and saw him sitting, his hands on the sides gripping the seat cushions and his palisman on his shoulder. "You got a cruch or something?"

"I'll go see." She said with a small smile, which quickly gave way to a stern look. "But first, eat your fillet! At least half of it!"

Hunter couldn't believe he was doing this. Studying and practising wild magic was something he had been doing for a while now, but this would be the first time he would do it after... after everything. And with the glyphs no less. With the human girl...

Who was bringing out of a big chest for almost five minutes now several notebooks, books, sheets of paper, pencils and pens.

"So... what are we doing exactly?" He asked, when she seemed to have (finally!) finished.

"Well. The spell I've been working on, is some kind of a projection spell." She explained, looking through the pages of a notebook.

"Like an illusion?"

"Not exactly. When you create an illusion, you can have complete control over what you will create and you can let your imagination run wild. But what I want to create... I want it to show me something that will be real." She handed him the notebook, when she got to the page she wanted. "So, I planned on creating a projection glyph, which I could then combine with a bit of oracle magic. And that way-"

"You could literally see right in front of you a glimpse of the future..." Hunter wouldn't be able to hide his surprise at this even if he tried. A way to see, to actually with his own eyes see the future, now when he was the most uncertain, the most... scared... Wait a minute, though... "Why would you even need to create a glyph? You do know that oracle magic offers a variety of ways for that, right?"

"Yeah, I've used some of them at school. The problem is that all of them are vague. Nothing gives a straight, clear answer. And... I don't want anything vague. I want to see for myself that I will have my own staff someday. That Eda, King, Amity and my friends will still be with me and that they'll be safe and happy. That I will see my Mom again..." A sense of longing echoed in Luz's voice. But when she stopped, she wanted to slap herself, realizing that she was already oversharing. Though at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved, as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders (or at least a part of it.).

While Hunter on his side, could only stare, not knowing what he could say, if he was at any place to speak at all. But something in her words, in her voice... It was hard to describe it, but it felt like it struck a chord. Maybe it was what she said in the end. That sincere desire to know if she would be able to see her family again. And it was a lot more than he could say...

When he let it all out a couple days ago, he sounded... he felt... like he wanted the same thing as her. To go home. To be with his family. Now though...

Did he still want that? Even though he knew what going back meant? Was he... missing him?

"Hey, are you okay?" The human's voice, followed by a chirp of his palisman, snapped him out of his thoughts.

He looked between the two, before turning his attention at (hiding behind) the notebook. "And what is the problem? You said you were in a dead-end."

The change in the subject seemed to have caught her off guard, but nonetheless she answered. "The problem is that I haven't been able to go as far in terms of practice. I haven't been able to figure out how to create the projection glyph. But I have a theory that it can be created through some alterations to the light glyph."

Setting the notebook aside, Hunter watched with interest, as she drew a light glyph in a sheet of paper.

"Now you try." She said, holding out a pen and another sheet.

He eyed them with surprise, as he took them. And with a slightly trembling hand, he drew the symbol and tapped it, creating a small sphere of light. It wasn't the first time he used a glyph, but this was nothing like then. Surprising how different an experience can feel when your life is not on the line...

But then, he noticed the human looking at him funny. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"There was..." She replied with a smile.

...Oh no, I did it again!

"Anyway. So, the point here is that glyphs can be combined and altered to cast even more spells. This is what I've been trying to do, but my attempts always ended either in... accidents or just nothing." This time, she changed the subject before he could say a word, bringing them both back on track.

"Do you still have them? Any of them?" He asked, and after going through several sheets and notes, she found some.

"I don't know if they could be of any help though." She said as she laid them all on the floor between her and Hunter.

"I think I do. Remember what I told you in Latissa? The glyph magic seems to be similar to the magic of the ancient witches. This type of magic was drawn from the Isles themselves. But the spell you want to create, I don't think it works the same way."

"Why not?"

"You said it yourself. You want to see a projection of your future, but you can't do that without a connection between you, the magic and the thing you want it to show you."

"But aren't the glyphs my connection to the magic?"

"Yes, but you still lack the connection with the future."

"And that's when the oracle magic comes in!"

"Exactly! Maybe one of those glyphs could work. We just need to find a way to connect them with it."

"Say no more!" The human declared and immediately began to fold a sheet to a paper fortune teller. "Have you ever played with one of these?"

"I... hate... these things..." Hunter said, tearing apart yet another failed attempt.

"Me too..." Luz agreed as she blew at the remains of her own failure.

At this point they had tried almost every single one of them and she could tell that he was giving up. Not that she blamed him...

"Well, we have two more to try." She offered, not even trying to muster a smile anymore.

"Go ahead if you want. I'm done with this." He answered, his eyes on the cruch that was left next to him. But before he could even touch it, he stopped as Luz let out a gasp.

She had only moved the sides of the paper fortune teller once and the symbols she had drawn started glowing!

Holy Titan...

He came closer to her, as she continued to flap itopen and close and the more they looked the wider their eyes were getting. As if they were in some kind of trance.

Lil' Rascal didn't like this, but as much as he tried to get them to look away from, or even pry it away from Luz's hands himself, nothing seemed to be working.

Until Luz tried to lift the flap for the last time...!

...!

...

"Hngh... My head..." Hunter groaned, as he opened his eyes to meet the worried gaze of his palisman. And then tried to sit up-

Wait, why was he lying down? What happened?

He noticed the human next to him, also coming to, still holding the paper fortune teller.

"What... What happened?" She asked, rubbing her head.

"I'm not sure. You were using that... paper thing and-"

"Wait! Do you hear that?"

...

...

"Hear what? I don't hear anything." He said and she looked at him like he was crazy, before turning her attention upwards, her eyes surprised but also... scared.

"-uz... Are...-ou the-...? Luz... Ca-... hea-...-e... Mija...?"

"Mom? Mom!" She called out and darted out of the room.

"Hey! Wai-" Just as he reached out his hand, ready to follow her, Hunter felt something forcefully pull him back.

Someone was gripping his shoulder, his injured shoulder. And that grip was so tight... so... familiar!

No...! It-it can't be...!

He felt a cold breath on the back of his neck, while his own was stolen.

"Going somewhere...?"

And that's it for this chapter! Again, I'm sorry I had to break it, but I hope you still enjoyed it. See you all later! Please leave a review and stay safe! :)