Title: A good myth is hard to kill

Warnings: mild violence, mentions of character death, explicit language

Reviews:

MarciaChapter2: Thank you so much! We will be meeting Kurt in this chapter for sure! He's definitely not quite how we usually write him, but we hope you will still love him!

Dawofmorning: thank you so much! We hope you enjoy!

tomdarryecs: thanks! So glad you liked the first chapter! We will definitely have more Anderberry moments and we will also see Cooper again! You know we have to have him in here if we can lol. There will also be some HummelBerry moments, but not sure how you will feel about those haha

Guests: not sure if it was two separate ones or just one, but thank you so much! We appreciate anyone taking the time even just to say they liked it! It definitely keeps us going!

Thank you to everyone for all the love! It's very encouraging!


The sun had already fallen into the line of trees and the fireflies had come out to dance under them when Blaine arrived at the village of Lima: the wizard's birthplace. It was small and quiet, similar to numerous other villages he had seen before in his travels. There were heavy gates and a tall iron fence that spanned the entire place. As if that wasn't clear enough, there was also a sign right at the entrance that banished any sort of magic and magical beings. Blaine raised his eyebrows at this, but carried on to the gates.

Since it was becoming rapidly more dark, Blaine decided to try for a room to rest and then would set out fresh in the morning for wherever this wizard was hiding Lady Rachel. He was glancing around and trying to determine where an inn might be when something poked him in the back of the leg.

"Halt!" a tiny voice squeaked.

Blaine put his hands up and slowly spun to face a child who looked to be around six. He had a stick that had been sharpened crudely at the end that was now poking him in the stomach.

"State your name and business!" The boy said with a no-nonsense frown.

Blaine yelped when he was poked in the back of his leg again. He kept his hands up, but turned his head to see a girl who looked to be the same age as the boy and bore a strong resemblance to him. She was also armed with a stick that she jabbed him with.

"You better not be a gnome! We don't allow them here!"

Blaine tried really hard not to laugh at how adorable they were. He shook his head slowly, keeping his face serious. "I'm not a gnome. Just a humble puppeteer who means no harm. Only looking for a place to stay the night."

At the mention of puppets, the children lit up with excitement.

"You have puppets?"

"Can we see?"

"Are you here to put on a show?"

"Do you have them now?"

They lowered their sticks and stared at him with wide smiles.

"Felicity! Felix!" A deep voice called, causing the children to wince. A man approached them with a wary look at Blaine and a reproachful glare at the children. "Why aren't you in bed?"

Both the boy and the girl stared down at their feet sheepishly. "Sorry brother," they chorused.

"Do you want to be gobbled up by the dark wizard?" He asked the children who's eyes went wide as dinner plates. They shook their heads vigorously. "Then off to bed with you and don't let me catch you out of them until morning light!"

Felicity and Felix squealed and tore away towards their home if Blaine were to guess. He smiled after them.

The man gave Blaine a courteous smile. "Sorry about those little menaces. I've told our parents to lock them in the house, but they let them roam free."

Blaine returned his smile. "I have a brother myself. Siblings can be difficult sometimes."

He nodded. "Aye. I'm Ryder." He didn't offer his hand.

"Blaine Anderson."

"What sort of business do you have in Lima tonight Blaine Anderson?" Ryder asked as he looked Blaine up and down. He seemed guarded, one hand resting on the axe at his hip.

With a disarming grin, Blaine held up his open palms as he had done for the twins earlier. "Just a humble puppeteer looking for a place to spend the night. I'll be on my way in the morning. Also, perhaps some information."

Ryder cocked a bushy eyebrow. "What sort of information?"

"I was told this was where the dark wizard that took Lady Rachel is from. I want to help her, you see."

Realization had Ryder give Blaine another appraisal. "You aren't the first. Won't be the last. You don't look like the others though."

Blaine laughed. "I'm sure I don't. I'm no knight."

Ryder shrugged and gestured to the fence. "Before I can let you in, I need you to touch the fence. It's iron." He watched Blaine carefully for his reaction.

Blaine had heard the rumor that iron depleted magic, but of course he couldn't say for sure. As much as he traveled, his mother had always kept him close, so he hadn't gotten the chance to really talk to many magical people. It made sense for this village to build an iron fence to at least hinder anyone who might attack, but he couldn't help but wonder how anyone magical lived there. Then he remembered the sign.

