Chapter Text
Ok so in conclusion Hunter hates humans.
Okay. Maybe that’s just the slight concussion saying that. He doesn’t really hate humans, but this one in particular? Yeah. Kill her. The mission was going great, fantastic even. He had his airship to grab the Palisman, who by the way, were left wide open in the grudgby field, and he got them! But for some reason, the Human was nesting with them. Is this a human thing? It's weird. We have beds, like right there. In any sense, it was a perfect plan. Really, it was. The Human however snuck up from the inside of the nest, and with a surprising amount of strength, smacked a glyph upon Hunter's upper back. Thank Titan himself his staff responded quick enough as he was sent flying off the edge of the ship. The air screaming in his ears as his body was plummeting down to the ground. His back burned and ached from whatever fire-magic scheme the Human created. (Plus being thrown around like a limp creature who drank too much apple blood didn't help either.) His hands instinctively reached out for his staff to teleport him back up to the carrier.
“-ow do I land this thing?” The Human asked out loud, searching around herself.
“Oh, you just pull that cord above your head,” Hunter replies, his body lax above the dashboard.
“Oh! Thank- ye-ah?”
“Hi~” Hunter slys, his staff pointed at the Human, the artificial magic glistening as it shines around her. She shouts as it pulls her backwards against the cargo, a rope casting upon her arms and torso.
“Good too see you too, Human,” Hunter brushes debris off his shoulder plate.
“ Why are you stealing Palisman?”
“Frankly-” He appears closer to the younger, “you should be more concerned about yourself. For the crime of… Rocket-ing me off my own ship! You’ll be locked in dingeous cell in the conformatorium for the rest of your sad little life.”
“Pfft. Whatever, I already broke out of there like twice,” the Human remarks.
“Then we will just zap you to dust and throw you into the sea. Is that better?” Hunter asks, the Human simply mutters in distastment. “Good,” He finishes, walking back up to the wheel.
The Human makes some noise of restraint before asking, “say, how’d you get back up to the ship so fast?”
Honestly a ridiculous question to ask and answer in hindsight, but Hunter answers nonetheless, “Staff,” he points, with a snarky tone.
“Cool.”
He hates to give credit where credit is due but that human is a menace ; with an ice glyph created on the ground, the pillar shoots up and knocks said staff off the ship. Hunter chuckles with anger while the Human laughs at her accomplishment.
“Oh,” he continued laughing, “Human. It’ll take more than that to thord my mission-” A monstrous roar interprets his monologue, shaking the ship. A weight lands on top of the sail, both causing the Guard and Human to fall on their sides.
“What is that?” The Human exclaims.
The monster slices open the sailing with its sharp tongue, the ship and all the members fall at increasing speeds to the ground. Evidently the creature lets go of the aircraft and Hunter closes his eyes, awaiting the impact.
—
Death is a strange feeling. It's always talked about, it's always feared about. But you can only truly experience once. Or so you think.
The fire that engulfed the forest was traumatizing. All the memories that the children withheld, all the laughter, all the freedom, it was gone. All that fueled was hatred.
Caleb was scared, he's not afraid to admit it. He’s not afraid of his brother though. Ha. strange isn't it. The one holding the knife and talking about murder right infront of him and hes not afriad.
No. Caleb is afraid of what happens after he dies.
They always talked about it, Philip and him, when they were younger. Everyone did, it was such a taboo topic. Everything you did, you had to make sure God would allow you to enter Heaven. Were you good enough? Were you sin free? Were you a witch? Heh. That was a big one.
Caleb didn't care about that. He grew out of it. He saw the logistics of it, or he should say, he saw the truth of it.
When Caleb and Philip found the door, that door. That's when everything changed. Caleb thought it was beautiful, the wonder, the imagination, it was everything Caleb ever wanted, it was freedom. But he saw from day one, Philip was afraid. He couldn't blame him, Philip was only nine years old. Their parents implemented the fear into him, you couldn't just shake it out of him. But hell. He wishes he could. Every damn day he wishes he could go back and change what they did so it wouldn't turn to this moment right here. So Philip wouldn’t be in so much pain . Why did he have to resort to this?
“Philip please, you don’t have to do this.” Caleb stutters, his own knife shaking in his hand.
“Shut up. Just shut up,” Philip shouts, his eyes darken. “Why? Dammit why can’t you see what they are doing to you.”
“Philip, I don't understand! What? What makes them so different, why are you so afraid?” Caleb begs, the fire that circles the forest begs near. The man unwillingly takes a step closer to his brother.
Philip bellows a laugh, “Afraid? Caleb, they are not human, they are not us. We have no use here. We’ve never had one the moment we’ve stepped foot on this hell forsaken place. So for the love of God why are we, why are you still here? Why are you with her ?” He spats.
“Because I love her, Philip. Why can’t you see that? Witch or Human we share the same aspirations and dreams, and I don’t care what the future holds. As my brother, please, I want you to accept.”
The fire rears as the wind picks up, a tree falls to the ground. Philip is silent but his grip on his knife tightens.
“Philip, please, I don’t want this to break us.”
The younger brother takes a step to the older, “It seems you are too far gone for redemption.”
He leaps forward as the oldest shouts in terror and takes a step back, his foot catching in a flame, burning his heel. Philip takes this opportunity and lunges his knife into the chest of the blonde, blood trickles out immediately and catches up to his throat. Caleb coughs and gags, and proceeds to drop to the ground.
The bright flames slowly seeded out of the world as Caleb's vision starts to turn black. Philip stands overhead for a minute before leaning down and taking the knife out the upper torso. It was agonizing. The cracks of the fire covered up Caleb's scream, and holy shit was that a painful injury. Philips' face maintains composure, as if devoid of emotion until a cry was heard behind.
It was a female cry. Was that her ? How did she find him? Finally Philips face morphed to anger as he turned around. He took a chance to look back at Caleb, before he fled.
He heard sobs and angry shouts above the flames. They were fighting. God he wished he had the energy to get up. But he was so tired. He could sleep right? No. He was pretty sure he was dying, he literally just got stabbed. His brain was fighting itself, it was agony. Through the internal conflict he felt a pressure on his abdomen. His eyes look down.
Flapjack.
He cracks a smile as he raises his arm, placing his hand on the bird's head. The cardinal responds with an almost humanly comedic sob. He pets the feathers as his eyes drift to a close.
“Maybe Philip will change his mind. Maybe...” Flapjack nudges his palm with an urgent chirp, “..maybe it’ll all be okay.”
—
“his- is the- den Gua-d?’
The voice is fuzzy.
“He l-ks like -uld be a -nt at Hexside…”
The voice was quiet for seconds, though it could’ve been minutes. Hunter had no concept of time. A dark shadow covered his already closed eyelids, his preceding migraine dimd. It was pure bliss.
“ -Wake up !”
A hand collided against his cheek, the pain followed suit. Hunter immediately shot up in shock.
“Wha- You!” Recognition of the speaker hit harder than the slap, the blonde angrily sputtered but the human shut him down.
“Shh- Listen.” The Human put her hand against Hunter's mouth, “You are a bad person and I do not like you.” Okay and out of spite Hunter licks the human's hand. Statistically speaking, you don’t just slap someone and say you don’t like them. Rude. “-But, Kikimora is trying to kill you, and unfortunately I am too nice to let that happen.” He licks the hand again. Human hands don’t taste like anything… Alright. Check that off the list.
“Eugh- Are you licking my hand?” The Human exclaimed, “I am trying to help you!”
Hunter pushed her away, the Palisman on her shoulder fluttering in response. “Why should I believe you?”
The Human pushes him back in response. Oh it's on .
“Because-” The Human began before a growl of a creature howled by, stomps echoed in the area. The two teens looked at each other. “I don’t have time to explain, but Kikimora is behind all this, and it's after you,” The Human rambled, the Palisman chirped as if agreeing.
Hunter’s eyes widened, registering the information. He quickly shrugged off his cape without a word and dashed past the human.
Great.
—
A sob awakes him. Wait.
Caleb wakes up with alarm, his body feels lighter, as if nothing at all. ‘Oh fuck am I a ghost?”
“Hey, Flapjack…” A voice said next to him, sobs wretched in their voice. He felt pressure on his head to neck. Was he being pet?
‘Flapjack?’ Caleb wonders, he takes a moment to look around.
Oh.
So he did die.
He was literally standing on top of his corpse. There was blood on his… Talons.
“Come here ‘lil Rascal …” His wife said, picking up Caleb's, now bird body. “You shouldn't have to see him like this.” She puts her other hand on her stomach. She was in pain.
‘You shouldn't see me like this! ’ Caleb attempts to shout, but all that sounded was pathetic chirps.
“Shh… I know, I know,” She confides, she brings him to her shoulder. “Listen, we… we can’t,” she is interrupted with her own sob. She grabs the corpse's hand, holding it with such strength, as if it was to ground her. “We can’t stay here. I don’t know what your bastard brother said but… He accused me of your…” She couldn't finish her sentence. “I just… I can’t fight them off. I’m so tired. It would be best for… Us to live far, far away from here. Caleb. I love you… So much. Please, if you can hear me, if you're still with me, look after our child with me.” She finishes with a kiss to his forehead. And after much silence walks away from the corpse.
Caleb was a Palisman, he concluded. He couldn't die. So; he stuck by his wife's side, for the rest of her life.
