Any Sport in a Storm
In the Emperor's Castle...
Hunter was in his room, sewing something on his coat, when his palisman appeared. He chirped, and Hunter smiled at him.
"Yeah, it does look good as new," he said after finishing. He had sewed a symbol on it, but the job didn't look great because some of the stitches were loose, and there was a band-aid over one side and tape on another that peeled away.
"...And I have no idea what I'm doing," he said upon viewing this.
A knock came from his door, and the palisman flew away to hide. Hunter opened it to find two Coven Guards looking down at him. He flinched, but then one of them handed him a letter that he turned away to open. He noticed that it was a letter from Belos.
"My duties are keeping me busy. I entrust you to lead the Coven Heads today. Consider this...a test. Hmm," he said with a grin.
He then headed towards the throne room, where the door opened and the Coven Heads emerged.
"Good. You're all here. We can get started—hey!" They walked by him or bumped into him. "Where are you—I said wait! Come back here!"
Raine paused and looked at him, but Terra dragged him away. He grumbled and stormed into the royal room, only to find Darius, Eberwolf, and a few Abomatons.
"Darius, Eberwolf! Why is everyone leaving? We're scheduled to have a recruitment meeting."
Darius sighed slowly, both heads turning to face him, the former clutching a scroll.
"Good morning to you, too, little prince. We decided to reschedule the meeting, so...go play arts and crafts, or whatever it is you do." He waved the youngster off and then spotted something.
"Oh," He took Hunter's cloak, knowing he had 'lost' the previous one. "Looks like you've already started."
Hunter frowned as the cloak was delivered to Darius. He chuckled at the patchwork of it.
"This is impressively bad. Wait..." He examined the symbol more closely. "Is this the old Golden Guard sigil?"
"Of course it is!" Hunter glared defensively. "And this is no way to treat the Emperor's-"
"Nephew?" Darius cocked an eyebrow, unconcerned as Hunter narrowed his eyes in a sneer and pursued his lips. "I knew your predecessor. He was my mentor. One of the strongest witches I've ever known. But you, hmm..."
He ruminated, stroking his chin.
"But Belos says I don't need magic to serve the Coven," said the youngster, looking to the ground.
"And I say, you don't deserve to wear that patch," Darius added as he and Eberwolf moved by him. Hunter cast a glance at them, feeling inadequate, owing to his inability to do magic alone. And given those conditions, it's no surprise the Coven Heads didn't listen...
"Wait. What should I do?" Hunter asked, glancing at them. "How do I...earn it?" He turned aside, wanting to be respected and not looked down upon.
"Oh, sweet mother of Titans, I don't know. Find new recruits for the Emperor's Coven?" Darius inquired cynically. "The best and the brightest witches in all the land. Then maybe you can get this back,"
He held up the cloak.
"I'll do it," said the child, his face determined.
"Of course you will," Darius said, walking out of the royal room. "You're very good at doing exactly what you're told."
And with that, the door shut on him. Hunter massaged his chin with thought. If he was going to find new recruits, the best place to start was with individuals his own age, because most adults would probably not listen. So, what could he do?
Willow was performing push-ups in the forest, with Clover lying down next to her. Her hair was in two pigtails with a green streak in it, and she wore gold-framed spectacles.
"After years of believing I wasn't good enough, I finally discovered something I am good at."
She gripped vines in her hands, sweating.
"Something I want to be good at."
She wriggled the vines around.
"Switching to the plant track is just the beginning."
She then began jumping through the dangling vines.
"I'm on my way to becoming the witch I want to be."
Clover was actually swinging the rope to help Willow.
"I can do this!" she exclaimed to herself in the mirror. She then seemed uncertain as she considered it.
"Right?"
She examined a clipping off her mirror and noticed a flyer about a Flyer Derby team winning. Her parents were also in the image in the center, as they had participated in Flyer Derby when they were her age.
"Eye of the liger, girl. Knock 'em dead," she smirked at her reflection.
She walked into school and noticed a banner for the club fair. She smiled when she heard a crash and turned to face the end of the corridor. Luz and Gus dashed in, smoke trailing behind them. Bijou and Jackie entered from the opposite side, with Luz flinging an ice glyph. The two yelled as they ran, and Bijou realized why. One of the lockers had emerged from a row, chasing after the two. Bijou and Jackie pursued it, the former throwing a fire glyph and the latter whistling, but neither succeeded. Gus and Luz hid behind Willow, who smiled and swirled her finger. She locked the locker by calling numerous vines, and it collapsed face down to the ground.
"Nice work," Jackie said, winking at her.
"Thanks, Willow," Luz hugged her from behind.
"And that's why we try not to keep our lunches in the lockers," Gus said, sitting on top of it.
"Luz," Bijou remarked, knowingly.
"What? You made my favorite, and I didn't want people stealing it," Luz pouted at her. "You searched really hard to find all those ingredients."
"I know, but you should stop treating these sentient lockers like those back at Gravesfield," Bijou replied.
