Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Isn’t magic just wonderful?

If you asked Harrison only a year ago, he would have responded with jubilant glee. He would have smiled a wide, star-dazzling grin before launching into a lengthy tangent about the stage’s brilliance. Afterwards, he might have invited you to watch a card trick or eighteen. If you were lucky, you’d be bedazzled to one of his premium shows. The boy would produce fire from his hands or reveal the wallet that you could’ve sworn was left inside.

“What a talented little magician you have,” you’d fondly compliment the boy’s parents.

“Y-Yes… He is, isn’t he? O-Our Harrison…” They’d nervously respond with strained smiles while observing the show. Occasionally, another child who couldn’t be anyone else other than the boy’s little brother would be babbling next to them. But more often than not, this other boy would perform along with his sibling as an assistant of sorts, handing the little magician his tools and props.

“Ladies and gentlemen, with me today is my awesome, amazing, best-ever in-the-world assistant, Erich! Tada!” The little magician would boast, pulling away a shimmering curtain to announce the assistant’s presence. Such fun these siblings had, entrapping their audience of elementary school students and tired adults with party tricks. However, the unpolished stunts and rehearsals were reserved for their darling parents. What a wonderful family!

Yes, magic is just wonderful! It can do almost anything and everything you can imagine!

“To end off today’s brilliant performance, I, Harrison the Illusionist will make my assistant… disappear!” The little magician announced, waving his hands in front of his face with an ominous air. Nervous applause chased after his line and the ever-smiling assistant stepped behind a curtain.

Magic is just wonderful until one day the little magician attempted a trick that wasn’t easily reversed.

“Abracadabra!” The little magician shouted, and in one swift motion tore the curtain away to reveal empty space. Nervous applause returned with a kind of frantic force behind them, not that the boy initially noticed. “And now to bring him back! Tada!” The little magician contently nodded to himself as he brought the curtain back. Only at that time, the air seemed to thicken as the space remained void. The little magician stopped smiling.

Harrison caused Erich to vanish into thin air…

And suddenly magic isn’t that wonderful.

———

“Okay, just make the egg disappear. Abracadabra!” Harrison called out for the eighteenth time that day while shooting his arms in front of him. He waited a few seconds before slowly inhaling. “I can do this. I can do this!” Ran through his head. “And now to return, tada!” The brunette recited and paused with bated breath. The sound of an egg cracking caused his patience to shake. He pulled the curtain away with an audible groan. “Not again…”

The broken egg shells sleeping in yolk did little to ease his mind.

Dejected, Harrison fell into a cross-legged position. As he did most days at Camp Campbell, the boy was holed up in his tiny backstage. Honestly, the space was only slightly bigger than his closet back home. But, if he didn’t want Preston barging in on their tent halfway through an act, it was the only way Harrison could get some privacy.

“Okay… think positive!” Harrison tried to cheer himself up, grabbing his trusty notebook from the corner. He’d been keeping track of his progress over the Summer. So, even if he couldn’t figure out how to bring Erich back when he came home, he’d have something to show his parents! “Out of eighteen eggs, nine have returned!” Harrison mumbled, using a chewed-down pencil from at least David decades ago to mark his newest trial. “That’s better than last month at least…” He tried to smile only for it to morph into a painful grimace.

“Harrison, where’s Erich?!” His Mother had yelled at him while his Father tore the house apart. “HARRISON, WHERE IS MY SON?!”

The boy felt the flames explode from his hand before he could squash them down. Thus, the next minute was spent frantically patting down his red stage curtains before anyone noticed. Plus, Harrison doubted the camp would buy him a new stage. Even if they could afford it which was already so many levels of unlikely.

Speaking of costs… Harrison sighed while looking over his now-empty box of eggs.

“I should probably switch to pinecones or something before David and Gwen realize I’ve been stealing eggs…” The boy thought, standing up. He glanced over at his disappearing act set up and felt a sliver of annoyance pulse through him. Shaking his head, Harrison exited his backstage and pondered his next steps. He glanced upwards at the blinding sun-

“T-The people at this camp will teach y-you how to control your g-g-gift…” His Father had explained one evening, shakily passing him the pamphlet. His Mother had stood away, burning holes at the dirty dishes in the sink. “Y-You’ll be able to b-bring E-Erich back…”

“Halfway through Magic Camp… and I can only return a broken egg…” Harrison sighed, shaking his head clear of the memory. “Well, I could try bringing Erich back. But, if he’s all broken then I don’t think the hospital could fix him completely… I don’t want to hurt Erich!” His mind jumped.

After a few moments of contemplation, he decided to go visit Preston at his camp.

The two weren’t exactly… friends. But, they at least respected each other being both tent mates and fellow entertainers… most of the time. Harrison found the theatre kid shouting at various props on his small, circular stage. When he first arrived at camp, the magician remembered being slightly miffed about Preston having such a larger stage than him.

“-And it is thine right to-“ Preston dramatically sobbed to a small sock puppet when Harrison arrived.

“Hey, Preston. What are you doing?” He politely asked, motioning to the various props.

“Oh, Harrison! Perfect timing! I’ve been needing an audience for my first rehearsal of Sock Puppets: Drama of the Drawer!” The energetic brunette called out, practically dragging him in front of the stage. Harrison didn’t protest, relating to the need for an audience.

———

Once Preston finished his two-hour run-through - when did he find the time to write these things - it was about time to get lunch. The two campers strolled to the Mess Hall together.

“I can’t believe it’s already been a month! Camp’s going to be over before we know it, Harrison! That’s crazy isn’t it, ISN’T IT?!” Preston shouted into his ear, causing Harrison to sightly wince and lean away.

“I mean, yeah…” He numbly nodded, mind travelling to his previous ruminations.

“Good thing there’s next year!” Preston loudly hummed as they continued on their merry way. However, his words resulted in Harrison’s eyes comically widening as he gaped at his tent mate.

“Has your mind been freaked? Why would you want to come back here? It’s well… well, a shit hole!” The magician half yelled, half-whispered, cautiously looking around for any wandering Davids. In turn, Preston simply smirked at him.

“As a fellow performer of the people, Harrison! You should know as long as there is a stage I can PERFORM! And that is all I need!” Preston shouted, doing an exaggerated jump into the air, nearly hitting him with his arm. “And…” He purposefully drawled. “Our friends are here.” The theatre-lover finished in a normal volume, catching Harrison off guard with the earnest look in his eyes.

“Oh… That’s a pretty good reason…” Harrison slowly replied, forcing a small smile. He didn’t really know if Preston bought it. Probably not since his whole schtick was acting. But, now the magician just had more on his metaphorical plate to think about. “Friends… right. We are all friends.” He recalled, feeling a tidal wave of guilt for his earlier ranking of Preston. It was just hard to remember that when there were incidents like the Astronomy Camp fiasco…

No one defended him back then.

“But that’s fine. I am over this. I am!” Harrison told himself as he and Preston waited in line for lunch. He suppressed a shiver as he presented his tray to Quartermaster. Harrison didn’t even want to think of that freaky night!

“Mashed potatoes, boy.” The old man drawled while dumping said substance onto his tray. In response, the magician wordlessly walked away to take a seat next to Preston. Great, now he was thinking about that night! Harrison channelled his anger into viciously stabbing at his mashed potatoes instead of making french fries. It worked well until his spoon went too far into the white mash. Lifting the utensil upwards, Harrison’s eye twitched upon seeing how he’d heated the spoon’s metal to bend too far.

“Okay, I guess I’ll eat today’s mashed potatoes with my fork then…” The boy grumbled, calming himself down enough to not ruin another utensil.

———

Lunch ended early when Max’s posse somehow managed to light the Mess Hall on fire - he didn’t ask nor want to know - and so Harrison was at Magic Camp once more. There was a slight breeze. So, the boy chose to enjoy the nice weather while it lasted instead of hiding away backstage. He swung his legs off the front stage as his thoughts swirled around him.

“It’d be nice to come back next Summer…” Harrison inwardly admitted, his face turning glum. “But, I don’t think my parents would let me come back if I don’t improve much…” He continued, feeling a tablecloth of hopelessness fall over him.

The solution to his dilemma was clear: Harrison needed to learn how to bring Erich back. However, none of the ‘materials’ Magic Camp offered were any good in helping him. Really, practicing at the camp was no better than practicing in his room back home. The wind slowed to a sudden stop, causing the sun’s rays to prickle his skin. Harrison squinted his eyes at the ground as the heatwave rolled across.

“The only time I really learned anything was during Astronomy Camp…” Harrison recalled, the image of the old man’s strange book popping into his mind. “But I almost died! And Quartermaster was fucking freaky!” The magician bemoaned, rubbing his palms down his cheeks. Harrison laid down on his back and stuffed his hands behind his head.

It appeared that Quartermaster was the only other person at camp who knew anything about magic…

If only Harrison could learn and practice without putting his life in danger. He couldn’t bring Erich back if he was dead! Well, maybe he could if his parents were right about Hell. But, Harrison wasn’t too keen on meeting the devil yet…

“Wait…” He suddenly repeated aloud, an idea speaking to life in his mind. “What if I can just borrow Quartermaster’s book? Then I can safely learn magic and how to bring Erich back without risking my own personal safety! Tada!” Harrison grinned, feeling quite proud of his plan.

With his mind made up, he endeavoured to locate Quartermaster and ask to borrow his book. However, about eighteen steps into his trek, Harrison realized he had no idea where or what the old man did at that time of day. Fortunately, David was nearby checking in on the campers so he figured he could just ask him.

“Hey, David?” The magician neutrally questioned the tall counsellor by poking him in the arm.

“Why, hello Harrison!” David cheerfully replied, emphasizing the ‘o’. “What can I do for you on this wonderful day?” He piqued with his hands on his hips and a trademark smile.

“Um, do you know where Quartermaster is…?” Harrison asked, hiding his own hands behind his back. Quartermaster was technically one of David’s employees now. So, the camp counsellor slash owner slash resident overly-cheerful nature-lover should know, right?

“The Quartermaster? Well, whatever do you need him for…?” David tilted his head with a slight frown.

“W-Well, I…” Harrison scrambled for a reasonable response. “I want to ask to borrow his creepy book of magic that he used to almost kill us during Astronomy Camp! Tada!” Didn’t sound like something David would accept. “I want to… thank him… for teaching Astronomy Camp last week… yeah.” The magician pasted on his performance smile for extra effect. It seemed the stars were aligned in his favour - or David was just that oblivious - that he seemed to believe his excuse at face value.

“Why that’s just swell, Harrison!” David beamed. “Unfortunately, I… don’t actually know what Quartermaster gets up to at this time. But, I’m sure it’ll be no issue for the two of us if we work together to find him!” The taller of the two noted, bending slightly down to wink.

“Uh… yeah.” Harrison awkwardly nodded along as David led the search throughout Camp Campbell.

“So, Harrison! How has Magic Camp been since the last time we talked?” David amiably chatted as they walked.

“It’s been… going. I’ve just been practicing my tricks more, you know?” Harrison reluctantly admitted. “Say David, did you ever get into magic as a kid?” He skilfully deflected, hoping to bait David into doing most of the talking.

Three words: It worked wonderfully.

“Why, I already told you campers about my secret fondness for…” David rambled and rambled and rambled the entire trip.

———

The two searched nearly the entirety of Camp Campbell. And Harrison was about to call it quits and assume Quartermaster was doing who-knows-what in the woods until they found the old man in the Mess Hall.

“Quartermaster!” David brightly announced, grabbing the elder’s attention. The old man was working away in the kitchen. He had his peeler hook on and was shovelling old potatoes into a steel pot. One of the potatoes hit the edge of the counter instead and blasted into Harrison’s face. The putrid smell invaded his nostrils and his face turned slightly green. Harrison quickly picked the mash away before stepping quite a large distance away.

“What d’you want?” Quartermaster grumbled, not turning from his pot to face them.

“Why, we’re very sorry to disrupt your hard work, Quartermaster. But, Harrison here had something he wanted to say to you!” The counsellor excitedly revealed, turning to Harrison with an expectant grin.

“Uh… yeah.” The boy carried on, wringing his hands behind his back. “Thanks, David…” He nodded again but found it too awkward to say anything more.

Harrison blinked…

David blinked…

And Quartermaster continued peeling foul potatoes.

“Well, I’ll just leave you two alone! Toodles!” David eventually went with a slightly strained smile, exiting out of the Mess Hall to probably gather the other campers. Still, Harrison couldn’t will himself to speak against the silence. Quartermaster didn’t really seem to care, just rhythmically peeling and mashing the potatoes in his pot.

“So… do you want… any help with that?” He offered after the silence prolonged.

“Don’t got another stick.” Quartermaster blandly responded. And true to his words, there really weren’t any other tools to peel and mash the potatoes in the kitchen. Stupid low costs camp…

“O… kay… Well, I can just…” Harrison nervously mumbled, grabbing an only-mostly clean plate and a bowl. He proceeded to yank a stray potato that didn’t completely smell and place it under the bowl. “Abracadabra!” The magician called with a slight twitch in his fingers, but he shook it off. “And Tada!” The boy pulled the bowl away, revealing a broken potato. Slowly, Quartermaster stuck his hook into the mash and sniffed it.

“Close enough.” The old man gruffly retorted before scooping the pile into the pot and saying something else unintelligibly. Harrison took it as a sign of approval to continue. Thus, the two proceeded to silently make questionable servings of mashed potatoes. At least Harrison only needed to lean away due to the smell a few times.

“So…” The boy started after a few minutes had passed that way. “I’m sorry… for calling you a fucking freak during Astronomy Camp…” Harrison forced out, feeling a small flush of shame in his cheeks.

“Heard and will hear worse than that, boy. Didn’t even bring up when my goddamn family left me for dead in the Alps. Had to eat my neighbour’s damn leg to survive until Summer…” The Quartermaster deadpanned, not reacting as Harrison blanched in mute horror. Pushing that whole quote away in a little black box in his mind to process never, Harrison continued.

“… That book you let me use near the meteorite… before meeting the… octopus… Could I borrow it?” The magician finally requested, looking at Quartermaster with an almost-pleading look.

“No.” The old man bluntly answered, causing Harrison to recoil backwards. “I need that damn thing tonight, night after, week after, week after that, night after that. Can’t trust you, no-good kids, to return it okay. Something goes wrong it’s my head on the damn line.” Quartermaster darkly justified while still peeling potatoes.

“Oh…that makes sense.” Harrison gulped, although he couldn’t hide the disappointment from his face. While the boy was distracted with his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Quartermaster finally turn to stare at him.

“Offer still stands. You could join me tonight to stop another apocalypse.” The old man noted. Harrison froze, pivoting to face the elder.

“You mean… like what happened during Astronomy Camp?” He unsurely asked.

“Basically. Can't guarantee you’ll be safe, dangerous saving the world.” Quartermaster elaborated with a casual shrug.

“Would I be able to borrow the book then?” Harrison asked.

“If I need it. Can’t take it back to camp though. Nosy brats…” The older of the two responded with gritted teeth. He mashed the next potato with a concerning viciousness. Harrison thought he heard him mutter a name. Better not to ask. They both returned to peeling with anticipation in the air.

“I already said I didn’t want to risk my life earlier… So, I guess it’s a no then. Back to practicing by myself at Magic Camp.” Harrison reminded himself with a dejected sigh. However, he found himself reluctant to voice such sentiments. “This is probably the best chance I got to actually learn how to bring Erich back. Aren’t I a bad brother if I say no to that because I’m scared…?” Harrison pondered, staring down at the potatoes in his hands.

He kind of thought one of them looked like Erich.

“… Who cares? If it brings Erich back home then anything’s worth it. Erich’s worth it.” Harrison resolved, finding a hidden ball of courage deep within himself.

“-You in…?” Quartermaster asked him again. And the little magician pushed his fear away.

“I’m in,” Harrison answered out of love for his brother.

Chapter Text

There was one upside to helping Quartermaster prepare everyone’s dinner. Harrison was able to choose his own potatoes for his personal serving. And if he were being honest, the boy thought he well deserved having slightly higher-quality mashed potatoes after what he’d just signed up for. Not like anyone would particularly know-

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT, THERE ARE WORMS IN THE POTATOES!” Max howled, frightfully shoving his tray away from him.

“Actually Max, these are more likely wireworms judging by their legs…” Neil objectively parried, curiously poking one of the yellow creatures with the end of his fork. Next to him, the black-haired boy blanched and backed up.

“Actually Neil, I didn’t fucking ask!” He snarked, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

“Aww nice! Gimme that protein!” Nikki eagerly garbled through a mouthful of questionable mashed potatoes. With her bare hands, she grabbed the wireworms from Max’s plate and slurped them like noodles. “Heh… needs ketchup, or maybe fried.” She casually reviewed. The two boys proceeded to stare at her with varying levels of shock and horror… mostly horror. Around Max’s posse, the rest of the campers san Harrison were similarly reacting with disgust to their trays. The magician himself attempted to discreetly swallow his non-worm-infested mash.

“I guess I wasn’t imagining some of those potatoes moving…” Harrison thought to himself, having dodged one wiggly bullet. Meanwhile, David who’d been preoccupied picking out worms from his own tray suddenly stood with a loud clap.

“Alright campers, since it appears we aren’t feeling like mashed potatoes - thank you anyways to our lovely Quartermaster - we’ll just go with scrambled eggs!” The tall man adapted antecedent to an aloof Gwen meandering into the Mess Hall.

“Um, yeah, about that actually… We’re outta eggs.” She tiredly reported.

“What?! But we bought them last week!” David exclaimed as his co-counsellor shrugged. “I-I don’t think we’ve used them for any camps yet, have we?” He pondered, grabbing his chin while reviewing the week’s activities with Gwen. As they spoke, Harrison inconspicuously shovelled more mashed potatoes into his mouth. They couldn’t prove anything if they didn’t suspect anything!

———

The magician heard the faint opening of the flap to his and Preston’s tent. Groaning, Harrison buried his head further into his pillow. However, he knew it was only inevitable until-

“HARRISON!” Preston shouted, bombarding his personal space with a flurry of freshly-written scripts.

“Ugh… I’m trying to sleep, Preston!” The magician groggily complained, muffling his friend’s booming voice with his hands. Quartermaster had instructed him to rendezvous near the Mess Hall after lights out. Although, with his recollection of how long Astronomy Camp went, Harrison was preparing in advance for a lack of sleep via extra naps.

“I can see that having seen you slink away the instance dinner was brought to its grotesque end! You happened to miss the second-ever run-through of Sock Puppets: Drama of the Drawer!” Preston candidly replied with a thin mouth.

“Mhm…” Harrison listlessly droned, mind half asleep and the other half annoyed. The theatre kid directed an irritated look at his tent mate before sighing.

“Harrison, it cannot ever be said that I did not try to warn you…” Preston recited antecedent to taking a deep breath. “WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW! WAKE UP OR I WILL FORCE YOU TO LISTEN TO MY ONE-MAN RENDITION OF SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET-“ He had an impressive lung capacity to say all that in one breath. After all, there was a reason Preston’s one-man shows worked so well… to an extent. Instantly, Harrison shot awake as straight as a wooden plank.

“Okay, I am awake! I can’t endure another Shakespeare!” The magician shuddered, and the tent’s temperature dropped a few degrees. Oddly enough, it was hard to determine whose fault the change belonged to as Preston’s eye notably twitched.

“… We’ll talk about your poor taste in drama later, HARRISON!” Preston threatened with murderous slits. “Anyways, as your friend, I have determined that an intercession of sorts is required.” He diplomatically stated while calmly taking a seat on his bunk.

“… Wha…?” Harrison dumbly said in response, wringing his hands. “Wait, is this about me accidentally burning his sock puppets the other day? I said I was sorry… Or… oh no, this better not be another attempt to set me and Nerris up… BLAH!” The magician thought to himself with growing annoyance. If he were, something was going to be on fire that night… and not of the romantic type.

“Harrison, I am worried about you,” Preston explained with a sad flicker in his eyes. Taken off guard, the magician could only stare blankly as he continued. “I have noticed that you have been caught in a downtrodden torrent all morning. You refused to utter a single word during lunch AND dinner! Finally, for the first time in the entirety I’ve known you - which is admittedly only a month, a week, and three days - you have never taken an evening off to SLEEP!” Preston elaborated with mounting ludicrous jazz. 

“I was just tired today! You’re really loud at night you know!” Harrison defensively retorted, massaging his ears.

“LIES! You’ve been privileged to attend my late-show shoes for over a month and not once has this happened!” The theatre kid angrily shot down. Well, being forcefully kept awake most of the week by a shouting tent-mate probably didn’t count as a privilege but-

“W-Well, you snore too!” He added.

“I DO NOT.” Preston furiously denied - he did, very loudly might Harrison add - a scarlet blaze in his eyes igniting the newborn tension. “Wait…” He suddenly exclaimed, stepping back and coughing. “I must fight the rising action!” Preston muttered with a scowl. “We’re getting DISTRACTED! No more! What’s going on with you?!”

“Nothing! I swear!” Harrison shook his head in a mollifying gesture… to no effect.

“Stop being a charlatan and tell me!” Preston interrogated.

“I don’t even know what that means!” The magician yelled, moving away. However, the boy soon sighed, realizing this he wasn’t going to get any sleep if Preston had anything to shout about it. “Especially since he snores…” His mind helpfully supplied. “Okay… I’m just… thinking a lot about what you said earlier. Like, about coming back for camp next year.” Harrison finally admitted, slouching. It wasn’t a complete lie, just a slight omission of a few key details.

“GASP! Harrison, do you not want to return?!” His tent mate blanched.

“No, no, no, no, no! I want to! I really do!” The magician hurriedly rectified. “It’s my parents I’m worried about. I don’t think they’ll let me come back… “ Harrison tactfully explained with a gulp. He’d never gone into detail about his family situation with anyone at camp. While the magician was sure some people like David or Preston noticed oddities during Parents' Day, he doubted it’d been enough to paint a full picture of his mistake.

It was better that way. He liked having friends.

“Oh… that actually… oh…” Preston simmered down, moving to sit against his own bunk.

“Yeah…” Harrison frowned, flopping down onto his pillow again.

“Well then… We’ll just have to convince them to let you come back!” The theatre kid quickly pivoted, a new star shine in his eyes.

“We…?” The magician responded, confusion evident.

“Undoubtably! We can write letters, visit, voice call, and a myriad more. Besides, Romeo and Juliet took place in a pitiful three days! We shall have an entire year to sway your parents’ potential judgment!” Preston proceeded to pace the tent with palpable enthusiasm. Harrison couldn’t help but smile along.

But he still needed to sleep.

———

Harrison was miraculously able to sneak in another hour of rest, with no help from Preston’s incessant snores. Eventually, night crept up on them. Hence, he crawled out of his bunk and stealthily exited the tent. It wasn’t particularly a challenge considering the amount of times Harrison had snuck out in the early morning to practice his tricks. However, there was an eerie stillness in the campgrounds as Harrison trekked toward the Mess Hall.

The moon was awake and the stars blinked against the dark sky. On another day, Harrison might’ve remarked that it was calming. Unfortunately, it had also been calming during Astronomy Camp. He shivered and rubbed his arms at the memory. Hopefully, the magician wouldn’t be attacked by plants this time.

“Um… hello…? Quartermaster…?” Harrison nervously called out while creaking the door open. The building was ominously empty and every sound called out like thunder. “Well, I guess he’s not here. Time to go back to sleep!” The boy cheerfully regarded, spinning around to leave.

“Boo.” Quartermaster deadpanned from behind him, causing Harrison to yelp while falling backwards. Before he could make any more noise, the elder rested his hook against his mouth. “Quiet. You never know who could be listening. Now let’s go.” He mumbled antecedent to swiftly shoving Harrison outside.

“Okay…” The magician gagged on the old man’s smell. It vaguely reminded the boy of rotten eggs and rusted metal. Meanwhile, Quartermaster grabbed a bucket of… potato peels? “So...” Harrison awkwardly started as the elder began jaunting toward the lake. Unfortunately, he never received a response. It wasn’t like the magician particularly desired any more conversation than what was necessary. But, he did want to know what exactly the night would entail instead of being left in the dark. Growing frustrated with the extended silence, Harrison coughed.

“Got something in your throat?” Quartermaster gruffly asked as they approached the dock.

“What are we doing tonight?” Harrison hid his arms behind his back, trying to disguise his unsettlement for curiosity.

“It’s like I said earlier. Weren’t you listening, boy?” The old man retorted without looking back. In turn, Harrison flushed as he realized he’d been zoning out during what must’ve been Quartermaster’s explanation.

“I-I was! But, I just want to make sure I didn’t forget anything… The world’s going to end if we mess up, right?” The magician ad-libbed.

“Natural selection. The weak die first.” Quartermaster elected to say instead. Perturbed and mentally hitting himself, Harrison resigned himself to probably being shocked mute once more.

A wooden boat was ready by the dock, blanketed in shadows. Inside was another bucket of potato peels, two foul-smelling fishing rods, and a cardboard box. Quartermaster leaned in, causing the boat to creak and moan against his weight. Immediately, the image of them both sinking to the bottom of the lake’s depths flooded his mind. Proceeded by the campers fishing their corpses from the lake. However, Harrison shook the thoughts away, instead focusing on following Quartermaster’s lead.

“Don’t drop this.” The old man stated while throwing the box at Harrison, who nearly dropped it. Peaking, the boy gasped upon finding the strange book. “I said we might need it,” Quartermaster remarked as he began rowing outwards into the lake’s centre.

“Yeah…” He rapidly nodded while flipping through the book. But to his dismay, Harrison soon realized the words disappeared in the darkness. “Um, Quartermaster… Do you have a light?” He hesitantly asked as they nearly finished rowing.

“Not a good time for a smoke.” Quartermaster shot down, and it took him about five seconds to understand.

“I-I wasn’t asking for that! I’m literally ten!” Harrison sputtered. “It’s just… it’s really dark out here. So, I can’t read…” He rushed to explain, gesturing to said object with his hand. The old man blinked, looked around at the empty waters for a second, and grunted.

“Nope.” He paused. “Can’t you make fire, boy? Handle it yourself.” Quartermaster noted while standing up. He attached a wiggly-bait hook to one of the fishing rods. “Keep dumping in offerings to the dark ones.” The old man ordered and dropped his line. The magician cocked his head until he recalled the potato peels. And unsurely began chucking a couple of peels in every other minute. He wasn’t reprimanded so he supposed it worked.

While the two worked - arguably - Harrison’s attention shifted to the strange book.

“Quartermaster’s not wrong… I could make fire… But, I haven’t worked on controlling the volume… I could burn the boat down… and that probably would make him mad… darn…” Harrison thought with disappointment. Exhaling, he looked out to the lake’s soft waves caressing each other. The air was cool and refreshing. “If I shoot it out toward the sky, then I probably won’t burn anything… just to practice and read…” The magician figured and so stepped closer to the boat’s rim. “Okay… Abracadabra!”

As per usual, a burst of flames leaped from his stomach to his palms and out into the air. Far too much for a simple light. But, luckily Quartermaster didn’t seem upset by his actions.

“Mmm, not bad.” The old man offered after using the open flame to cook a fish he caught and chewed. “Needs more pesticides though.” He added after a beat. Harrison rolled his eyes privately. How the elder was still alive… actually he was doubting if he was human at that point. So, maybe that explained how he could eat and drink poison like juice. Anyways, the magician spent nearly thirty minutes working on his fire trick until he managed to maintain it at a small, reading level.

Henceforth, while Quartermaster fished and ate, Harrison read and threw potato peels into the lake.

Unfortunately, the magician quickly realized most of the strange text was in Latin or some other undecipherable letters. Although, there was a highlighted section near the middle of the book that he presumed would be used later. The multicoloured pages were uneven with some sticking out from the cover or folded over. The writing varied between dried ink, chalk, printed text, and pencil marks. It smelled faintly like salt. But, Harrison endeavoured to decode some of the passages while he could.

After all, the passage that had transported them to that strange plane with the Octopus… being… had been in Latin. Would Harrison’s magic perform a similar feat that night? Would it be the same dimension? The shock of the entire encounter had shocked him into incoherent stutters previously. But, the boy didn’t recall ever being afraid or in serious peril. A range of infinite possibilities invaded his brain, from vicious shark beasts to rabid rabbits.

Furthermore… Harrison might be able to see Erich for once. If they were transported to the same plane as the Octopus at least. 

“Your brother says hi…” It’d told him. He hoped Erich wasn’t mad at him for taking so long. It didn’t insinuate that he was mad! Erich wouldn’t say hi if he were mad, would he? Then again, perhaps his brother just wanted to let Harrison know where he was… It didn’t matter in that moment. Right then, the little magician had to divert all of his attention to just making sure he was okay. And, that mission started by finding Erich’s location.

The thought of possibly reuniting with Erich spurned a light ball of hope in his chest. It accompanied him like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold evening while he tried to read. Comforting.

———

An hour passed by in surprising peace. He just had to ignore Quartermaster’s occasional munch on the peels or some stray insect in the waves. However, things weren’t meant to last. Because of course, they weren’t! It started when the boat started to rumble, slowly at first before morphing into sharp raps. Harrison quickly extinguished his flame while Quartermaster dropped his rod.

“Here she comes!” The old man shouted with his harpoon at the ready. Harrison could only watch, wide-eyed as he felt vomit travel up his throat from the boat’s sporadic motions.

A pounding screech shattered the wind…

The waves rose higher than the forest trees and parted…

From the depths rose… a giant wireworm monstrosity… Its tiny, needle-like legs fluttered incessantly around a pale, white, fuzzy body. Every movement was followed by grotesque contortions, twisting, and moulding into a new amalgamation of legs and screeches… Harrison wanted to look away. But, found his vision enraptured by the eldritch horror before him. Quartermaster had no such qualms.

“APPEASE THE ANCIENT ONE, BOY!” The old man screamed at him as another wave rose up under their boat. The sudden momentum forced Harrison to his knees. Fortunately, he was able to regain his wits.

“W-Wha…?” The magician stuttered before remembering the book. With a mighty lunge, Harrison snatched the cover from the increasingly-soggy floorboards and flipped it to the highlighted section. The pages were darkened once more, but Harrison lit his hand aflame to make out the letters. Reading the strangely worded incantation, he expected to be taken to another realm - dimension - similar to their last encounter…

However, the magician found… nothing to occur. He remained on the rocking boat while the beast appeared to simmer down. The brief break was well, brief though, and Quartermaster proceeded to shoot his harpoon into its middle piece. And with the harpoon in place, the monster reeled backwards and fell into the lake with a final screech.

“… That was… kind of anti-climatic…” Harrison commented with a slightly disappointed edge.

“Always is this time of month. Don’t got to deal with it for the next twenty years at least. Then its corpse gets reanimated by the ancient ones and it’s got to go again.” Quartermaster shrugged, grabbing the final leftover peels and chomping on them. Afterwards, he began to silently row them back towards camp.

“So… we’re not always going to go to another… place like last time?” The magician quietly asked after a moment, taking a seat. It was as if a candle that he didn’t know was there had been blown.

“Nope. That was a once in a millennia event.” Quartermaster nodded. The following lull in conversation featured the blank stare of Quartermaster and Harrison sadly averting his eyes. “What is it, boy?” The old man grumbled.

“Um…” The boy mumbled, hiding his arms behind his back. “Should I tell him about Erich? I guess he could have tips on bringing him back…” He pondered before speaking. “It’s just… I wanted to see if I could talk to my brother…” Harrison started and continued after picking up the other male’s stillness. “The Octopus…? The Octopus mentioned him last time. I was hoping…”The little magician didn’t have to finish, a simple nod from the other stopped him.

“Missing family?” The old man went. And Harrison couldn’t tell if he was asking if he was missing family relations or the members themselves.

“Yeah…” He eventually nodded. After all, it was technically both cases.

“I can pass on a message if I see him next millennia.” Quartermaster offered in a genuine tone, and Harrison buried his face in his arms.

———

Harrison groaned as he heard Preston yelling beside him. He didn’t know what time it’d been when he returned from his rendezvous with Quartermaster. But, the magician figured it was still far too late to be healthy. Anyhow, the moment his face met the pillow he’d collapsed into a deep slumber… which was being annoyingly interrupted by Preston.

“Preston… shut up…” Harrison murmured as he securely pulled the covers over himself.

“You will never silence ME!” Preston shouted back. In response, Harrison merely squeezed his eyes tighter and prayed for the noise to retreat. “Wow, you really are tired!” The theatre kid noted after a beat.

“Maybe it has something to do with living with a screaming idiot…” Harrison mumbled, passivity dulled by sleep deprivation. In mock offence, his tent mate lightly kicked his bunk. “Breakfast hasn’t started yet, right?” He questioned, forcing himself into a sitting position.

“It has NOT! Are you going to eat or sleep in?” Preston teased while moving toward the flaps.

“If I sleep in someone’s going to come get me up… probably uncomfortably… So, I’m coming… just give me a minute…” The magician drowsily answered, rubbing at his eyes. Afterwards, Preston left and he slowly got himself dressed. Harrison had to avert his eyes upon exiting as the sun blinded him. “I did not get enough sleep… even for me…” His thoughts tripped over each other as he listlessly walked.

However, Harrison’s eyes caught sight of Max and Neil’s tent before he left the area. And an idea began to form in his mind.

“Max and Neil are the resident insomniacs. And… they own the only other coffee machine outside of the counsellor’s cabin…” Harrison observed and began tiptoeing toward the two’s tent. The infamous troublemakers would never share their precious coffee maker for free. Hence, the magician did the next best thing.

He walked behind a tree with a cup and lowered it into his top hat.

“And… tada!” Harrison cheered as he retrieved… a cold cup of coffee. Fortunately, he had his improved fire trick to heat it up via palm. Thus, Harrison began making his way toward the Mess Hall with warm coffee in hand. His mind marginally perked up with every sip of the hot, bitter drink. Even though he usually preferred to take his coffee with copious amounts of cream and sugar. Harrison could deal with it that once.

Outside of the Mess Hall, he glimpsed Quartermaster walking toward the bus with a wrench and hammer.

“Morning, Quartermaster.” He brusquely greeted with a yawn.

“Another day of suffering.” The old man slouched. Quartermaster had a grumpy and bored aura around him, so he was basically completely normal. Harrison had to wonder how the other was still functioning since he definitely had been awake longer than he had.

“How are you not tired…?” The magician quizzed as the two wandered toward the bus. “Do you have your own coffee maker or something?” He gestured to his own cup. Quartermaster pulled a bundle of red-pink petals from his pocket.

“European spindle. It’s caffeine-dense. Tastes better than that shit-coloured water.” The old man explained, dropping a petal into his coffee.

“And very poisonous…” Harrison mumbled to himself, staring sadly at his cup. He’d been drilled on the poisonous and inedible fauna by David a week into camp.

“Everyone needs to have their first poison at some point.” Quartermaster shrugged before violently kicking the side of the bus. “Experience is the best practice.”

Chapter Text

Dear E rich,

So… It’s been two weeks since… our disappearing act. I don’t know if time works the same wherever you ended up. So, I’m telling you that just in case! Um, Mom suggested I write you a letter. And then I’ll make the letter disappear like in the trick. And if you find this, write something on it. Hopefully you have a pen or something. That way WHEN I bring the letter back I can see what you wrote. But, it won’t really matter at that point since if I bring the letter back then I can bring you back home!

Speaking of, I wander where you are. Like, are you in a different county? What about a different planet? Oh, what if I transported you to a different dimension?! That’s actually really cool! Ha, I might actually be kind of jealous if it’s that last one. I’ve never told you. But, before I wanted to be an illusionist I wanted to be an adventurer. The kind that slays dragons and saves people and animals and stuff! You know, adventurers are really famous! The other day in school, we learned about Chris Gopher Columbia! He was some cool dude who first discovered the USA apparently.

You’re going to be really famous when you get back, Erich! Everyone’s talking about you and can’t wait to see you again! I mean EVERYONE, the neighbours, all of the kids at school, the teachers. Us. We’ll throw a huge party for you and buy a huge cake. So, get ready for that!

Anyways, I’m going to find a way to get you back home soon, Erich! Wherever you are, don’t worry!

From,

The Amazing Harrison (tada)

———

The next week was anything but uneventful. Harrison helped Quartermaster ward off a couple more apocalypses, some world-ending disasters. Although, he still hadn’t been sent to another dimension like that fateful first misadventure. Meanwhile, the creepy factor hadn’t improved in the slightest. But, Harrison was coming to terms with the fact that it could only ever get worse.

Although, the boy was perpetually annoyed at how he still didn’t really understand anything. None of the actions Quartermaster performed or planned to ward off eldritch horrors and apocalypses. Or the nature of said eldritch horrors and apocalypses. Heck, Harrison still couldn’t understand more than ninety-five percent of Quartermaster’s book!

Nonetheless, Harrison pushed onwards.

“Hey, Quartermaster.” The magician politely nodded as he approached the Mess Hall. It had wordlessly become their go-to rendezvous point. And as always, the night was pitch-black and chilling. How Harrison hadn’t caught a cold yet, it was anyone’s guess. 

“You got the goods?” The old man bluntly asked, holding his hand out.

“I feel like I’m missing something there…” Harrison sighed, riffling through his pockets. But, he let the matter go.

Curiously, the previous venture saw Quartermaster stop Harrison before they parted ways. The magician had been given homework for once. Simply put, he’d been passed a worn nickel and a rock and told to turn the rock into nickels. Of course, Harrison had never attempted to break down objects on purpose before. However, he eventually thought of it as just another rabbit-pull trick and managed it… ish. His experiments had broken many boulders and left far too many pebbles though.

“Sure…” Harrison hesitantly answered, handing over a plastic baggie filled with nickels.

“Hmph,” Quartermaster grumbled, using a magnifying glass hook to inspect the coins. “Needs practise. But, they’ll work for tonight…” The old man brusquely reviewed and began walking off toward the forest. And as was the new norm, the magician followed.

They walked in silence as per usual. However, Harrison’s imagination got the better of him. He wondered what Quartermaster would ever need nickels for. Were they going to fight some kind of money-hoarder beast like a dragon? For some reason, Nerris’ face popped into mind. Yet Harrison shook his annoying friend’s face away. It was only because she liked that dumb game that had dragons in it! Yeah! That was totally it!

“Ow!” Harrison sputtered, having crashed into a large rock while lost in his thoughts. Quartermaster stood to the side with an expectant look. “So, are we using the rock…?” He unsurely asked after a beat.

“I need more coin, boy.” The elder simply retorted, tapping the rock with his hook. It took a moment for his words to sink in. But, once they did, Harrison blanched. He mutely pointed at the rock - which was nearly as tall as the old man - to Quartermaster. “I NEED MORE COIN, BOY!” He repeated, as loud as Preston, likely thinking he’d been too quiet.

“I heard you! I heard you!” Harrison quickly assuaged, covering his ears. “It’s just… that’s… a lot…” He dumbly explained.

Where would he even start? At least the previous rock could fit into his palm and under a tablecloth. This… it reminded him of the volcano game he’d played with Nerris, Neil, and Nikki once. Harrison hadn’t been joking when he said he’d need to individually vanish each square of the mountain with his cloth.

“Do you so happen to have… a really large tarp…?” The magician tried to chuckle, failing miserably. Quartermaster gave him a blank stare, which he perceived as non-understanding. “I need to cover the entire thing to do the trick. Or, I-I could use my own but that would take… a while.” Harrison sheepishly clarified. “… Wait… I didn’t bring my cloth….”

Something flickered through the Quartermaster’s lone eye. Something that Harrison couldn’t quite distinguish. Was it amusement? Frustration? Further incomprehension? He couldn’t know.

After a moment where the old man seemed to contemplate the issue, Quartermaster wordlessly reached into his pocket. He pulled out… nothing…? And mimed the motion of placing a net over the rock. “There’s a tarp.” Quartermaster nodded in satisfaction as Harrison stared disbelievingly.

“Wha…” The magician blinked because there was nothing there. He poked the rock just to make extra sure. Yup, just solid rock and cold air. Nothing. “There’s not anything here…?” It came out as more of a question somehow.

A long stare ensued. “Yes, there is.” Quartermaster deadpanned. In turn, Harrison merely continued to switch his eyes from the rock to the old man, as if waiting for the hypothetical shoe to drop. Eventually, the boy realized that Quartermaster was actually serious and wanted him to try with the ‘tarp’.

“Fine… Abracadabra!” Harrison sarcastically cast, and watched as nothing happened. The old man grunted. Harrison could tell that time he was annoyed.

“You need to believe, boy!” Quartermaster scolded, and Harrison felt something in him snap. Did he… just?

“Hey! That’s my line!” The magician indignantly protested. That’s what Harrison teased Neil with when he performed! The illusionists weren’t the ones that got told to believe! That’s not how it worked! That’s not how it worked in the slightest! He squared his shoulders and huffed. Well… Harrison would just… he’d just… The boy felt the dismay deflate and he hunched over. There wasn’t much he could do, could he? Nothing except bite his pride and take his own advice.

Harrison believed - ugh - and attempted his trick once more. “Abracadabra!”

Miraculously, a crack startled the night. And then another. And another. Slowly, the outermost rock surface fractured apart like glass shattering. In the centre of the ruins, a substantial pile of nickels remained. Harrison gawked at the sight, even going so far as to take a step back and stared at his hands in shock. Meanwhile, Quartermaster hummed while pulling a large burlap sack out to carry the coins.

“Beats mugging junkies at least…”

———

Harrison was left with no time to process his actions before Quartermaster had them moving again. Well, it was more Harrison following with Quartermaster not looking behind him. Same difference those days. However, the magician felt it was about time to start disturbing the routine silence once he broke out of his stupor. Besides, after working with Quartermaster for the last week or so, he finally felt confident enough to start questioning.

“So, Quartermaster, what do we need a bunch of nickels for?” Harrison asked, quickening as to walk beside the man.

“Satisfying the higher-ups…” Quartermaster grumbled, which didn’t help at all. They’re always satisfying the higher beings of the universe to save the world!

“Okay, but which-wait, why are we heading back to camp?” The magician pushed, suddenly noticing their change in direction.

“We’re not.” The old man denied, causing Harrison’s head to tilt.

“But, we’re going in the same direction…” He pointed out while gesturing with his fingers. And was promptly ignored. Harrison was further perplexed when Quartermaster boarded the camp’s school bus.

“Get in, boy!” The old man ordered, which he scampered to obey. Truthfully, Harrison had only ridden the bus a handful of times. But, he was usually the first one to board when he did ride. Hence, the magician knew and was able to select the best seat: the left one on the second row. It was the only seat that didn’t smell and was still mostly intact.

Harrison figured whoever or whatever they had to stop was too far to travel by foot if they were using the bus. Although, the image of a possessed mechanical monstrosity crossed his mind briefly. Immediately afterwards, the boy recalled when Quartermaster regaled his lack of a driving license. He then began to fear for his safety. But, that was really old news.

As Quartermaster started up the bus, Harrison stared at the passing wilderness with a bored expression. “How long have you been doing this… saving the world… things…?” He quizzed without thinking.

“Younger than you.” Was the curt answer he received.

“How’d you learn what to do? Did you have a teacher?” Harrison followed up with, curiosity overcoming unease. In the end, the magician was still a kid. And kids get bored quickly and easily. He was just going to keep talking until Quartermaster told him to shut up.

“A lot of practice. One time, I sucked a bear’s dick and nearly lost my leg. But, I learned to not suck a bear’s dick. Figured I needed to chop it off later.” The old man shrugged, forcing Harrison into silence.

“… Right…” The magician slowly nodded. Hey, he only took ten seconds to respond! That was a whole five seconds better than the last disturbing comment Quartermaster made about his private life! “Where’d you get the book from?” Harrison continued, making sure to ask about innocuous subjects. There was only so much Quartermaster he could handle in one night.

“I stole it from the Jews.” The old man wryly proclaimed.

Harrison didn’t know how to react to that statement. So, he decided to just keep asking for clarification. “Oh, okay. How’d you know they had the book?” The boy had finally determined it wasn’t worth the effort trying to pick apart Quartermaster’s mannerisms.

“I stalked them for weeks. Knew them better than they knew themselves… Fuckers…” Quartermaster actually chuckled. Harrison never wanted to hear the sound of it AGAIN!

“You have a creepy… laugh.” He spoke without thinking, instantly clamming up once his brain processed his comment. “I-mean-uh-it’s unique!”

“I’ve been told.” Quartermaster sighed, shaking his head. Fortunately, neither of them conversed after that. And an awkward silence dominated the bus thereafter. God, Harrison was never telling Erich about that conversation. Or, any of his conversations with Quartermaster. His innocent little brother would be just as mortified as the magician felt.

———

Harrison felt the bus stop before the old man could warn him. The abrupt halt in motion slammed his body into the seat in front of him. “We’re here,” Quartermaster announced. Groaning, the magician stood up and hopped toward the front. Quartermaster already had the bag of nickels slung over his shoulders as they exited together.

To his surprise, they had merely driven to Sleepy Peak. Specifically, a quaint grocery store. The white building had cracks crawling up edges and yellow stains near their one window. At that time of night, they were the only customers parked. Puzzled, Harrison pondered if Quartermaster needed even more supplies for their job. “What are we here for?” He pried as they entered, nickels and all.

“Dark errands.” Quartermaster unhelpfully supplied. Afterwards, he took out a small yellow sticky note from his pocket. The magician squinted at the handwriting, eyes widening when he recognized David and Gwen’s familiar scribbles listing common items.

“Wait, that’s just a grocery list.” Harrison realized, looking at the old man. He nodded. “Did you take me with you just to go grocery shopping?!” The boy accused, scandalized.

“Yes. Now go.” Quartermaster deadpanned, slapping the sticky note onto his palm. Before Harrison could stop him, the old man had already marched off toward a different corner of the store. Slack-jawed, the magician turned toward the cashier, who didn’t even glance at the pair.

“I…” He was at a loss for words. Should he be grateful or annoyed they weren’t saving the world that night? Right then, Harrison was heavily leaning toward annoyed. Very annoyed. “Fine…” The magician sighed, scanning the list over. It was just some normal supplies the camp was low on: potatoes, toiletries, and other basic gizmos.

Harrison always hated going grocery shopping with his Mother. She never let him get anything cool like toys.

He grabbed a rusty cart with a busted wheel. It made an aggravating creaking sound whenever he pushed it forward. But, it would have to do. While he haphazardly grabbed groceries off the shelves, Harrison attempted to keep an eye out for Quartermaster. However, the old man was intently staring at tiny animal figurines in a way that sent shivers through his skin. So, he focused on the shopping.

When the boy reached the dairy section, he grabbed exactly two cartons of eggs as the list demanded. Although, Harrison debated grabbing an extra carton or two for himself. Unfortunately, the magician decided not to risk overspending. Who knows if the cashier would count every single nickel?

Harrison reunited with Quartermaster at the checkout, with the old man dumping a heap of animal figurines on the counter.

He expected them to pay and be on their way. But, Quartermaster gazed over the items and then at him. “Don’t you want anything, boy?” He dryly retorted.

“I can get something?” Harrison blinked, receiving a silent nod in return. “Like anything? What about the cost-“

“It won’t be an issue.” The old man panned. And the magician didn’t push the matter further, eagerly rushing back toward the aisles. First, Harrison snatched a couple of cartons of eggs for his magic practice. Secondly, the boy figured he’d buy a new notebook and pen since his previous measures were well-worn. Finally, Harrison decided to treat himself and grabbed a tiny strawberry yogurt drink. When he returned with his new items, Quartermaster didn’t seem to mind and merely coughed.

The cashier directed his gaze upwards at the pair before lazily checking their items. “That’ll be $69.96, sir. Will you be paying by cash or card?”

“Coin.” Quartermaster proceeded to dump half of the bag of nickels onto the counter. Harrison observed as the cashier’s apathetic face melted away. He felt sympathetic at the cashier’s shock. And ensured his straight face indicated how sorry he felt as well. Should he apologize on Quartermaster’s behalf? The cashier opened their mouth and then closed it. They turned their gaze to the pair and then back to the coin mess.

“You know what…?” The cashier drawled after a full minute had dragged by. “I’ll just… take like, three-quarters of this. And we’ll say you paid.” They stated, already swooping coins away and ringing them up.

———

Harrison’s personal purchases were kept in their own plastic bag, while all the others were loaded up on the bus. He took light sips from his yogurt drink and smiled as they ventured into town. The magician doubted he’d get much sugar over the Summer beyond his treat. So, he savoured every drop.

“So, what else do David and Gwen need?” Harrison asked Quartermaster, who still carried the remaining nickels.

“Nothing.” The old man replied, causing Harrison to tilt his head. “Making me do their damn chores… rotting… my turn…” He ineligibly cursed as they made their way toward a small wooden shop. In retrospect, Harrison should have been more cautious as they returned to Quartermaster’s interests. However, his senses were being overwhelmed by his first taste of sugar in months. So, he genially bobbed his head as they went inside.

“QM!” A middle-aged man with balding chestnut hair exuberantly shouted. He leaned against the wall from behind the counter. And wore a long black cape and hat. It reminded him of Nerris’ dumb hat and cape.

“Dungeon Master.” Quartermaster neutrally greeted.”How’s the furry stock looking…” The conversation proceeded to dissolve into boring store squabbles. Meanwhile, Harrison chose to investigate the premises. It wasn’t a very organized shop, with stock strewn about randomly. The magician figured if its target audience were lame people like Nerris, then it probably wasn’t any popular.

He faintly chuckled.

There was a colourful menagerie of cards and figurines on display. Harrison spent his time flicking through them while sipping his drink. He didn’t recognize most of the titles. Most of them had stupid names Nerris would definitely know. Like, what kind of title was Arcane: The Meeting anyways? The magician did discover some vintage playing cards. Although, Harrison personally thought his own deck was superior. Plus, vintage was always so expensive. Why was old stuff so valuable to people? It’s old! And you weren’t allowed to break vintage items either.

“Inconvenient…” Harrison muttered, setting the vintage set down. “What does Quartermaster even need from here?” He debated, glancing at the men who were still going back and forth. “Eh… I’m not going to question it.”

Honestly, Harrison held no hefty interests there - both Quartermaster’s business and the business itself. But, Nerris would’ve loved it. Especially if Quartermaster was letting her buy stuff. Maybe even Preston since the theatre kid enjoyed a good costume showcase.

“Hmm…” The magician went as he spotted a certain card pack. “Hey, these are those expansion decks for that dumb game Nerris really likes…” The gaudy blue and magenta packaging strained his vision. However, Harrison didn’t want anything else and apparently, they had the money… “Whatever…” The boy rolled his eyes while grabbing a jumbo pack.

This meant nothing! NOTHING.

Harrison could already hear Preston’s teasing chortle. He returned to the counter with the pack in hand. “Hey, Quartermaster. Can I get this?” The magician prodded, interrupting their previous small talk.

Quartermaster slowly peered down at him and then the pack. “Your money.” The old man nodded before slapping the cards onto the counter. “I’m just about done here. Dungeon Master, gimme the good stuff.” He hissed, lifting his hook in a slightly threatening manner.

Dungeon Master twitched antecedent to motioning to Harrison. “You sure, QM? How old’s the brat anyways?”

“Old enough.” Quartermaster waved off. The magician suspiciously squinted at him while the other man turned around. Should he be running for his life? Actually, it was Quartermaster. Harrison should leave-

Dungeon Master yanked on an old tassel on the ceiling and a low rumbling shook the floor. Gradually, the wall opened up to reveal… a… unique… assortment of animals…. and humans… with their… private parts exposed… graphically… so… graphically…

“Uh…” Harrison stuttered, frozen on the spot. He thought he stopped breathing… and his heart definitely stopped beating for a moment. The magician both wanted to vomit his guts out and flee from the scene immediately. Yet somehow he just stood there. Staring. “Uh…”

Harrison promptly fainted.

———

The boy snapped awake at a sudden stop, bumping his head against dirty glass. It took him a minute to gather his wits and investigate his surroundings. