(A couple of days ago…)
Hunter ran through the woods, he had no idea where he was running to, he just kept running. He couldn't go back to the castle. Belos would kill him. He couldn't go to any Emperor's Coven precincts. He would be taken to Belos, and then killed. Luz's offer of staying at the Owl House rang in his head, and for a moment he contemplated turning around and heading back to that place, to where Eda the Owl Lady and Luz, Kamen Rider Witch, were. But then he remembered that Belos knew that both him and Luz were in his mind, and would no doubt send Coven Scouts or Coven Phantoms to come and kill everyone who resided in that place.
At this point, Hunter cursed his lack of social interaction outside of the castle walls. He had so few places to go. Well, he could ask the Captain if he could go and hide at her home. Hunter shook that notion out of his head. There was no way he could do such a thing to Willow. If he hid there, Belos would kill her and her family for harboring him. There was no one to ask for help, nowhere to go. He just had to keep running, running was the only–
"GAH!"
Hunter suddenly found his foot caught on an upturned tree root that sent him tumbling forward. He rolled for a good ten seconds before coming to a stop. The former Golden Guard groaned painfully from his fall as he propped himself up on his forearms. That's when he heard the familiar chirping of Flapjack reach his ears. Hunter looked up and saw his Palisman companion descend from the air and land in front of him.
"Flap…did you know…? Did you remember who you used to belong to?" Hunter asked.
Flapjack nodded.
"Is that way you choose me? The name, 'Caleb', was his name, right? It was the name of Belos'…Philip's older brother! It was because I looked a lot like him!" Hunter accused.
Flapjack chirped a few times as Hunter listened.
"'I looked like him, feel like him, but I'm also not him'? What does that…no, never mind." Hunter got up and dusted himself off. "I don't know where to go. There's no place that I could go that Belos wouldn't find me."
Flapjack flapped his wings and rose to eye level with Hunter. The cardinal Palisman chirped again, and Hunter tilted his head in confusion.
"What do you mean there is a place he wouldn't look?" Hunter asked.
Flapjack chirped and then pointed his wing in a certain direction. Hunter sighed and followed the direction that Flapjack pointed out. The teenage boy kept walking, pushing through some bushes as he arrived at the destination that Flapjack intended. What stood before him was Hexside.
"Here?"
*Chirp, chirp. Chirp.*
"Well…you do have a point. It would be the last place that Belos would think to look for me," Hunter acknowledged. "I guess I have no choice…"
Hunter and Flapjack headed for one of the doors to the school. The former Golden Guard glanced about the area, making sure he and Flapjack were the only ones around. Once he was sure, Hunter took out one of the Weapon rings and – he paused. Hunter remembered Belos' words about how he was supposed to be the hero of the Boiling Isles. But in reality, his Driver, his power, was nothing but a prototype. He was a test subject for the final product that was Belos' own Arcane Driver, which helped bring about the rise of Inquisitor. Hunter put away the ring, it carried too much weight. Flapjack seemed to understand what was going on and transformed into his staff form. Hunter grasped the staff and aimed it at the door. A small burst of magical energy was released, allowing Hunter to blast the lock from the inside.
Once it was open, Hunter stealthily made his way through the corridors of the school. He had to find someplace that he wouldn't easily be found out. And after some searching, Hunter believed he had found a place. It was the school's paranatorium. Ever since the Greater Basilisk incident it had been cordoned off and entry was refused to anyone other than staff. The stage was huge, and the backstage area was just as big. With all the props and costumes littering the area, he could easily blend into the background and hide in different places, the rafters, under the stage, all were accessible to him. Food would have to be something to figure out later, for now, at least he secured a place for himself to sleep. For how long was a different story. Flapjack returned to his cardinal form and flew off for a moment and came back with a blanket for Hunter.
Hunter gratefully accepted the blanket and draped himself in it. He got a prop pillow and laid his head on it as he rested in the far corner of the backstage, he placed a few items around to hide himself in case he didn't wake up in time to hide. He didn't know where to go or what to do now. At best, Hunter had to take things one moment at time. Tonight, he would sleep, tomorrow…who knows…
(Present Day…)
It was not a typical day at Hexside. Considering that there was somewhat of a divide amongst the student body concerning whether Witch and Heka were truly evil conspirators trying to take over the Demon Realm. Those who knew better kept the faith that Witch and Heka were here to protect them, and didn't buy for a second that they were behind that attack. Considering Illusion magic was a thing, there was always the possibility that it was staged by the true culprit behind the Coven Phantoms. Unfortunately, the distrust was growing what with the destruction of some of the towns on the left side of the Titan. There were many injured, and some died, so it didn't exactly help or allow for reason to break through the haze of anger and rage.