"Sooo," Luz turned around to face Willow. "Are you ready for the club fair, Willow?" She brushed up Willow's hair slightly. "Mayhaps you'll join me and Amity in the...Azura Book Club?"
She waved her hand, revealing all five novels in the series. She then received a paper cut. "Owie."
"Give," Bijou said, extending her hand, and Luz took it. Bijou hummed a melody to help heal the papercut.
"Thanks...but I'm interested in something with a little more...drama, flair, and face paint!" She cracked a grin.
"I'm so excited to hear the next words out of your mouth," Luz muttered, tightening her fist.
"Flyer Derby!" Willow brought out her Penstragram account, which appeared to have received an update and displayed an advertisement for the sport.
"Only Stabitha Jenkins and Old Gory are left," the announcer said as two people used their staffs to fly at each other. "Who will win?"
The one in green snatched their opponent's flag and hung it on a tree.
"And it's Stabitha Jenkins with the winning flag!"
Willow disclosed to them, "I've been playing grudgby at home ever since our match." "Today..."
Willow twirled her staff into her hand and tucked it behind her back. "I'm starting Hexside's first Flyer Derby team!"
Jackie, Luz, and Gus shouted, flinging confetti behind her. Bijou chuckled at this.
"Well, good luck, Willow."
Everyone was outside at the club fair, checking out all of the stands. Clover set up the banner for the Flyer Derby stall, and Willow used her magic to generate flowers around it. When Clover landed on her shoulder, she nuzzled her palisman.
"Journey with us to a world of magic unlike any other!" Luz exclaimed from the Good Witch Azura stand. "Well, uh, a bit like this world except toned down for ages 6 to 11."
She grimaced since no one had come up to their stall.
"Why isn't anyone interested?"
"The art doesn't do it any favors," Boscha said abruptly, holding one and displaying Luz. Azura was shown on the cover clutching a cat and riding a broom with a rainbow trail behind her.
"Not judging a book by its cover is a baby rule that even babies know," Luz replied. "Plus, you don't read Azura for the art. There's so magic in the words!"
She gushed, and Boscha opened the book.
"Twice have I tarried at Tanabrak, yet e'er have I kept my troth to thee, Azura," she acted out, because the words...didn't make much sense.
"Okay," Luz replied, taking the book from her. "The prose can be...ornate, but it's also the crackling emotions! The convoluted magic system. The smell of the pages."
She flipped the pages and buried her face in them. She sniffed them, Boscha looking angry.
"Luz!" Amity ran over to her, panting as her cheeks turned scarlet. "I heard that..." She was out of breath from her sprint.
"Spill it, Hermosa!" Luz jumped over the booth.
"The author of Azura is having a signing this afternoon at the Book Nook!" Amity exclaimed excitedly, while Luz looked perplexed.
"Huh?"
"You are much less excited than I imagined," the purple-haired witch observed.
"Uh, excuse me, I'm still here!" Boscha exclaimed, annoyed that she was being ignored, which was understandable.
"I'm just confused. The author is human," Luz said to her girlfriend.
"No, she's not," Amity laughed and shook her head. "She's from the Demon Realm. How do you think I got my books?"
She held up her first book.
"How do you think I got mine? Take a look," she said, showing Amity the back of her book.
"Hey!" Boscha exclaimed, as the picture in both books was the same, except Luz's book had round ears from the woman and Amity's had pointy ones.
"See? Human," Luz said, pointing to the ear.
"Can the author of Azura..."
"Travel between realms?!" Luz inquired hopefully.
"Get off me!" Boscha pushed them apart while crossing her arms. They laid their books down, smiled, and went off to meet the author.
"You guys aren't cute! I still have more friends than you!"
"Wow, that's just sad to watch," Bijou said as she went past her, leaving the tricloptic girl puzzled.
"You wanna tell me what you're talking about?"
"The fact that you think you can actually make them unhappy when neither of them cares about what you believe," she said, raising her head with a delighted smile. "I knew my amie learned well on how to deal with spoiled people like you."
Boscha gasped and hissed at her, stiffening her fists. She stormed away, and Hunter peered behind a skull-pting booth. He was dressed in a Hexside uniform with the Potions track color.
"Look at all these potential recruits..." He murmured with a sly smirk, his palisman chirping and landing on his shoulder. "Well, sure, I've never actually spoken to witches my age. Teens are probably into the same things as me! Like authority and rules."
He stepped out of hiding and approached a small gremlin student.
"Classmate! Ignore the fact that we've never met. What if I told you all your dreams could come true? And you just have to leave your home, friends and family forever!"
"Uhh..." The pupil didn't appear convinced.
Hunter strolled over to Barcus, Celine, and the guy from Boscha's clique who were playing Hexes Hold 'Em. They rejoiced as Barcus's card was destroyed.
"You think these are cool?" Hunter asked them, leaning back slightly. "Not as cool as the Emperor's Coven. I hear you get to sleep in till 6 am."