"I'm not a threat," Blaine said as he touched the cold metal. He smiled at Ryder to show he was fine. It bothered him to think what would have happened had he been affected.

Ryder relaxed exponentially and led Blaine to the gate. "Sorry about that. Just can't be too careful nowadays. Hummel's left us alone for the most part, but this business with the girl has everyone on edge." He opened the gate with a large metal key that Blaine also guessed was made of iron.

"Hummel?"

Ryder motioned for him to follow. "The wizard. That's his name. He's a few years older than me and my family kept away from them, but I remember him. Kept to himself for the most part until he didn't."

Blaine filed this away for future reference. He trailed behind Ryder as he closed the gate and locked it securely behind them. "So, what happened?"

"He went on a rampage, killed a whole lot of people, and fled. Then he came back about a year later and attacked right out of the blue. A few more people were killed, the village was a wreck… he's just not to be trifled with. Were I you, I'd go back home." Ryder eyed him warily. "Of course you probably won't. Was that girl he took your beloved or something?"

Blaine shook his head. "A friend. Can you tell me the names of anyone who was friends with this Hummel fellow before he, as you say, went on a rampage? I'd like to ask them a few questions."

Ryder scratched his bearded chin. "Afraid he didn't have any friends. Like I said, he was a loner. His father was a builder and he was good people. After everyone found out about the boy though… let's just say they stayed to themselves. That is, until he murdered his father."

He had heard this at the inn as well, but Blaine was still shocked by it. "Why?"

Ryder shrugged and looked off into the distance. "No one rightly knows. As far as we figure, he's just evil. Afraid that's all I know. The Town Master might be more help to you though." He dipped his head towards a street lined with houses. "He knows all about the history and he were schoolmates with Hummel. Spoke to him even. You would definitely want to speak with him. Should be finishing his dinner about now," he said, consulting a pocket watch. "The little yellow house at the end of the lane. There is a sign."

Blaine thanked him and headed off in that direction. He would have liked to stop and eat himself, maybe rest his feet and set down his pack, but he knew he had to act while he could. So on he trudged to the house Ryder had spoken of, finding it easily. There was a great gilded sign at the door declaring this the home of their Town Master.

"These people sure enjoy their signs," Blaine mumbled as he knocked at the door.

The door opened and light poured out around a stocky man who smiled curiously at him. "Well, hello. I don't know you, but may I help you?"

Blaine turned on the charm, aware he was probably dirty and a few hours worth of sweat past what could be considered smelly. The man was eyeing him up and down already, most likely wondering what this scruffy man wanted. "Hello. No you don't know me, but I'm hoping you can help me. You are the Town Master? I couldn't be certain." Blaine playfully gestured to the plaque beside the door.

The Town Master blushed and waved it away. "The townspeople insisted. They wanted it to be proper. I'm Dave Karofsky." He held out a beefy hand that Blaine shook warmly.

"Blaine Anderson. I was wondering if I could trouble you by asking a few questions? As long as I'm not interrupting your supper?"

Dave nearly tripped over his own feet getting out of the way. "No, not at all! Please come in!"

Blaine did so, letting his heavy pack drop from his back next to the door. He was then led to a comfortable drawing room where a window welcomed in the warm breeze. Blaine noted the bars bolted to the window that were made of iron if he were to guess. There was a family portrait over the unlit fireplace featuring a much younger Dave next to a stern-faced man and woman Blaine presumed were his parents.

"Would you like a drink?" Dave asked as he fiddled with some glasses at a little bar off to the side of the room.

"A drink would be nice, thank you. I've been walking for some time." Blaine smiled pleasantly as Dave brought him a goblet of wine and nearly spilled it all over him. He wondered if he had been drinking it already. He seemed nervous.

"So what can I do for you, Mr. Anderson?" Dave asked as he settled in the opposite chair.

Blaine sipped his wine to attempt to collect his thoughts. What to ask first? The man seemed friendly, but considering Ryder's reaction to questions about the wizard, he should be cautious. "Blaine, please. I've traveled here because Lady Rachel is my friend," he began.

Karofsky frowned sympathetically. "Terribly sorry about that. We had no idea he would do something like that. Although, he's done much worse." He wrinkled his nose in extreme distaste. "He's always stayed holed up in his castle, only occasionally picking off anyone who happens across him. He doesn't even give beggars a chance."

Taking that moment to be supremely glad he stoped here first instead of the castle, Blaine continued. "So, he's never taken anyone else? Only defended his castle?"