The H. A. S. (Human Appreciation Society) saw in influx of new members, most of which were absorbed from the KRC (Kamen Rider Club), of which Gus was president of. Due to a drop in membership, and the bad PR that the incident incurred, Gus had to shut down the KRC. Although Principal Bump did say he was free to keep it running if he wished, but as it stood, it wasn't working out. Not with the division of people who believed in Witch and Heka versus those who didn't. That was his decision today as Gus finished speaking with Principal Bump and joined his friends at lunch.
"I'm really sorry," said Skara.
"It's alright. One day, when the truth comes out, I'll start it back up, but for now, it's better to keep a low profile," Gus responded. "But never mind that. Has anyone heard from Luz since yesterday? She's not here."
Amity had a worried look on her face as she raised the little human communication device that they had been using to send messages. On the screen they could see rapid fire emojis one after the other.
"These are the last messages I got from Luz. She must've typed them quickly because all I could decipher was, 'Learned a lot of bad stuff,' something, something, 'Day of Unity,' something, something, and 'Don't scare 'em away'?" Amity explained. "I don't know what any of it means."
"And what about all those hearts?" Gus pointed out.
Amity blushed as she answered, "Oh, uh, heh-heh, those are for me."
Skara smirked in her friend's direction, "Cute~." The Bard witch's expression shifted as she added, "But that does sound bad even if it's just jumbled up. Luz must've discovered something."
"I did go to the Owl House to check up on everyone. But when I got there, it was crawling with Coven Scouts. I was thinking of capturing one for information, but…"
"It's okay, Willow," Amity interrupted as she placed her right hand on Willow's shoulder. "They're tough. Not everyone can stand up to them."
Willow gave Amity a sideways glance as she continued, "…But I didn't want to bring more attention to Luz and Eda."
"Oooh…heheheh…Of course, yes. Smart move," Amity nervously concurred, realizing her little faux pas.
Skara rolled her eyes, and Gus sighed.
"Either way, we should be ready just in case Luz needs our help," Skara added.
Everyone nodded in agreement just as the bell screamed, signaling the end of the lunch period.
"You should probably say something," Gus suggested.
"Same," Skara agreed.
"Say what?" Willow asked.
"Look, we're all friends here, but…Amity's kind of underestimating you. I kinda get understand that since she has powers, but at the same time…it's a little frustrating to watch," Skara confessed.
"I'm fine you two. We're still finding our rhythm, but I know she's not doing it out of spite or anything. Is it frustrating? Yes. But I know it'll click, and eventually, she'll see the new me," Willow explained.
"You mean the real you," Gus and Skara said that same time.
Willow chuckled as she and Skara took their trays to the trash can and joined Amity as they headed off. Gus stayed behind to put away the remainder of his lunch. However, as he did, the trashcan started to rattle and shake. Gus stood up and cautiously approached the waste receptacle, but stopped when he noticed the red cardinal Palisman, Flapjack, fly out of the trashcan with a half-eaten sandwich in his beak.
"I remember you!" Gus gasped.
Flapjack, having been spotted, dropped the sandwich and flew off in a hurry.
"Wait! Get back here!" Gus demanded as he summoned his staff and rode it like a surfboard.
Gus followed Flapjack down the hallways, chasing down the Palisman to see if it would bring him to the person he belonged to. But if that person was here, the bigger question was, why?
Flapjack flew through the doors of the cordoned off paranatorium, and flew through the doors as the rush of wind closed them behind the young Illusionist. Gus lost track of Flapjack, but he landed on the stage as he looked around, staff in hand, ready to defend himself just in case. That's when Gus heard something behind him, making Gus whirl around and point his staff in that direction. From the shadows someone emerged. It was Hunter.
The young Illusionist got into an attack stance as he said, "What are you doing here, Golden Guard?!"
"Tch, wouldn't you like to know?" Hunter replied confidently. "But rest assured, Gus, I–!"
A sudden clattering sound cut him off.