Barcus coughed up a banish card, which hit him in the face.
Jerbo was walking by with flyers when Hunter stopped him. "You! How would you like to rise to the top, by joining the Emperor's Coven?"
He summoned his staff.
"Eh," Jerbo waved him away. "Not interested."
"You aren't?!" He looked at Jerbo with bewilderment.
"I mean, do I wanna study different kinds of magic? Heck yes! But why is joining the Emperor's Coven my only option? When I get older, I'm gonna give this system a long overdue update."
"What are you talking about?" Hunter asked, backing away before stepping on something. And that something was Puddles' tail, which had the griffin screaming out.
"It's okay, Puddles," Viney sought to reassure the griffin. "No, he didn't mean it. No, no, no, no, no, Puddles, no!"
She screeched as she stood above the undercover Golden Guard's position.
Back to Bijou, Willow, Gus, and Jackie...
"Let out your flying freak!" Willow called out from her kiosk, where she, Bijou, Jackie, and Gus were passing out fliers. "Once the Flyer Derby club is approved, we'll travel all across the Isles in rocking outfits and working as a team!"
"Good luck with that," a voice said, and she looked to her side to see the Abominations teacher standing close.
"Professor Homunculus?" Willow questioned, perplexed; she hadn't spoken with him since dropping his class.
"I oversee club approvals this year," he said, snapping his fingers and grabbing a clipboard. "And I just don't think Flyer Derby is worth investing in."
"Come on, sir," Jackie replied defensively. "Just because Flyer Derby isn't as popular as grudgby doesn't mean it's-"
"You misunderstand me," he said, interrupting Jackie. "I'm shutting it down unless you step down as Captain. I just don't think quitters make good leaders."
Willow frowned and glanced away.
"You're just mad that she dropped your class," Gus defended her, and he was right; whenever someone dropped an Abomination class, he took it personally. "Give her a chance."
"And why would Willow be in a class that isn't her strong suit? Especially if the teacher's annoyed because one student dropped out of his class to do something she loves? You didn't even give her a chance before you didn't think that she's qualified," Bijou said.
"Okay. Put together a team for a friendly game of Flyer Derby after school," he said, putting up a picture of his younger self, demonstrating that he used to play the sport and holding the winning trophy. "If you can lead your team to victory, maybe I'll approve your club."
He then went, leaving the four looking after him. Willow sighed deeply at this.
"You can do this, Willow," Gus told his companion. "Don't let him beat you down."
"But Amity and Luz are busy, and I don't know where to find enough decent players this fast," she told him.
"Well, it's gonna take a miracle to find our first teammate," Jackie stated as she placed the fliers on the kiosk counter.
"Calm down!" They looked up as they heard Hunter's voice in the skies. "Flea magnet!"
He was soaring away from Puddles.
'Oh no. Don't tell me,' Bijou moaned in frustration.
They looked back to see Puddles approaching, and she was able to yank Hunter's boot off his foot.
"Hey!" he objected as Puddles approached him. He dove forward on his staff, passing right by the griffin from beneath. Puddles looked down at him as he flew back to the earth, Hunter smiling as he retrieved his boot. He flew directly passed Willow, who glanced up in astonishment.
The griffin was about to attack again when Willow's vines ensnared it.
"Hey, you!" She pointed up at him. Hunter was going to fly away when the plant witch grabbed him with her vines and dragged him to the ground.
She pointed up at him. Hunter was going to fly away when the plant witch grabbed him with her vines and dragged him to the ground. She stood over him with a frightening expression before smiling and handing up a leaflet.
"Wanna join my Flyer Derby team?" she asked, smiling.
As Hunter shook himself off, Bijou removed the vines. Gus and Jackie were a little wary about Hunter, especially because they had never seen him before.
"This is Gus Porter, Jackie Watson, and Bijou Adams, and I'm Willow Park," Willow said as she introduced the three.
'Of course Bijou's here. I just hope she doesn't blow my cover,' he said in his head in exasperation.
Willow took his hand and shook it vigorously.
"Future Captain of Hexside's first Flyer Derby team."
"Nice-to-uh-meet-you!" Hunter attempted to utter while shaking, and she eventually let go.
"Your flying was amazing," Willow told him. "You're a new student, right?"
"Yeah, we've never seen you around." Gus narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What's your name?" Jackie inquired.
His paliman perched on his shoulder and chirped. Hunter arched an eyebrow for a brief moment at the proposal.
"Caleb? Caleb! Jasper...Bloodwilliams. I just transferred from..."
He looked about, looking for another name, and noticed Puddles licking herself. "Uh...the toes? But, I'm not here to play Fly Dubi or whatever that is. I have my own mission."
"Uh huh..." Bijou nodded, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay...at least take a pamphlet?" Willow asked, Gus and Jackie looking after Hunter. He grabbed it and dashed away.
Hunter examined the pamphlet, which described it as a sport for the best and brightest.