—
Who knew that Hunter's original mission from stealing Palismen from Hexside Academy would be concluded with rescuing Palismen, with a human, from Kikimora. Gross.
Luz, the Human, sits down against the glyphed wall she created. After Hunter totally didn't geek out about wild magic, if you say he did you are lying, he attempts to diverge the subject.
“Uh huh… Other than Lilith, I've never spoken to anyone inside the Emperor's Coven. What made you want to join?” Luz asks a genuine question.
Hunter makes a wide-eyed expression, no one has ever asked him that. Nor even bothered too. He sighs, “You were right before. I am a powerless witch,” truth never hurts any less to say out loud. “ ‘lotta my ancestors were. I never thought I'd have a future in a world like this.”
Luz gives him a look, was it concerned?
“-But then, Belos found me, and gave me a staff with artificial magic-” A chirp interrupted him, the undisrupted weight on his arm didn't help either.
“Hey!-” The Palisman hops down from Hunter's arm, seemingly fascinated by him. He pecks at the shoes.
“-Get away from me!” The bird hops on either side of the foot, was it seeking attention? Luz has a strange look, she has adoration in her eyes. She chuckles,
“Heh, he's just being friendly.”
“ I don’t care!” These things are made from wild magic. It's dangerous.”
“Does he seem dangerous to you?”
Hunter looks down at the Palisman, who chirps and dances to the side. It seems to attempt another action before its eyes widen in shock, another monstrous growl belows the empty area.
The two humans and the occompianing Palisman peer over the balcony to see Kikimora flying away with the other Palisman.
“Masks on,” Luz says confidently with a stride.
—
The walk back to his room was brutal . His arms and legs, excuse his language, fucking hurt. He expected worse from Belos though, so he's not that upset. He's just so tired. Titan, he could nap for a week. Is that a coma? What's the definition of a coma? He reached his room door, and turning the knob, a gust of cold air ran past him immediately. Shoot, did he forget to close the window? With an aggravated sigh, the Guard takes off his cape and places it in the closet. He walks to his unmade bed and lies down with a huff, he raises his palms to his eyes, pressing them till he massages the tiredness out.
“I can help,” He says outloud, “If I just knew a little more-”
A sing-song-like chirp was heard near the window. Hunter, in confusion, sat up.
The Palisman from before, the one that was on the human- no, Luz’s shoulder. “Palisman!” He exclaims, grabbing ahold of the bird. His grip tightened, maybe a bit too much as the Palisman chirped in restraint, “Oh! Sorry..” How did Belos just do that with no remorse? No, no. Don’t think about it. Hunter drops the bird, who lands on the teens thigh, but jumps on the side of the bed instead.
“You shouldn't be here,” Hunter solemnly says, beginning to pat the bird's head, “It’d be bad if Belos saw you…”
The passerine chirps, and with raised wings, turns into a staff. Hunter, with an astonished look, grabs ahold of it before it falls to the ground. “Oh, I was… Not expecting that…”
It was silent for a moment before a voice from the staff speaks, “Hey-”
Hunter gasps, his grip on the staff lacking as the Palisman powers down. The bird, now staff free, lands on the ground and looks up; its body glows and eyes close.
Hunter tries not to expect a lot of things nowadays, but he truly didn't expect a man to transform out of a Palismen.
His hair was a white, beige color. The length itself was longer than Hunters (though not long enough to be pulled back, but enough to cover the neck in a tuff). Similar to the teen, a long single strand fringe complimented his face, barely obscuring his contrasted blue… eye. His other eye was gouged with a scar similar to the small avian that was once present. His outfit was adorn with a simple long sleeve, that puffed near the end of the wrist. Brown suspenders held up navy blue pants; night black boots tied the outfit together. Almost everything else presentable was identical from Hunter to the older man, abiding by the human ears.
Holy titan.
Hunter's eyes widened, thoughts catastrophic. ‘How in the world did a Palisman even turn to a different being, nonetheless human- ‘
“Kid-“
‘Are all Palisman humans but… trapped? Why does he look like me? Oh… shit am I dead. Oh my-“
“Bud-“
‘I’ve read nothing about this, this has to be some test by Uncle-‘
“Hunter!” The man’s voice rose, effectively, Hunter was shocked into silence. “I- sorry. Hunter, right? That’s what you said to Luz. I was locked up in that nesting box with those other Palismen.” He chuckled offhandedly.
Hunter remained silent.
“I- okay, this must be very, very confusing and I am so sorry. Here, sit back down.” The man stepped back to give the teen space. Hunter obliged but kept a watchful eye on the other.
“Is this some kind of illusion spell?” Hunter asks hesitantly, his hands on his knees whilst his eyes still not moving away from the man.