"Defended is a kind word for it," Dave sneered. "He's always been a spiteful cunt. I went to school with him. I can't prove it, but he cast spells on me all the time."

Blaine was taken aback by Karofsky's sudden venom, but he was intrigued. "Spells? What sort of spells?"

Draining his glass, Dave shrugged Blaine's question off. "So are you here to mourn her? Lady Rachel, I mean. Or do you intend to send a champion to avenge her?"

He let Karofsky change the subject and sat up a little straighter. "I am my own champion. I intend to get her back myself."

Like everyone else, Blaine could see the disbelief on his face and braced himself when the laughter came. When he bristled, Dave choked his mirth back. "Sir, I meant no disrespect to you, but you have to believe me when I tell you that's a horrible idea." He grew serious then. "He's powerful and ruthless and he will murder you where you stand without a second thought."

Blaine set down his glass. "No offense, but you don't really know me, Mr. Karofsky. I am quite capable."

The Town Master set down his own glass and stood. "Call me Dave. And come with me."


Music played and people sang, just for me the church bells rang


He took Blaine out into the warm night and walked silently across a few lanes. It was a lovely evening, but all the people were locked up tight in their homes. Blaine saw more bars on every window just like the ones at Karofsky's. Curtains were twitched aside as they walked by and faces tight with worry relaxed at seeing Dave. He waved to his people who nodded back. They felt safe with him. He took care of them, protected them.

Blaine was led to a small cottage covered with vines twisting through the windows and roof. The door at the front hung sideways from the hinges and the little fence along the front had rusted and crumbled in some places. Crude words and pictures had been painted on many surfaces, some older than others. Words for magical beings that were considered slurs were amongst them and Blaine could tell a lot of the damage had been inflicted by rocks and axes. What seemed like a once happy home lay in ruins.

"This was the Hummel's cottage," Karofsky said in the dark, startling Blaine. "The mother was buried here, but someone dug her grave up and stole her remains. The father too, though he was buried in the cemetery."

Blaine gasped. "Who would do such a thing? That's despicable!"

Karofsky turned to him. His eyes seemed to shine in the flame of the lamp he carried. "No one would confess to it. I know the wizard did it. Probably needed her for some dark spell."

This rendered Blaine speechless. He wasn't sure if he could trust Dave yet, but what reason would he have to lie about this? Unless someone in the village did it and lied. They must all really hate this man if that was the case.

They didn't stay at the Hummel cottage long. Karofsky beckoned him across the village to a different house. This one was large and had been splendid at one time, but now was in ruins. Columns that once held the front up proudly now were worn and splintered. Windows were broken and the grand stairs in the front was missing bricks. The roof had been split down the middle and fallen in. Thorny vines twisted over everything like they were warning everyone away. Roses had bloomed, but now hung dead and shriveled.

Karofsky propped a leg up on the fence along the property and sighed wistfully at the old house. Blaine waited for him to speak, sensing it was serious.

"This was my home. It was in my family for generations and I thought I would raise my own children in it's halls. Our village provides food for a lot of the surrounding towns, crops and livestock. My ancestors were one of the first to grow here. They took care of this land for years, carefully tending to it." He turned to Blaine, his eyes hard. "The wizard took it all away in one night. He came while we slept and wreaked havoc. I nearly didn't make it out of my childhood bedroom alive. My mother wouldn't give up the house. She… didn't make it." He blinked rapidly and stared back to the house. Memories of the night swam in his eyes. "It's now her tomb. He cursed the ground here, all the toil and labor of my family just gone. Now nothing will grow on my families land other than those awful roses." He spat. "They bloom dead! The bastard." Blaine looked at the house, its ghosts making him shiver.

Karofsky shoved off the fence and walked down past fields and fields of thorny thickets. Blaine hurried to follow, dread settling in his stomach.

"Where are we going now?" Blaine asked as he kept glancing back over his shoulder. He just knew the dark wizard was going to leap out from behind a tree and get him.

Karofsky turned and gave him a grim look. "To the place where he murdered our fathers."

It was another thing he had heard several times, but seeing it was different. He remembered Cooper telling him scary stories as the walked past a cemetery or at the nightly fire. But this wasn't his brother trying to spook him, this was real. They came upon an old barn, dilapidated just like the two houses. They didn't go in but, stood outside. It would have been a chore anyway since the same wild rose bushes had claimed it too.