"Wait!" He turned back to face them, the older girl looking over her shoulder. "Do you really think your club will attract the best and the brightest?"
"Absolutely!" Willow exclaimed, squeezing her fist. "The Flyer Derby is not for the fake witch," he said, walking back up to her.
"Then maybe I'll give it a shot," he smiled, crossing his arms.
"Really?" Willow exclaimed, ecstatic.
"But, okay, how do we evaluate others?" he asked, interested. "A witches duel? A maze full of traps? Oh, leave everyone at the top of a mountain and see who makes it back to the bottom alive!"
Jackie, Willow, Gus, and Bijou all winced at that one, finding it a little too much. He simply laughed it off, hands on his hips.
"Classic."
"Okay, never suggest that to anyone again," Bijou said, pointing up at him with terror.
"Umm, we might not have time for all that...but you and Bijou can help by attracting people with your sick sky skills!" Willow exclaimed as she dashed out.
"Hm," Hunter's face was puzzled. "I don't feel sick."
"Hey," Gus said, catching their attention. "I don't know what kind of mission you're on or what...this is all about," He said, gesturing to both of them. "But it's been a tough year for Willow."
"Yeah," Jackie confirmed. "And the girl is really looking forward to making this team a thing. So don't even think about messing this up for her."
Bijou shrugged at Hunter as she, Gus, and Jackie walked away.
With Luz and Amity...
"I can't believe we've never uncovered this mystery before!" Luz said to Amity as they walked through town. "I always thought Mildred Featherwhyle sounded too delightful to be a real name."
"Do you think she has her own portal?" Amity asked her girlfriend, gasping. "Do you think she's related to that human guy, Phillip?"
"What if...the author is Eda?!" Luz asked, slightly surprised. "She's been keeping it secret this whole time because she's embarrassed by all the spelling errors!"
"Okay," Amity said, rubbing her chin. "These theories are a little unrealistic. It's obviously your mother as a teenager sent forward in time to train you in the ways of witchcraft!"
"Whatever it is, we're gonna find out soon!"
The two came to a halt when they noticed the ad for the signing at the Book Nook, only to discover that it had been canceled. Luz moaned and dropped to her knees in misery.
"Students of Hexside!" Willow called out from the front door. "Got a palisman? Got a need for thrills, chills, and theatrics?"
Clover emerged from her staff to land on Willow's shoulder.
"Well, this could be you!"
Hunter and Bijou flew out of the school, leaving the throng breathless. Both of them are riding their staffs like skateboards. Hunter executed some flips before his staff flew out from beneath him. He spun down and landed on the staff to continue flying. Bijou spun into the air and then stood on the staff as it plummeted, still spinning. She flipped back into place and flew near to Hunter before landing.
"Man, this Caleb guy is great, and so is Bij," Willow beamed as Gus and Jackie distributed leaflets. "With them, I think we can really get our derby team approved!"
She also handed out some papers.
Hunter stopped his mid-air stunt and stared down at the audience. "This girl will be a perfect candidate for the Emperor's Coven! If there are more witches like her, we're set!"
"Hey! Come on down!" They flew down to Willow to see what was going on, and she appeared pleased.
"So, who else joined in?" Bijou inquired.
"Allow me to introduce you to...the best and brightest of Hexside!" She pointed to Viney, Skara, Jackie, and Gus.
"Look, Puddles," Viney said nervously, attempting to hold the griffin back. "It's the friend you made before."
She lunged forward, and Viney grabbed her. "No, no, don't pull on Mommy's face!"
Skara was hanging upside down on the stairway, looking at her Penstagram.
"Hmm..." she said before hitting her head into the bottom.
Jackie was minding her own business while playing the flute.
"Let's try this one more time!" Gus got on his staff, but ended up flying backwards and then forwards at full speed. He then flew upside-down and crashed into the stairway. Bijou winced at him.
"Just a few months ago, I'd be considered the weak link on any team," Willow said, scratching Clover. "But now I'm leading one! Woo, okay girl, don't let the power get to your head just yet."
She looked back and was surprised to see Hunter go.
"Caleb!"
"Huh?" Bijou chased after them, while Puddles licked Gus' head.
"Where are you going?" Willow interrupted Hunter by grabbing his shoulder. "The field is this way."
"You said you'd find the best witches for this team!" He yelled at her. "But them? They're pathetic."
"Hey! Some of those people I'm friends with, so what do you think that makes me?" Bijou asked him defensively. "And there's more to a Flyer Derby athlete than meets the eye."
"You just met them," Willow argued with the boy. "Give 'em a chance."
"Where I come from, even chances have to be earned. Especially if you're considered half a witch like me."
Bijou gasped, and Willow was perplexed by his words. Others used to call her such, and she used to believe it...
"Sorry, Captain. Good luck with your match," he said, waving her off and leaving. The two girls smirked and nodded as Willow cast a spell circle, conjuring vines to immobilize his legs. He was pulled through the grass and emerged on the field. He looked about in confusion, becoming defensive.