Gus turned his attention, briefly, to where the sound came from. Behind Hunter was a mess of items messily collected in a corner. A sleeping bag, a broom, a few books, several bags of Hex Mix, and other assorted items and snacks. Hunter hurriedly stepped to the side to block the Gus' view of the mess. It was now that Gus really took in Hunter's appearance. He wasn't dressed in his normal uniform, it was mostly a patchwork of different clothing, with a tattered, blue cloak and hood. His face was dirty, and the tip of his cowlick was covered in dirt. In all, Hunter looked completely disheveled, nothing like what he normally was, which was concerning considering it looked as if he was hiding out in the school for a while.
"…I'll ask you one more time," said Gus in a gentler tone. "What are you doing here…Hunter?"
Flapjack flew out and began pulling at Hunter's cowlick, pushing him to divulge what was going on.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Okay, fine!" Hunter relented. "…The truth is…my living situation has been…compromised. Maybe! So, I just…need a place to crash. Temporarily! Hexside was the only place that seemed…safe."
Gus raised as suspicious eyebrow as he responded, "How vague of you. Do you know where Luz is by any chance?"
That made Hunter and Flapjack glance at Gus with a slight hint of worry. "Wait, she's not with the Owl Lady?"
{Students, please join me in the gym for an important announcement,} spoke Principal Bump over the PA system.
Gus returned his gaze to Hunter. "I'm not sure what you're going through, but that much Hex Mix can't be good for your stomach." The young Illusionist drew a spell circle and summoned his lunch bag.
Hunter watched as Gus levitated the bag towards him and took it into his grasp. The former Golden Guard opened the bag and saw a sandwich, apple, and an orange.
"We'll talk, for real, later," Gus assured as he ran off towards the gym.
Gus rushed into the gym. All of the Hexside students along with the faculty were assembled, something big must've been going on for everyone to be gathered together. It might've been nothing, but with everything that was going on, Gus wasn't about to rule anything out. On stage was the Illusionist professor and Principal Bump, and standing between them was a figure with a long tail, and a hood that was pulled up. The hood cast shadows over their face, making it hard to tell who they were.
"Uh, students, teachers, let me introduce the esteemed–"
"Please, Principal Bump, I deserve no accolades," the mysterious stranger interrupted as he pulled his hood down. "Hello, everyone. My name is Adrian Graye. Head Witch of the Illusionist Coven."
The students and teachers gasped upon seeing the head of a Coven here in their school, and in secretive manner no less. Gus, Willow, Skara, Viney, and Amity were already on edge and suspicious now that they knew a Coven Head was here. After the attack, they were not exactly too trusting of people from the Covens.
"Unfortunately, I'm not here with good news. The Emperor's Coven has plans to stop multitrack studies by inducting every Hexside student into a coven before the Day of Unity," Adrian informed.
This sent a sharper gasp through the students. Some of them had been contemplating getting into multitrack studies, while some were already doing so.
Emira had enrolled in the Healing track after showing she had a knack for healing magic during the Bonesborough Brawl. She had been learning some spells from Viney, but Emira eventually found she liked using Healing magic and looked into it more on her own. Now she was dual track witch.
Edric had joined the multitrack study program as well. Just like his big sister, the Bonesborough Brawl brought out Edric's hidden talents for Beast Keeping and Potion making, mostly thanks to Eda's encouragement. So, Edric decided to join both the Beast Keeping and Potion Tracks, while still remaining in the Illusionist track.
Mattholomule had also joined the program, having enrolled into the Illusionist track alongside the Construction track. Although he would probably not admit aloud, Matt had been convinced to take up learning the art of illusions thanks to a certain Illusionist witch after a certain incident at the Looking Glass Graveyard. And now that he heard what was going on, he was furious.
"Mother Titan!" Matt yelled as he tore off the cyan sleeves of his uniform and threw them to the floor in anger.
"Don't worry. No one's magic is going to be sealed away. Head Witch Graye supports us and has come to help," Principal Bump announced.
Matt slowly bent down, picked up the sleeves he tore off, and slipped them back over his arms.
As this was going on, the Oracle professor walked up to Edric and nodded at him. She brought the young man up to the stage as Adrian explained his plan to protect the students from the Emperor's new measure.
"Before any Coven Scouts come by, I'm going to make illusions of sigils on your wrists. They'll be temporary and harmless," Adrian explained.
As Edric took center stage alongside Adrian, his nervousness was increasing.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait. I just started the other tracks! Are you sure this is safe?" Edric asked in a worried tone.