"This is where he killed them both. We didn't really agree with Burt about most things, but he was a good man. That day everyone saw him rip through town. He was like an animal they say. I was at school. The murderer was too special to be around the rest of us. He looked down on us, I know it. That day, he went feral and just killed them both. That's the day we chased him out and he hasn't been welcome since." Dave wiped at his eyes. He faced Blaine who had been shocked into silence. "You have to understand why I say not to provoke him. He's evil, someone who kills without thought. His own blood!" Dave inhaled deeply and stepped away from Blaine who had shrunk away from him at his outburst. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to frighten you, but I would hate for the world to lose someone as kind as you seem to be. I know you have the best intentions, but don't go. Stay here. You and I could get to know each other better. You could be one of us." He reached his hand towards Blaine's.

This was a lot. All the stories he had been told were playing violently through his head and now this man was begging him to stay? He might have been flattered if there wasn't something nagging at him. A puzzle piece that didn't quite slot into place.

"Wait, you said the day he… You know… You were in school?"

Karofsky narrowed his eyes, confused. "Yes? Why?"

"And you said you grew up with him? The wizard?"

"Yes… what does that have to do with anything?"

"So he was a child? When he killed them?"

Dave's jaw twitched. "Kurt Hummel was a killer at fifteen. Not exactly a child."

"No. Not exactly."

They soon went back to Karofsky's house and he invited Blaine to spend the night there. But all the things Blaine had learned that night felt like they were bouncing around his head and if he tried to sleep under a roof, they would stay trapped. No, he was a son of the stars and he needed a wide open sky to sleep under. At least he did this night. So he politely turned down Dave's offer much to the man's disappointment and pitched his tent in an open field nearby. He had a quick meal of his food his mother had provided for him and wasted no time stretching out to sift through the information he had learned that night. However, he underestimated how tired he had become from his travels and drifted off to sleep thinking about a fifteen year old boy running through the village with blood on his hands and magic in his veins.


I look inside myself and see my heart is black


They hadn't wanted to let him go the next morning as he was invited by Dave and the twins Felix and Felicity for breakfast. He declined though in favor of getting an early start, munching on a apple as he went. The people of the village had watched him leave with foreboding stares, convinced they would never see him again. Blaine cheerfully waved, convinced they were wrong. So what if there was bad blood with the village? He wasn't one of them. This would be fine.

As the land grew more inhospitable, so did Blaine's mind. He tried to stay positive, but he began to remember the bad dreams that had plagued him the entire night. Pure unbridled curiosity drove him forward now. He had to at least see the castle. Just to say he had. His courage might be failing him as those same thorny roses snaked along the road, but he could at least come back with a good story. It took the better part of a day to reach. Blaine kept himself entertained and calm by rehearsing his little skits and singing songs. He was climbing a hill in the late afternoon when he caught his first glimpse of it, the sight pulling a gasp from him.

It shone in the glitter of the sun, like it had been polished that very day. It was completely black and smooth as glass. In fact, as he drew nearer and nearer, he realized it was made of glass. A castle made of black glass.

"Seems impractical," Sam puppet said.

Blaine nodded. "Very. But I suppose when one is a powerful wizard, one can build out of anything."

"If one wants to be seen as a pompous ass," Sam puppet replied.

Blaine yanked him from his hand and stuffed the puppet into his belt. Maybe he was the unsettled one, talking to himself via a puppet. "Let me do the talking. You'll have us skinned."

Blaine's courage began to dry up as he approached the high obsidian walls matching the castle. The land was overrun with the roses, a dull ashy black that choked out every other sign of life around for miles. It was then that Blaine realized that the castle wasn't made of glass, but blackened ice. How that was possible in the middle of summer, he had no idea, but it was cold to the touch. Now he had no idea how he would get inside. However, something called to him to enter. There were scenes carved into the walls and statues atop the spires. With a sinking feeling, Blaine saw they were all manner of skulls and gargoyles, clawed creatures with large teeth. The thorny roses curled wickedly along the wall and up the battlements. Upon closer inspection of one of the bricks of ice, Blaine noticed a gray hue. Something had been trapped inside the ice, tiny flecks of what looked like… Blaine stumbled backwards a few steps. Ashes. The castle wall had been built with ashes. Surely it wasn't ashes from people? A tooth fragment suspended in the block had his stomach turning.