Skara came up to him. "Sorry, I was distracted earlier. I had been playing grudgby for so long, I needed to catch up on the latest Flyer Derby strats."
She showed her scroll after pulling him up, and he looked at her plays.
"Those look...complicated."
"They are," she said proudly.
"Whoo, okay," he said, turning to Viney, who had calmed Puddles down with the help of Jackie and her flute. She turned around, with scratches on her face and arms.
"Finally got Puddles down for her nap," she said, casting a wide spell circle to heal herself. "Now I'm only scarred emotionally."
He blinked in surprise at her shift, and Gus flew straight passed him. He swirled about in the air, using his feet to guide himself, before landing in front of Hunter. "I thought you couldn't fly," Hunter said, puzzled.
"So I can't fly like everyone else, but my way is more fun," he said to his palisman, who chirped in accord.
"Oh, that's, uh...cool I guess."
"What was that?" Gus asked, putting his palm to his ear knowingly.
"I said it was cool!"
Willow and Bijou appeared from the ground behind him.
"Gus is a natural speed demon. Skara is a strategic wizard. Jackie knows a lot of tricks. Viney's one of the best healers in school. And Bijou is the motivator."
They joined their team as they took out their staffs. "And at one point or another, we've all been misjudged. So, still think we're pathetic?"
He looked aside, slightly ashamed by her, and then discreetly shook his head no.
"Good. Let's get our face paint on," she grinned, applying three stripes to her face.
Luz sighed as she and Amity sat outside the Book Nook.
"What do we do now, Amity?"
"I don't know, I've never found another store that sold those," she admitted, sadly.
"We were so close!" Luz hid her face between her knees. A crash was heard, and the purple-haired witch looked up to see a tiny figure tripping, dressed in a red cloak and with red hair.
"I think that's her! That's the author!" Amity shook her girlfriend slightly.
"Mildred-" Luz lifted her head and hit it on the wall. "Featherwhyle?!"
After hearing the name, the figure shuddered and rushed away.
"Follow her!" Luz grabbed Amity, and they dashed off to pursue her.
Willow, Bijou, Jackie, Gus, Skara, Viney, and Hunter were all dressed in Flyer Derby uniforms. Bijou wore a one-sleeved forest green top, a mint skirt, white shorts, olive green knee pads, and black boots. Her hair was wrapped half-up, half-down, and her face was painted with green diagonal lines that formed a 'X'. Jackie donned a short-sleeved seafoam green shirt, mossy green shorts, emerald green knee pads, a black hairband, white sweatbands, grey knee-high socks, and black Mary Jane shoes. Her hair was tied in two low pigtails, and her right cheek was painted with a green treble clef.
"Call Darius," Hunter said into his crow phone.
Darius was relaxing in his room when a crow burst through the window, and he sat up in surprise, gasping heavily.
"Darius, it's me!"
"Wha-how did you get this number?" Darius questioned of the crow.
"Doesn't matter. I'm earning my place, just like you told me!"
"Of course you are," Darius grumbled, glancing away. He merely stated that so he could enjoy his time off; he didn't intend for this to happen... "I just wanted you to leave me alone."
"What was that?" Hunter inquired, perplexed.
"Caleb! Waiting on you, buddy!" Willow raised her hand as the game began.
"I have to leave, but you'll see them soon." The crow flew away from Darius' window as Hunter approached his team.
"Thanks for asking me to join, guys. I think we're gonna have a-" He gasped, shuddering as he realized he was playing against both Bijou and Viney.
"Jerbo?!" Viney screamed in surprise, giving him a 'you're dead' gesture. "Traitor."
"You backstabber," Bijou growled at him, softly shaking his fist.
"Fun afternoon..." He said uncomfortably, knowing he'd have to do a lot to gain her forgiveness...
All seven members took up positions, sitting on their staffs and glaring down their opponents.
"All we have to do is fly high and snag some flags," Willow told them, and they all nodded in agreement.
"Let's see what you can do, Captain," Hermonculus teased her, as the monstrosity whistled. He immediately fired some abomination magic at Willow, and Viney flew in front of her to deflect it. She flew forward and beyond the squad, and the other members followed suit. Hunter transported with his staff. He appeared next to a team member and snatched their flag while smirking.
Jackie flew over to the sixth team member, who stretched out to retrieve her flag. She flew above his head before jumping off, holding onto the staff with her hands. She flipped, whistled to confuse the opponent, and dropped a plant glyph hidden in her shoe, landing on the player's staff. It touched the flag, creating a vine that carried the flag to her, and she smiled. Hunter flew around and handed Gus the flag, smiling as he watched the youngster and Jackie place the flags on their posts.
"Gus, Jackie, that was amazing!" Hunter exclaimed enthusiastically. They were stunned for a few seconds before Gus giggled and Jackie returned the gesture with a thumbs up.