“What, the Palisman part or the human part?”
“Uh.”
“Okay, sorry. Bad time for jokes.” He chuckles, rubbing a hand on the back on his neck absently.
“So. What are you?” Hunter draws out.
Caleb twiddles his thumbs together, his eyes dance around the room, “well technically I am your Palisman or a Palisman. Saying I'm yours is really weird cause you're a kid and your-” He stops his rambling, “anyway. Uh, ok I’ll just drop the bomb. I’m kinda dead.”
“What.” Hunter deadpans.
“I'm not like a ghost or anything… maybe?”
“Am I dead?”
“No! No- Listen I died and the Palisman you see used to be my Palisman. I don’t know what kind of witch magic happened, or it was some magic of friendship that saved me, but something caused my soul? Body? To make me my Palisman.”
Hunter takes a second to absorb the information, “but you’re human…? How did you have a Palisman? Is that in the Human Realm too?”
“I… Found a portal. I don’t know how but it brought me here. You know, had all those adventures and. Poof!” He made an explosion-like motion with his hands, “carved my own Palisman. Good ‘ol Flapjack.”
“...Flapjack?”
“That's what I named him, he would always eat my flapjacks. It's a human thing…” The man says, though a dark look cast upon his eyes, as if reminiscing on the past.
Hunter kicks his legs anxiously, “so uh. Is there a reason you look like me? Or should I say I look like you?” He gasps, “Do witches have human look-alikes in the human realm?”
“Uhhh… Yes! Yeah! Magenta isn’t an eye color in the human world so I guess I just got settled with blue ha…” The man chuckles, almost awkwardly.
Hunter smiles, “Hey, I never got your name…?”
“Caleb. Though, if you ever see me in my little birdie form,” he chuckles, “stick by Flapjack. It’d be weird to call a Palisman a human name.”
“I suppose so… Wait-”
A knock on the door interrupted the two, in a panic, Caleb squawked and with a small flash the bird Palisman was on the floor. Hunter swept Caleb under the bed with his foot and lept to the door, opening it slowly. A Coven Scout was standing there. Awkwardly.
“I deeply apologize for the interruption, Golden Guard,” They began, their posture straightened. “But the Emperor wished for me to deliver this to you.” A new Golden Guard mask, wrapped in white fleece, was present in the Covens' hands.
“Oh, well,” Hunter coughs, “Thank you, it’s appreciated.” He grabs the mask and holds it against his chest. The Scout bows their head and walks away in a rush, Hunter closes the door silently. Did Uncle just have these lying around? He literally ‘lost’ this hours ago.
“What was that about?” A voice beside Hunters curiously asked.
Hunter screams in shock, “What are you doing!” He clutches the mask closer to his chest.
The cardinal laxes his head to the side, “What do you mean? I kinda. Live here now. You're stuck with me. So….”
“Excuse me? What if Belos sees you! Do you understand what he does to Palisman?” Hunter anxiously walks across to his bed, the Palisman follows behind him with tiny steps. Caleb leaps up on the bed as Hunter drops the mask on the sheets. “Listen, I don’t know why you decided to be my Palisman specifically-”
“I mean we look alike so…Twins”
“-But you can’t be here,” Hunter grabs the animal, clasping the wings together. He spins his body around and walks to the window.
“Kid, you know if you throw me out I can just… Fly back in?”
“Then I'll just close the window! I don’t know! You just can’t be here!”
The Palisman sighs dramatically; his body shines a pastel yellow and with a fluid motion, the human was standing in front of the teen. “Okay, so now you're just holding my wrist.”
Hunter, with an offended look, lets go. He crosses his arms and denounces, “So let me get this straight, you're just staying here? Like that?”
“Yup! And you’re,” Caleb flicks the iconic fringe of hair that rests on Hunter's forehead, “gonna have to deal with it. I’m gonna make sure you get some rest, cause clearly,” He points at Hunter's face for dramatic effect, “you have no parental figure to do that for you.”
The younger stutters, before the other interrupts, “and don’t say Be-los helps. Ugh he clearly overworks you.”
“Hey don’t-”
“Nope! Don’t wanna hear it! You gotta go to bed! La, la, la-” Caleb sings, with his hands on his ears.
“Okay! Fine. Fine! If it’ll make you shut up.” Hunter says, though no true anger is behind his tone.
Caleb smiles before transforming back to his Palisman self, and with a couple chirps, lands on Hunter’s bed. Grabbing the white fleece with the mask, he brings it to the desk.
“What are you doing?”
“Listen, you clearly have lots of work to do,” The bird says, flapping his wing to the cluttered desk, “but you need a nap. I'll wake you up in a couple hours or if something happens, okay?”
Hunter considers this for a moment. But, he smiles.
“Okay.”