Chapter Text
Intent on being unnoticed, the Emperor's Golden Guard only took to the streets by himself at night. He figured that he'd make sure there wasn't any plotting going on behind his back- more importantly, behind Belos' back.
Hunter shifted on his feet as he stood still in a narrow alleyway. He didn't know what time it was, but it wasn't time to return to the castle, not yet.
A hooded figure caught his eye, weaving through people in cloaks mulling through the crowd.
Ha! Finally, something. Maybe this was some evildoer that he could pry answers out of. Hunter was tired of returning empty-handed, tired of Belos' scratchy, disappointed voice scolding and threatening him. But he couldn't do anything about it, not until he had something to present.
The Golden Guard took off after the figure, not bothering to tell people to move. If this was a real lead, he wouldn't need to apologize. He would never apologize to people he would never see again.
He skids on his heel, turning into a lantern-lit street full of knick-knack stalls.
He turned once more, stumbling when he ran into three teenagers walking in a line. He cursed under his breath as he caught himself from falling. He knew one of these idiots. That lavender hair was nearly impossible to miss.
"You," Amity Blight hissed, and Hunter continued to chase his lead.
"Hey, slow down, Goldie-" one of the green-haired witches snorted, eyeing him.
Hunter ignored the Blights, barely acknowledging that he had heard the youngest.
His chase was useless in the end because he ended up losing the person he was chasing.
As he snuck back into his room through the window (courtesy to his staff, which flew him up), Hunter grumbled. His night had to get worse by throwing the Blights at him.
Well, he assumed they were all Blights; Hunter knew the purple-haired one was Amity Blight, and he only really knew her because she was the human's girlfriend. (Well, he also had a run-in with her and the Owl Lady in Eclipse Lake, but that didn't have the best outcome.) The other two people, he didn't know.
Hunter didn't plan to, either, he thought as he took off his golden mask. He wanted to forget the whole excursion, but one of the pairs of golden eyes loomed in his mind, and what he said.
"Hey, slow down, Goldie-"
Who did that green idiot think he was? He didn't know him well enough to give an acquainted nickname.
Ugh.
Edric snorted as the Golden Guard rushed past him and his sisters.
"Hey, Mittens, how did you know him?" Emira asked.
Amity rolled her eyes as they continued walking. "I've run into him before. Come on, let's pick up whatever you needed, Em, and go home. I don't know why you needed me-"
Emira cooed. "It wouldn't be any fun if we went alone! Besides, you didn't have anything else to do tonight, anyway."
Her twin nodded, and Amity sighed. "Just because Luz was busy with that talking owl tube doesn't mean you guys can drag me along on your outings!"
Edric laughed and mindlessly walked along with his sisters. Emira just wanted to see her girlfriend at her part-time job, but could only get away by claiming she needed a new schoolbook. So she told their mom, who told the other two to go with her.
"Hey, what do you think the Golden Guard looks like?" Edric asked lightly as he and Amity stood waiting for their sister.
Amity snorted. "Like a tired and sad blonde teen."
"Holy shit!" Edric shouted.
"What?!" Amity hissed, grabbing the orb of abomination goop on her hip, preparing to use it.
"First, wow, don't get ready to fight," Edric laughed dryly. "Also, you know what the Golden Guard looks like? He's a teenager? He takes his mask off?"
Amity rolled her eyes. "Ed, nearly everyone knows that the Golden Guard is the youngest to serve Belos. And he doesn't usually take off his mask. Not intentionally, I don't think. But yeah. Luz and I...we've bumped into him a few times. Unfortunately."
Edric hummed.
Emira burst out of the shop door and startled her siblings, who began walking home.
"Why are you so interested, anyway?" Amity asked.
"Interested in what?" Emira asked, smirking.
"Ed's asking about the Golden Guard," Amity sighed.
Edric waved her off. "Just curious, he's not really well known by the public, you know? I just wanted to know more."
"Well, I can't help you. I only fought him-" Amity blurted.
"You did what?" Emira yelled. "Amity, you could've gotten-"
"Keep your voice down, Em, I'm fine. It's a long story. I don't wanna explain, just that...we had a dispute." Amity said quietly. "Let's just go home."
Darius stood in the darkness, watching Hunter return from his "patrolling". He pinched the bridge of his nose and made his way to Emperor Belos' chamber, to discuss something he felt was a pressing matter.
"Yes?" Belos called as Darius raised his knuckle to knock.
Darius shivered. He didn't like when people did that. He opened the door, taking a deep breath.
"Sir."
"Why do you feel the need to interrupt me?"
"Belos, you can't keep him here all the time," Darius began.
Both men knew who this was about. Darius often pushed Belos about it. He knew it was coming.
"I am your superior and I will do as I please and as I find necessary," Belos shot back.
"It's necessary to keep him from getting into irreversible trouble!"
"Keeping him here keeps him out of trouble!"
Darius blinked slowly. "Think of it this way. Keeping him here increases the risk of him finding out things you don't want him knowing."
"And what's that?" Belos snarled.
Darius stood his ground because damn it, he cared for this kid! "Hell if I know, I can only assume there's something because everyone's got skeletons in their closets. But he will get curious. He's smart. He'll have questions you don't want to answer."
"He must be useful!" Belos hissed, turning to fully face Darius (titan, he'd never get used to that threatening glow of his eyes through the skull Belos wore).
"Then send him off somewhere!"
"He will stay here because he is useful until I need him."
Darius' eyes widened, his jaw snapping shut. He didn't want to know what that meant. If he knew, he would never get out of this place alive. He took a deep breath.
"Sir. All I am saying is that to keep things hidden as you see fit, you must loosen your grip only slightly."
"What do you suggest?" Belos asked stiffly, almost mockingly.
"Send him to school. Let him learn-"
"He already has the knowledge he needs."
"Reading books in the libraries within these walls isn't a proper education. He will be useful, with the knowledge he learns. To you, and to the people in this building."
"He will mingle with the criminal children there!"
"No, he won't!" Darius shot back. "He does exactly as you say! Since you're his...superior." Darius added mockingly.
A heavy silence fell between them, and Belos turned his back to Darius once more.
"I will consider our conversation," Belos said. "You are dismissed."
Darius bowed his head, internally fuming. He left with anger in his throat. Damn it, he had so much more to say, why hadn't he said it?!?
It didn't matter. He had put the idea out there, as well as himself. But it was a start.
Despite his sour demeanor, Darius cared for that kid. Hunter was someone that kept Darius in the Emperor's castle. He could easily rebel, work for someone else, or get a bit further from Belos, but he couldn't leave the kid.
He wouldn't. No matter what. He'd always be there, Darius decided.