"Keep at it, everyone. 2 down, 5 to go," Bijou yelled with resolve.
One of the team members sprayed abomination goo at Gus, who flew upwards to dodge it, but it still pushed Skara against the wall, and the referee blew his whistle. Viney narrowed her brows as the other squad displayed one of their flags. She dove at Jerbo, who was flying towards her with his eyes shut. Both of them collided, sending their staffs flying. Willow, Bijou, and Gus flew past Hunter, who appeared nervous. Willow and Bijou veered to the right to avoid the abomination goo, then turned left.
"They're right there! Can't you see?!" Hermonculus said, desperate for Willow to lose. Hunter teleported behind him.
"Boo!" Hunter shocked the teacher before teleporting back to retrieve his flag. Willow escaped another strike by standing on her staff and summoning two vines. She swung them toward the player, who gasped and braced herself. Willow had just taken her flag and was ready to head for the post when she was pushed into the air, shocking Bijou, Jackie, and Hunter.
"Oops," Hermonculus said, feigning innocent despite the fact that he was to blame, and Bijou stared, clenching his fist. "My hand slipped."
The players that were out, including Jerbo, scowled at him, indicating that they did not approve of the cheating.
Hunter and Bijou swooped in and grabbed the flags as she dropped, while Jackie reached out and grasped her hand, safely flying her down to the bottom. They gazed up at Hunter and Bijou, who had been pushed by Gus towards their post.
"Go, go, go!" He was knocked off his staff by one player, while Hunter and Bijou planted the flags and won the game. Viney drenched him in fruit punch the moment his feet touched the ground. Nevertheless, he cheered with the others.
Hermonculus was vehemently brought over to the victorious team. "May I please have your team name?"
"Shoot, we never thought of a name," Willow realized as she looked at Gus.
"Any ideas?" Jackie asked everyone.
"The...Emerald Entrails!" Hunter exclaimed on the spot, and everyone gazed at him. "Y-You know, cause we're green, and there's...more to us than you think?"
"That's a great name!" Bijou exclaimed. Good thing, too, because he didn't mention the second definition of 'entrails.'
"Entrails! Entrails! Entrails!" They all yelled as they surrounded him, and he smiled joyfully. "Entrails!"
"Entrails team photo!" Willow said, pulling out her scroll. "We're number one!"
"All the way!" Jackie cheered as they all assembled, and Willow took the photograph. The entire team, including Hunter, was beaming with joy.
"I can't believe I almost bailed on you guys," he admitted after seeing the photo. "Today was amazing. Thanks for giving me another shot."
"Always nice making a new friend," Viney said, hands on her hips. "I had an opening for one."
She gave Jerbo a filthy look, and he gasped, grabbing his chest. Bijou winced slightly, hoping that now that the game was done, she might forgive Jerbo in the future. Bijou talked to him occasionally in class, so it will be awkward from now on...
"We wouldn't have gotten here without the two of you," Willow said to Hunter and Bijou.
"Yeah, Jackie and I shouldn't have been so suspicious," Gus added, and Jackie nodded.
"Psh," Hunter said, and Bijou smiled, relieved that he had friends at her school.
"We can forget all about that when we play next time...as a part of the Emperor's Coven!"
Bijou quickly lost her cheerful expression upon hearing this announcement.
"What?!" Gus shouted, wide-eyed.
"My name is Hunter, not Caleb, and I am the Emperor's right-hand man, the Golden Guard!" Hunter stated to them.
"Heh, y-you can't be serious. Bij, this isn't the one you and Luz told us about, right?" Willow asked anxiously, pulling away slightly.
Bijou did not have a chance to respond as Hunter spoke.
"Yes, I am," he replied.
He utilized his staff to change into his Golden Guard uniform while putting on his mask.
"Yeah, this would usually look cooler with the cloak, but I don't have it at the moment. Long story," Hunter shrugged.
"Yes, I am!" Hunter exclaimed as his palisman transformed into his staff, which he waved in front of him to transform into the Golden Guard and put on his mask. "Yeah, this would usually look cooler with the cloak, but I don't have it at the moment. Long story."
They all gasped, and then Coven Scouts appeared out of the trees to surround them. Bijou stood between her teammates and the scouts.
"Back off, you," Bijou said, pointing her staff at one of the scouts.
"H-Hello there, scouts," he said softly, noticing her reaction. "I didn't give you orders to come here."
"Darius sent us to collect your recruits," He pushed passed the boy slightly.
"Ah, okay. Very good. And there won't be any delay in branding you with coven sigils and taking you away from your friends and family forever! Hooray!" He didn't appear to be thrilled when he said that; he really sounded miserable. Skara burst into tears when she saw this.
The six were kept in a holding cell before being transported to the Emperor's Castle. Bijou told Skara and Viney about being apprehended and criminalized by the Emperor's Coven months before.
"Okay, listen, I'm sorry about this whole setup thing," Hunter said, placing their staffs against a wall. "But did you really have to punch Steve, Skara?"