"Don't worry. Once a Scout sees the fake sigil, they'll move on, and you can continue your studies in peace," Adrian assured.
Edric nervously rolled up the sleeve on his right wrist and presented his wrist to Adrian. The Head Witch gently gripped Edric's forearm with his right hand, while he drew a spell circle with his left, and readied the spell to create the fake Coven Sigil. However, as everyone waited with bated breath to see Adrian's work, Gus saw something. His keen eye picked up on something wrong. There seemed to be a shimmer over Andrian's hand, almost like…
"STOP!" Gus yelled.
Adrian paused and everyone in the gym turned to face Gus.
"Don't trust him! He's hiding behind an illusion!" Gus accused.
The young Illusionist drew a large spell circle and released a powerful wave of dispelling energy that rushed towards the stage. Upon hitting the stage, the spell reacted, stripping away the form of Adrian Graye, revealing a Coven Scout with a Branding Glove. Thankfully the Coven Scout was caught off guard, allowing Edric to rip his hand away from the disguised Scout. The Illusion professor and Principal Bump rushed towards Edric, putting their student behind them as they readied to defend him. The Coven Scout drew his own spell circles, preparing to engage the teacher and principal.
"CUT! Just…ugh…Just cut."
The Coven Scout stood down as a disembodied voice echoed through the gym. At that moment, several puffs of cyan smoke went off around the gym. And with each puff a Coven Scout appeared. It was becoming apparent to the students and the teachers that they were lured into a trap, and now surrounded by Coven Scouts. More Coven Scouts appeared on stage; however, these Scouts were handling equipment like a boom mic, a camera, and lightning. The last puff off cyan smoke revealed the real Adrian Graye, sitting in a director's chair as he pinched the bridge of his nose in an exasperated manner.
Unlike his illusion double, who had a more renegade look, this Adrian was dressed much more flamboyantly. His hair was perfectly coiffed, his left ear had an earring that resembled the Illusionist Coven's symbol, he wore a cyan vest with gold edges, and fur surrounding the arm holes of the vest.
"Alright. Couple of notes." Adrian got out of his director's chair and walked up to one of the Scouts. "Tom, that Adrian illusion was lacking a certain…" Adrain made a gesture with his hand. "Hmm? You get me?"
"I don't know," said Tom with a confused shrug at the vague "note".
"Severine, that was really…poor work. You're on thin ice."
Severine, a Scout who had two points pushing up from under their hood, groaned.
Adrian approached the Scout that was playing him, and said, "Captain, the read of your last line was just a little…" Adrian, again, made a vague gesture without saying anything.
"I don't know what that means," the Scout Captain confessed.
Adrian handed the captain his cup of coffee and added, "You'll figure it out."
Just then, Adrian disappeared and reappeared amongst the crowd of students, right next to Gus. He quickly grabbed Gus by his right arm, holding it firmly to prevent him from getting away.
"And you. Well, you just ruined any chance we had of making this something," Adrian accused as he gestured for one of the Scouts to bring a Branding Glove to him.
"You were gonna trick us into getting sigils!" Gus retorted.
As the glove was placed onto his right hand, Adrian replied, "Uh, yeah. I work for Belos. Kind of my job. But let's make sure you can never use your little illusion tricks again. Shall we?"
Adrian clenched his right fist and opened it again. The Illusionist Sigil was no longer there, now replaced with by the Abomination Sigil.
"GUS!" Willow and Skara shouted.
"Kitten, I think it's time to act!"
On it!
"No! No, stay back! I said…STAY…! BACK!" Gus yelled.
Just then, Gus's eyes glowed a bright cyan as a wave of magical energy was released from him. The wave continued to expand, reaching all directions. A moment later, the entire gym, along with the people inside of it, disappeared as a dense forest took its place. Not just a forest, but the entire room was shifting into images of different locations around Bonesborough. The students and Coven Scouts disappeared and reappeared at random, with the students and teachers using this as an opportunity to escape the trap that Adrian had set for them.
Speaking of Adrian, the Head Illusion Witch looked down at Gus with shock as he asked, "How are you doing this?!"
Before any answer could be given, Hunter rushed in. He pushed Adrian away, separating Gus from the Coven Head as he grabbed ahold of the young Illusionist and ran off with him as the wide-ranging Illusion spell kept shifting around.