Maybe Lady Rachel was fine? She could probably rescue herself. His courage bleeding away, Blaine considered how long it would take to get back to the village if he ran. Everyone was right. This had been a mistake. Even if he wanted in, the walls were high and he had no idea how to get inside. No one was greeting him. And did he want that? No, probably not. The dark wizard would probably rip his spine out through his nose and use it as decoration for his castle.

That was when something brushed his leg. Blaine was certainly not proud of the scream that ripped shrilly out of him or how he danced away, nearly spilling his pack. He felt incredibly foolish when he realized it had just been a fluffy grey cat. He tried to settle his racing heart as he laughed at himself, crouching down to pet it.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine brushed his fingers through the soft fur and the cat pushed up into his hand. "Oh! You have a collar! What are you doing so far from home? You better not hang around here or the wizard might mistake you for a snack." He was trying to read the silver plate attached to its collar when it suddenly bolted away. Blaine stood, hoping the cat found its way home when he heard a meow. The cat stood a short distance away, staring at him over its shoulder. It mewed again and lifted a paw, just staring.

Realization dawned. "Oh! Should I follow you?"

Maybe he was deluded, but he could have sworn the cat rolled its eyes and nodded before stalking away. His morbid curiosity outweighed his fear at this point, so he followed the cat all the way to a portion of the wall that had caved in just enough for a person to walk through. Strange it wasn't guarded. It had been too easy to get inside. Blaine didn't trust this at all, waiting for the moment that a crazed wizard leapt out and gobbled him whole.

He was so focused on the cat that he didn't notice two cold blue eyes watch him enter from a high window.

The gray cat would stop every few steps to look back and make sure he was following until they arrived in a courtyard. The black ice covered every surface, icicles spiraled like teeth along the archways and glistened like jewels in the fading sunlight. If they weren't so frightening, they might be called beautiful. More ice jutted up to act as a banister along the black stone steps. More of the vines twisted along the ground and around columns of ice. Blaine marveled at the sight of solid ice existing in the dead of summer and not even melting in the slightest. Magic. He swore he could feel it humming around him, through the frozen walls and air. He yelped when an orange blur shot across his path and calmed when he realized it was another cat.

"Aw, do you have a little friend?" Blaine bent and tried to call the cat to him when he noticed another cat. Then another. "Oh! There's so many…" Cats of all different colors and sizes prowled the walls and skulked in the corners. One walked slowly beside him and looked up at him, one eye green and the other a golden brown. Blaine smiled and held out his hand, but the cat just gave him a haunted look and moved away. Something was definitely not right here.

Because he was so distracted by all the ice and cats, Blaine didn't pay attention to where he was going and he tripped over a short border into a shiny black stone jutting out from the cobblestones. It took longer than he was comfortable admitting for him to realize they were tombstones. No ice touched them and all the vines had been carefully cleared away save one piece of dried up vine that seemed to have fallen from an overhang. They were carved from the same black rock that paved the courtyard, meticulous scrollwork and flowers bordering a name and dates on each. Jewels studded the stone in a rainbow mosaic that was quite beautiful.

Blaine's inhale was loud to his own ears. He had found the Hummel parents if these markers were to be believed. So the wizard had stolen his parent's remains. Kneeling in front of them, Blaine carefully cleared away the briars from the grave and dug through his pocket until he found some of the soda bread he had been eating for the last few days. Breaking off two pieces, he gently laid them at the stones as an offering, something his parents had always done when they happened upon lonely graves on their travels.

"Hello," Blaine said quietly. "I've heard so much about you. Very nice to meet you. You have a lovely— if slightly macabre— home. You know—"

Blaine was interrupted by the hissing and low growls of all the cats. They darted off into little holes and crevices in the walls. Then the ground began to shake. The vibrations broke a few icicles off and sent them crashing to the stone. A few of the very big, sharp ones stuck like daggers. Blaine gulped as gray clouds rolled over him that definitely had not been there before and thunder echoed over the shrieks of the cats. He was further petrified when the ice shards in the ground somehow lit on fire but didn't melt. That fact alone was startling, but the fire was also green. If Blaine hadn't been afraid for his life in that moment, he might have found it fascinating. As it stood, he was pretty certain his heart had stopped.

"Ready to die?" A voice whispered in his ear even though he was all alone save the cats. Well, technically they had abandoned him too.

Blaine screamed again and fell onto his butt as streaks of green lightning struck all around him. The wind howled and whipped his curls around. Then he saw him.

He descended slowly from a high window, flying through the air as if being lowered by a great invisible hand. His dark green, gold, and black robes billowed around him as the lighting curled around his arms and hands like a pet snake. His shiny chestnut hair was swooped back and remained undisturbed by the wind that seemed to be pressing Blaine to the ground. He pinned Blaine with an icy glare as he landed lightly to the ground and strode towards him. He was great and terrible and powerful and beautiful all at once. Blaine scrambled away until his back hit one of the grave stones.

"You have merely seconds to answer before I turn you to dust and use you to rebuild my wall," the wizard growled as more lighting sparked from his palms. Several rings winked from his fingers. The grey cat had strolled up and sat nearby like it was completely used to this.

Blaine's soul had left his body. His ability to speak had gone. With a shaky hand, he reverted back to how he coped as a child.

He pulled out Sam puppet.

"Blaine is a little frightened right now, so he would like for me to inform you that he will be okay in just a moment. I'm Sam puppet and I would like to thank you for welcoming us to your castle! We mean no harm—"

The wizard's eyebrow raised and he slowly turned to share a confused look with the cat as Blaine prattled on through the puppet. Then he turned back to Blaine, a dangerous smile playing at his lips. "You mock me. You either have been struck by an icicle or they have sent a fool to try and outplay me."

The lighting returned.

"No!" Out of a desire to not be burnt to a crisp, Blaine found his voice. He stuffed his puppet back into his belt and held up both hands. "Let me explain! Please."

The wizard didn't move to attack, but he didn't back away either.

Blaine swallowed hard and licked his dry lips. "Firstly, might I say that was quite an entrance! Quite startling! I was very impressed. And your castle! Very pretty, very nice. A little dark though. I personally would enjoy more flowers. Maybe some dandelions, sunflowers. Something bright. Yellow. Anyway! Uh, stay back!" Blaine scuffed his feet against the stone when the wizard huffed and stepped closer. He continued. "Anyway, you might be curious as to what I'm doing here. I just wanted to ask you very nicely if you wouldn't happen to mind releasing Lady Rachel to me?"

The wizard stared.

Blaine laughed nervously. "I know, I know. You kidnapped her for a reason, am I correct? But her fathers really want her back and I told them you were probably very reasonable and you would let her go if I asked you nicely—"

The wizard flicked his wrist and Blaine's windpipe was being squeezed. He tried to pry away the hand around his neck, but there was nothing to grab.

"Enough. I will send you back without your tongue and we shall see how many laughs you get when you get back to that horrible excuse they call a village."

As he was choking to death, Blaine struggled to get away. He thrashed back and forth, but nothing loosened the invisible grip.

The wizard watched him with all the interest of watching water boil, picking at his immaculate nails as Blaine's vision began to go dark. He was wishing he could tell his family he loved them one last time when the wizard noticed the bread he had left on the graves. His eyes narrowed.

"Who did that? Did you?" The wizard huffed impatiently. "Speak!"

Blaine tried to indicate he should go fuck himself with his eyes since he was dying.

The wizard laughed musically. "Oh. Right." He waved his hand and the pressure lifted. Blaine immediately filled his lungs with air, coughing and gasping. "Now, speak! Be quick about it!" He snapped his fingers impatiently.

Blaine drew in another ragged breath and raised his head up from where he was on all fours on the ground. His head throbbed and his throat ached. He was certain he would have bruises. "That… was… extremely… rude," Blaine wheezed out as he glared up at him.

The wizard's eyes glittered like the sharp icicles he adorned his castle with as he bent down to get closer to him. Blaine flinched away, which caused him to chuckle darkly. "I believe I asked you a question. Who put that there?"

Blaine swallowed, his throat bobbing sharply. "I— I— I did. As a sign of respect! I'm sorry," he replied, his voice hoarse.

The wizard scoffed and folded his arms. "How stupid. They're dead. Respect won't keep the worms from their bones."

"But they're your parents!" Blaine said, shocked that someone could speak about their deceased parents that way.

In response, the wizard shrugged dismissively. The cat made an displeased sound and he sighed.

"Fine. Since you haven't tried to kill me, I will spare you this once because of your reverence. But hear this, you strange little man: Leave. Leave and don't return because next time I will not be so lenient, no matter how naive you seem. And make no mistake, I will lose no sleep over it." He turned away, sweeping his long robes dramatically.

The cat looked at Blaine once more and followed after him.

"Wait!" Blaine rasped. He stood shakily.

The wizard stopped and tossed his head back in annoyance. "You want me to kill you so you can save face? Ohhh, are you one of those that enjoyed the throttling a little too much?"

Blaine's face warmed, but he drew up to his full height. "I'm ignoring that. What about Lady Rachel? You won't release her to me? I think if we just talk about it—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, an icicle broke free and slammed into the ground beside Blaine's foot. He felt all the blood leave his face as the wizard laughed wickedly.

"Get out of here, jester, before I change my mind." With that, he disappeared into a heavy door that slammed and locked shut behind him.

"Technically I'm a puppeteer!" Blaine called after him.

He couldn't leave fast enough. He bounced off of an icy wall and fell before scrambling back up and out of the castle. He could have sworn he heard laughter echoing behind him. Once he was safely beyond the threshold, Blaine slumped to the grass and caught his breath. What the hell had just happened? His heart was racing and he had failed horrendously in his mission to get Lady Rachel back, but he had done something everyone said was impossible: he had spoken to the formidable wizard and survived. The man known as Kurt Hummel was equal parts horrifying and captivating. He could get through to him, he just knew he could, but he needed to figure out a way to speak to him without incinerating him or choking the life out of him. Unfortunately, the only people who had also survived him were back in the village.

With a sigh and a comforting rub to his raw throat, Blaine set up his tent in what was left of the afternoon light. He would sleep here and return to Lima the next day for food and information.

He fully expected to wake up to being murdered by the wizard, but the day broke without incident. It was clear and bright and no matter how long Blaine stared at the castle, he could see no sign of life.

The trek back to the village felt shorter somehow and he made it back that afternoon without incident. Ryder was again standing at the gate when Blaine approached.

"Mr. Anderson! I thought we would never see you again! Did you finally see reason—" He stopped abruptly when he got a good look at Blaine and his eyebrows shot up. He whistled. "You did tangle with him, didn't you? Did you do it? Did you kill the wicked creature?"

Blaine tilted his head, puzzled. "What? No, why?"

"Your neck, mate." He pointed to his own neck.

Of course Blaine couldn't see his neck, but he was sure it probably looked rather awful. Ryder offered him his pocket watch wordlessly after rubbing it against his trouser leg.

"Oh my…" Blaine's neck was deep purple and black with bruises in the shape of two hands with extremely long fingers. From a distance it probably looked like a shirt collar or a necklace. Blaine wondered how his windpipe hadn't been crushed. He looked up and tried to smile encouragingly at Ryder. "It's not too bad. A little sore, but manageable."

"Mr. Anderson?"

They both turned at the voice and saw Dave Karofsky standing there open-mouthed in the street.

"Please, you both must call me Blaine," he said as they sat at the table in Karofsky's house after Blaine had given them both a quick rundown of what happened at the castle. Ryder and Dave weren't surprised Kurt had attacked him, only that he had survived. "Now I need some advice on what to try next time."

"Blaine," Dave said with a little smile that quickly fell. "While I'm glad you are alive, you can't go back. He said himself that he would kill you if you do. He's completely evil!"

Blaine shrugged. "I wouldn't say completely. I mean, he had his parents graves so tidy and he had cats! Who can be evil and have pet cats? No one!"

Ryder and Dave shared a disbelieving look.

"He is evil though! Everyone knows it!" Dave snarled.

Blaine was taken aback by his sudden anger, but thankfully Ryder put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Listen mate, what the Town Master here is trying to say is that he's worried you are putting yourself in danger if you go back and fool with the wizard. He's wild and unpredictable. Dangerous. You might not be so lucky if you go back."

Blaine knew it was useless to try to make them see that he had to do this. They would definitely not support him going back. No one would understand his need to do this except for him. He believed in himself. He had spoken to the dark wizard and come out of it alive. Who else could say that? Not the person who's tooth was encased in Hummel's wall, that's for certain. Not all the other bigger and stronger and braver people who had gone before him. And Dave had reason to hate Kurt, but he felt there was more to the story than he was being told. He determined that he would quietly restock his food supply and sneak off early the next morning where no one could stop him. He didn't have all the time in the world after all and neither did Lady Rachel.


Just had to share that when Blaine makes Sam puppet talk, we both imagine his voice as the shrimp's from Shark Tale. You're welcome for that lol

Songs used in chapter title/breaks:

Hard to Kill: Beth Crowley

Bang Bang: 2Cellos version feat. Sky Ferreira

Paint It, Black: Ciara version

we do not own music used!*