He motioned to the Scout sitting in the corner.
"I get it, emotions are running high. Ice pack for Steve," he said with a thumbs-up, carrying an ice pack and a dented mask.
"Well, I don't get it," he told the gathering, standing in front of the cell. "You're joining the best coven there is! You can keep all your magic, you get free room and board, you can even play Flyer Derby on your day off! Well, this year's day off has already passed. But next year is only 52 weeks away!"
"We don't care!" Skara protested passionately. "None of us want this!"
"You will eventually," Hunter said, waving it aside. "Trust me, I'm your friend now."
"Not this time, you're not!" Jackie snarled.
"Friends don't stab each other in the back!" Gus stared at him, but Hunter didn't seem to get it.
"Sure they do. The Coven Heads do it all the time back at the castle. Come on, Kai. I mean despite being a human, your athletic skills and motivations are amazing and your emulated magic would make a great addition when you join," Hunter said to Bijou, who was simply ignoring his companion.
"To think we could be friends right about now but honestly? What was I thinking when it came to the Emperor's nephew and most trusted soldier? Another link in the world's worst chain," Bijou said.
"Captain." He looked at Willow in the corner. "You're on my side, right?"
However, she did not look at him and instead faced the wall. "I...thought I could be good at this."
He paused when he heard her tone and words.
"But we're here because I made a bad call." She grabbed the top of her head. "I'm just Half-a-Witch Willow."
He expanded his mouth slightly since he was comparable in that way.
The six people in the cage were taken away after being enveloped by abomination goo. They emerged on a blimp, where Darius was waiting for them.
One of the Coven Scouts teleported all the palismen into a cage. Hunter emerged from the structure, looking up at the sky.
"Darius, I did it! I found recruits!"
"Yup," Darius breathed deeply. "And you're making me work on my day off. Take this and quit bugging me."
He waved his finger to summon Hunter's cloak and threw it into his hands.
"I can wear this proudly now," he reflected, staring at his stitching. "Right?"
He grinned eagerly at Darius.
"Can you? One of these recruits looks like she just got dumped or something. It's starting to depress me," Darius replied, and Hunter winced and looked away. The man turned away.
"See you at the castle...Golden Guard."
He watched the blimp fly away, giving a mournful expression as he considered their reactions to his betrayal.
"I do not envy those kids, man," Steve said to Hunter.
"T-They just have to go through basic training before becoming Scouts. It's not too bad," he murmured.
"Dude, do you even remember what we had to do? The duels, the mazes with the traps, that time we were left alone on a mountain."
"Ho ho," Hunter said, shaking his head and smiling slightly. "Classic."
"And of course, Belos likes to collect everyone's palismen."
When Steve brought it up, Hunter instantly remembered handing over a palisman to his uncle and what he did with it. That's when he realized that without a palisman, Willow wouldn't be Captain of the Emerald Entrails anymore. Something she treasured; otherwise, she'd be labeled as half a witch again. Not to mention...his palisman would have ended the same way if he had stayed with Hunter all those years ago and been his friend...
"Oh, Steve is beginning to regret his choices..." He proceeded down the steps, staring at the blimp. He had to do something; he needed to save them while simultaneously apologizing for betraying them.
"I think Hunter is too..."
Luz and Amity were continued chasing the unknown figure, with the human girl jumping and attempting to trip her with a plant glyph, but it did not work. Amity cast a spell circle, utilizing an abomination to obstruct her path. Mildred, on the other hand, used her own spell circle to blast through the entity and jump through the hole.
"Maybe it's Kikimora," Luz speculated after seeing this. "And her only way to express herself is through fiction!"
"Maybe it's another shape-shifting basilisk," Amity speculated; after all, Vee and Elle were still in the Human Realm, and the other basilisks could not be found. "Trying to write their story through metaphor."
The figure approached a large rock, intending to jump for something. The cloak was removed, and the individual fell to show herself as Tinella Nosa.
"Aw, rats!" She clicked her fingers and looked at the girls as they approached.
"Tinella Nosa?!" Amity cried, shocked.
"She's had a name this whole time?!" Luz was equally as surprised.
She led them down a cave when they sought an explanation from her.
"Sorry, boss. The jig is up," she moaned, and Luz gasped as she recognized him. Tibbles set down one of the books, appearing angry.
"Tibbles?!"
"Edited a few more of those author photos, boss," Mattholomule said, approaching with a stack of books. "Some of my finest work."
Then he observed the females and gasped sharply.
"Luz?!" He looked up at an earring from his ear, blushed, and put it away.
"Mattholomule," Luz exclaimed in horror as she saw him.
"Oh, calm down," Tibbles simply waived it off. "Human garbage is constantly leaking into our water. And about a year ago, I found this box of books washed up on the shore."
He jumped down from his podium. "I've been trying to make a sale of it ever since, but no one's buying!"
"Wait," Mattholomule approached him. "I'm still getting paid for this, right?"