Adrian rolled his eyes in frustration. He removed the Branding Glove and used his free right hand to detach the Illusionist Coven symbol earring off his ear. Adrian drew a spell circle with the earring, and then tapped the air with it. Almost immediately the illusion spell began to stabilize, but it did not revert the gym back to normal, it just made them settle on specific locations. Adrian and the Coven Scouts now found themselves in the middle of some kind of ruins in the middle of the forest.
"Head Witch, it looks like the whole school is covered in a giant–!"
"Illusion." Adrian finished. His attention was drawn elsewhere as he approached one of the statues in the ruins.
Adrian used the earring, which appeared to be a type of magical item specifically made for Illusion magic. The Head Witch used it like a magnifying glass as he examined the statue in front of him. Adrain carefully waved his hand as it passed through the illusion. When he did, a fiendish smirk spread across his lips.
"Fine the boy, the one who did this," Adrian ordered.
"This is a complicated spell," the Scout Captain pointed out. "If we could have some direction–"
"Am I the only one who knows how to do their job?" Adrian griped. "Just figure it out!" After giving his – yet again – vague orders, Adrian went back to examining the illusion. "Would you look at this? The detail is just so…Pow!"
The Coven Scout Captain sighed heavily as he shook his head. "I hate working for this guy."
Back at the castle, Belos was sitting upon his throne as the Coven Scouts gave their report regarding their mission.
"We scoured the entire house, and confiscated several items belonging to the Owl Lady, but neither her nor her human companion were there. And neither was their house demon," the Scout Captain informed.
"I see, and what of the search for my nephew?" Belos inquired.
"We're still searching, My Lord. We're trying to find him, but our search options are dwindling as to where he could be," he replied.
Belos released a frustrated grunt. "Not good enough, Captain. Keep searching! I want my nephew found before any harm can come upon him! He's the last member of my family, and I will not have him lost to some scoundrel!"
"Of course, My Emperor! Rest assured we will find him! And the Owl Lady!"
Belos suddenly felt something, briefly glancing to his right before returning his gaze to the Coven Scout Captain.
"Then what are you still doing here?"
"Ah! Right!"
The Coven Scout Captain dashed off, exiting the throne room with all due haste as the doors slammed closed. Once he was alone, Belos turned his attention to his right. Just then the air began to distort, and that's when his Super Illusion Phantom appeared. The beast yipped and growled as if communicating with him. Surprisingly, Belos seemed to understand what it was saying.
"You sense something intriguing, do you?" Belos asked.
The Super Illusion Phantom nodded and looked eager to leave.
"Very well. Go, a little more chaos will only push the rest of the fools towards their inevitable demise."
The Super Illusion Phantom howled and disappeared, presumably leaving to go after whatever had drawn its attention.
"It'll only be a matter of time, Little False Witch. Let us see who will stand in the end."
Amity and Willow were running, they didn't really have a destination in mind, they were just trying to get out of the gym. Gus' Illusion spell was still warping the school, making them pass through several images of locations that Gus had seen before. Unfortunately, Willow lost track of Skara when the spell activated, but the last thing she heard from Skara was "RUN!", and so she and Amity did. Suddenly, the spell began to stabilize, and settled on the carnival that Willow, Gus, and Luz visited a few months ago.
"Whoa…how did we get here?" Amity inquired.
While Amity pulled out her Scroll, Willow walked up to one of the buildings and touched. Upon touching it, the building rippled with cyan energy.
"I think we're in an illusion," Willow deduced.
"One that's coating the entire school? I didn't think Gus was that powerful," said Amity.
"I knew he was a prodigy, but…I'd have to agree, this is kinda next level," Willow admitted. "So, what's our next move."
"I got a text from Ed. He, Bump, and a bunch of other students are in the Healing Homeroom. We'll regroup with everyone there and figure out what to do from there," said Amity.
As she explained, Amity noticed a Coven Scout phasing through the wall with his hands out ready to grab Willow.
Amity's eyes bulged in worry as she drew a spell circle and cried, "WILLOW, WATCH OUT!"
However, before Amity could cast her spell, Willow had already drawn a spell circle. A mess of vines erupted from the ground and rapidly ensnared the Coven Scout, rendering him incapacitated as he dangled within the vines.
"Heh, no worries, I got it," Willow assured.
Amity walked up to Willow and patted her on the shoulder. "Lucky shot, Willow."
Willow frowned as Amity walked away.
"Hey, don't listen to her. You totally got me," the Coven Scout reassured.
Willow rolled her eyes, she would've said "thanks" but given the situation, that wasn't going to happen.
As Amity walked, Bast decided to throw in her two snails.
"Why are you doing that?"
Doing what?
"Underestimating Willow?"
I'm not underestimating her!
"She clearly had that Scout; she didn't look surprised, nor did she flinch. Calling it a 'lucky shot' is a bit demeaning. And I should know, I'm a Phantom,' Bast explained.
Amity furrowed her brow a little.
I'm not demeaning her! Willow is skilled, but with Luz gone, I have to step up and protect her and everyone.
"Still, doesn't mean you can't rely on them when needed."
"Amity?"
The lavender haired witch ended her mental conversation with Bast and turned in Willow's direction. "Y-Yes?"
"I was wondering, do you think transforming into your Final Form could dispel the illusion?" Willow asked.
"Hmm…not a bad idea, but with all these Coven Scouts running around, the illusion is the only thing hiding everyone from them. As much of a pain as it is, it's better to leave it as is until we find Gus and meet up with everyone else. Otherwise, if I take it down, I could expose where someone is hiding and the Scouts could just snatch them up," Amity explained.
"Good point. You may need to go Rider at some point. With all this going on, hiding your identity won't be easy," said Willow.
"I know. If push comes to shove, I'll do it. I don't care what everyone thinks about me and Luz, I'm not going to let the Emperor and his Coven Heads, or his Scouts, get away with this," Amity proclaimed.
Hunter and Gus were still running as the illusionary images kept shifting again and again. The illusion began to stabilize and settled on a recreation of Bonesborough. Unfortunately, Hunter and Gus ran into a building and fell to the ground. The illusion rippled, briefly showing a wall of lockers behind the illusion before the spell returned to the form of a building.
Hunter and Gus groaned from the fall, with the former Golden Guard gazing at the recreated town with confusion. "Why are we in town?" His question was shelved for another question when Hunter noticed something strange about Gus. "Whoa, Gus! Wha – Is your eye okay?"
Gus' right eye was normal, but his left eye was still glowing with cyan light. The prodigy Illusionist rubbed his eye, attempting to fix it, but to no avail. However, thanks to this anomaly, his vision was split. His glowing eye allowed him to see past the illusion and see the inside of Hexside, while his right eye still saw the illusion.
"O-Okay, it looks like my spell is still active. I can see the real stuff with my left eye, it's kind of weird," Gus admitted.
"Well, you're a witch. Un-spell it," said Hunter as he stood up.
"No. I don't know how. I've never made one this big before. And right now, with those Scouts on our tail, it's better if it stays up until we find everyone."
Hunter hummed as he pondered. "Well, that does make sense. Hopefully we can find one of the teachers or your principal. Maybe they can help."
The former Golden Guard began to walk, keeping his left hand pressed against the wall as he walked to make sure he didn't miss any possible corridors.
"Hold up, why did you save me from getting a sigil back there? Don't those guys work for you?" Gus asked.
"I owed you. For the food," he stated. Hunter paused as they came to small staircase. "Are these illusion steps or real steps?"
Hunter took a step forward, only to confirm his suspicion the hard way as he tumbled down the stairs and hit the ground down below.
"Ow…real steps…they're real."
Gus winced and carefully made his way down the steps. "When we first met, you were trying to trick me and my friends into joining a Coven. Then you go and accuse Luz and Amity of being evil because of that mess at the Kamen Rider Appreciation Day. And now you're helping me out because of a…sandwich?"
Hunter looked up at Gus and brushed the young teen's hand away. "It was a good sandwich."
"Okay, no sandwich is that good." Gus ran and caught up to Hunter as he tried to pry more information out of him. "Come on. If we wanna find a way through this, we need to trust each other. What's going on with you?"
Hunter stopped walking. Perhaps it was okay to tell him. Surely the human would've told them by now, but considering what they both saw in Belos' mind, the human was probably still trying to process it, just like he was.
"Well…"
"HEY!"
Gus and Hunter's attention was drawn to two female Coven Scouts who emerged from the illusion buildings.
"It's the kid! Get 'em!" the other Scout shouted.
Hunter acted quickly as Flapjack exited his satchel and transformed into his staff form. The former Golden Guard grabbed the staff and activated his dash ability. Hunter disappeared and reappeared right in front of the first female Scout as he moved to the left and struck her, sending the Scout to the ground. Unfortunately, the other Scout used Abomination goo to rip Hunter's staff out of his hands just as a massive wave of the goo rushed forward and wrapped up everything from the neck down. Flapjack shifted back to his cardinal form and began pecking at the Coven Scout who had trapped Hunter but realized that he had to come with a different strategy.
"HUNTER!" Gus yelled as he rushed to his aid.
However, before he could reach him. The shorter female Coven Scout drew a spell circle and pressed her palm against the ground. Two thick vines burst forth and wrapped themselves around Gus, trapping him where he stood.
As the taller female Coven Scout approached, she paused when she took a closer look at Hunter. "Wait. Aren't you the Golden Guard?"
"Seriously?" the shorter Coven Scout turned around and examined Hunter, and sure enough her fellow Scout was correct. "Dude, what the heck?! We're on the same side."
"Our deepest apologies, sir," the taller Scout apologized as she released Hunter from the Abomination goo. "The Emperor sent out a search party for you. He's been worried sick."
"You don't say…"
Gus was watching this with confusion. Hunter had been missing, and the Coven Scouts were looking for him. Why? What exactly happened that made him run away from home? Hunter never struck him as a rebellious teen, so something bad must've happened to make him resort to hiding out in the school. As he contemplated this, Flapjack flew over and began pecking at the vine to free Gus. That's when Gus looked down and noticed a pool of Abomination goo at his feet. This gave Gus an idea as he began using his right foot to draw in the Abomination goo.
"I'd be honored to escort you back to the castle, sir. I'm sure the Emperor would be thrilled to know you're okay," the taller Scout offered. The same Scout looked at Hunter in confusion as she noticed something off about him. "Say, why aren't you in uniform?"
"Uh…I…I…"
Gus finished his work. In the goo he drew the Fire Glyph, and with a stamp of his foot, he activated it. A stream of flames burst forth from the symbol, causing the Scouts to turn around when they heard the roar of the flames. Thankfully, for them, it was just in time so that they could quickly duck away from the raging fire that was heading their way.
Flapjack finished his work and snapped the vines with his last peck. With that, Gus ran towards Hunter and shouted, "Follow me!"
Hunter didn't hesitate as he ran with Gus. The two Coven Scouts ran after them as well. Gus, Flapjack, and Hunter turned the corner into an ally, the Scouts saw them and turned that same corner. However, when they turned the corner, they stopped. The alley was a dead end, but neither of the teen boys were there.
Unknown to both the Scouts, the dead end was not in fact a dead end. It allowed them to move to another area, this time it was Gus' room. The two teens panted heavily from their run, but it was Hunter who was panting harder than Gus was.
"Oh, Titan! He's looking for me!" Hunter exclaimed in a panic as he walked away and dropped into a fetal position next to the dresser. "He'll know where I am! I gotta run! I gotta hide! I-I-I gotta…! I gotta…!"
Gus could tell that Hunter was having a massive panic attack right now. Something definitely happened to him, something to make him terrified of facing Emperor Belos. While Gus didn't know what it was that Hunter did to earn the ire of Belos, he knew he had to help Hunter, the same way his best friend, Willow, helped him so long ago. The young Illusionist sat down next to Hunter. Gently, slowly, and carefully, he placed his hand on Hunter's right shoulder and caused him to flinch slightly. But it did make him place his attention on Gus.
"Hey. Try to breathe," Gus advised. "Like this."
Gus began inhaling for four seconds, raising each of his fingers on his right hand as he wordlessly counted. And then exhaled for the same amount of time as he curled each finger. Hunter began mimicking Gus' breathing technique, slowly but surely his anxiety was leveling out as his breathing came under control.
Now that Hunter calmed down, Gus decided to ask the big question, "Did you run away from the Emperor's Coven?"
Hunter nodded his head.
"Why?"
Hunter opened his mouth but stopped. How could he tell Gus the truth? That he was a Grimwalker? That he was a creation made in the image of Belos' murdered older brother? That his whole existence had been nothing but a lie from the beginning? How could Gus understand any of this? And if he did tell him, there was a high chance that Gus, and even Willow, would turn their backs on him for being something artificial. So, Hunter didn't respond at all as he shifted his gaze to the front and clamed up.
Gus could tell that Hunter wasn't about to be that forthcoming, so he decided to share something with the former Golden Guard. "Not too long ago, when I showed a little talent and started taking more advanced classes, it always felt like anyone who wanted to be my friend had an ulterior motive. Until I met Willow. And eventually, Luz, Skara, Viney, and some others."
The Illusionist prodigy got up and walked to his wall of photos. He brushed his hand over their Grom Night photo, smiling fondly as he did so.
"So, yeah, not everybody's great, but not everyone's bad either, you know?" Gus turned around and faced Hunter. "For what it's worth, you can trust me. I promise not to mess with you."
"Are you serious? After everything that's happened? I fought against your human friend, and I accused her of being behind the Coven Phantoms! And you're just going to brush that all aside? Just like that?" Hunter asked.
Gus shrugged. "If there's anything I've learned from delving into Kamen Rider lore, it's that sometimes, Riders who seem like they're the enemy, are sometimes just being tricked into fighting the good guy for one reason or another."
"Stop acting foolish, this is real life. Not one of your Human Realm stories," Hunter huffed.
Gus smirked as he replied, "Heh, whatever. C'mon tough guy, let's keep moving."
Hunter watched as Gus passed through the wall on his right. The former Golden Guard got up and was about to do the same but paused as he looked at the wall of photos of Gus and his friends. Trust was in short supply for him, especially with what he knew about himself.
Meanwhile, a battle raged in the library. Well, a facsimile of the Bonesborough Public Library, anyway. A few Scouts had discovered Willow and Amity, forcing the two to engage their opponents. Willow managed to ensnare two of them in her vines, but a third, more muscular one, managed to counterattack. After drawing a spell circle, the Scout created a stone golem and sent it rushing towards Amity and Willow like an out-of-control locomotive.
"I got this!" Willow stated as she drew a spell circle on the floor.
"No, I got this!" Amity retorted as she drew her own spell circle and cast her spell.
Willow summoned a few vines and had them lash out towards the incoming golem. However, just as she did, Amity summoned an Abomination golem, right in the path of Willow's vines. Unfortunately, the vines got entangled with the goopy body of the Abomination, slowing their momentum and destabilizing the golem as its heavy goop body dragged the vines down to the floor. The stone golem, unimpeded, stayed on its trajectory, forcing Willow and Amity to press their bodies against the bookshelves on their right and left respectively. Thankfully the bookshelves were in fact lockers, and they just managed to miss getting run over by the golem. The stone golem kept going as it passed through the wall, which apparently wasn't a wall. This illusion spell was getting confusing.
Once the danger of the golem had passed, Willow glared at her former best friend/current friend. "What are you doing?! I had that!"
"I can handle this Willow, I'm the one with the Kamen Rider powers.!" Amity retorted.
"So, what if you do have Rider powers?! I have magic! It may not be as powerful as yours is, but–!"
"Willow, I just got you back as a friend! I don't want to lose you! I have the power to protect everyone! So, please, let me protect you too!" Amity begged.
"Kitten! On your right!"
Just then a stone bookshelf rose from the floor. The bookshelf fell forward, but before Amity could react, Willow jumped in at the last second, pushing her friend out of the way with a spell circle in hand. Just as the shelf fell, a huge vine sprouted from the floor, wrapped around the caster, and threw him against the wall. The Coven Scout was knocked out instantly, but the shelf still fell.
Amity regained her bearings and saw that Willow was pinned under the heavy stone bookshelf. It was amazing, to be honest. Willow was managing to hold herself up, and the bookshelf. She was grunting and groaning from the effort, but she was managing this with just sheer physical strength alone. Just then the floor started to crack as vines sprouted and wrapped around the bookshelf.
"I know you're stronger…" Willow grunted as she got up. "I know you have the power to protect people…!" The Plant witch grunted louder as she focused and used the vines and her own strength to lift the heavy stone construct off her back and into the air, eyes glowing bright green with magical power. "But I want you to see me! I want you to see who I really am, Amity!"
With one more grunt of effort, Willow tossed the stone construct to the side and panted with effort. Amity just stared awestruck at Willow's strength, not just her magical power either. Just then, the wall behind them began to ripple, and the illusion became distorted. A moment after, a hole was opened in the illusion, revealing Principal Bump, Ed and Em, and the Illusion professor.
"Thank goodness we found you! Come, quickly!" Principal Bump urged.
Willow nodded; she winced a little as she felt a slight pain from her right arm.
"Willow are you…?"
"I'm fine, I just strained my arm a little bit. Let's go," Willow cut off as she headed for their friends.
"I warned you, Kitten. You've been underestimating Willow's prowess."
…Yeah. I have.