"Not now, kid," Tibbles said, probably not. Mattholomule walked away, his glare fixed upon the pig demon. "According to the owner of the book nook, he's only ever had one customer purchase from the series."
Luz turned to Amity, who was uncomfortable because that person was her. She scratched her cheeks. "I-I didn't know, I swear!"
"This is the worst scam I've ever run!" Tibbles kicked the stack of books, frustrated.
"So the author is human after all," Luz said, disappointed.
"Oh ho ho, were you expecting some dramatic discovery?" Tibbles laughed as he insulted her, and a fist formed of abomination goo hit him in the ceiling. Amity seemed angry after doing this, and Luz rested her head on her shoulder. Amity wrapped her arm over her, comfortingly.
Hunter flew after the blimp. He teleported to get closer unobserved, while Darius scrolled through Penstagram. He spotted Raine's, Lilith's, and Alador's, all of which included an Abomaton image. Darius moaned at this. "Mute."
The five teenagers glanced at him before moving on to the palismen cage. Skara and Jackie tried to grab for theirs.
"No," He knocked them into the group with his ooze. Willow attempted to use some plants, but he blocked him with an abomination hand, terrifying everyone.
"Uh-uh." He also hit Willow in the head. He stood up and put aside his scroll. "You're gonna need to be a little more clever than that."
Hunter instantly teleported into the ship while wearing his cloak. "Darius!"
"Now!" Bijou exclaimed as the six jumped from the balloon.
"NO!" Hunter exclaimed as he dashed over to the edge, but the six vanished abruptly.
"An illusion!" Darius exclaimed, as the group hid above the controls.
"Land the ship!" Willow said as they landed, eliminating the abomination pilot.
"Wait!"
Willow pulled the lever, sending the airship into the ocean. The six jumped off, holding their staffs, and headed for the shore. But suddenly another larger abomination appeared in front of them, blocking their route. They took a quick glimpse at the burning blimp.
"Did you really think you could get away with endangering a Coven Head?" he challenged them as he emerged from the flames, his hands clenched. "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?!" He transformed one of his hands into a sickle.
Willow waved his finger, causing vines to approach him, but he cut them off. She then lifted her hand, forming a dome around them, which he chopped off. Bijou created a tornado to knock Darius back, but he resisted. Willow braced herself in front of her teammates, but Hunter unexpectedly appeared in front of her and Bijou.
"Wait!"
"Out of my way, little prince," Darius hissed.
"No! I was mistaken. These six are insolent agitators, who aren't fit for the Emperor's Coven. And I'm unfit to wear the sigil of the Golden Guard," he said, taking off his cloak to hand it back. He removed the cloak and turned to face the others.
"You can go."
Willow frowned and clenched her staff.
"Please, Captain," he pleaded, and she flinched and dropped her gaze. Gus also seemed to lower his glare.
"Let's move, team," she said. "We need to find an alternate player. After all, it'll be 52 weeks before Caleb's next day off."
She and the team went away with a smile, and he looked at her, surprised.
"You...befriended them, and then you disobeyed me to protect them?!" Darius exclaimed fiercely, extending his arm, as Hunter braced himself. But then Darius simply placed his hand on top of Hunter's.
"I'm impressed," He smiled at the youngster, grinning as he opened his eyes. "I had you all wrong."
"Huh?" Hunter looked up, perplexed.
"You are 16; it's about time you made connections outside the castle." He waved a finger, summoning a scroll for Hunter to create a Penstragram account. "I was just gonna drop them off at Hexside. We have more than enough recruits in my opinion."
"Are you...gonna tell Belos about this?" Hunter said, suspicious that there was a catch or something. After all, as he previously stated, the Coven Heads routinely backstabbed one another.
"Are you going to tell him about your secret palisman?"
He gulped hard and looked surprised as the palisman chirped.
"Magic or not, I think you'll make your predecessors proud," Darius grinned as he returned the cloak. Hunter gazed at the symbol and softly touched it. "But you could still use a sewing lesson."
"What would be our first writing project?" Amity inquired, her companion humming in meditation.
"How about...the mystery of..." She looked up and gasped as the Emerald Entrails approached. "What they were up to all night!"
"Did he just make an account?" Viney inquired as Willow was using Penstragram.
"Wow, he is a slow typer," Willow said, showing Gus her scroll.
"He's worse than my dad," Gus said, laughing.
"Who could blame him?" Jackie asked, shrugging. "It is his first time after all."
"Should I really teach him or should I not just to make it funnier?" Bijou smiled.
"Oh, hey guys!" Willow said when she saw the two.
"I am really digging those outfits!" Luz smiled as she pointed at them. "So, how was the rest of school? Did we...miss anything?"
"Just...had our first team win as the Emerald Entrails," Willow flicked her hair while the others rejoiced.
"Ooo, let me see, let me see!" Luz saw the group shot beside Luz...and they both gasped when they saw Hunter in it.
"WHAT?!"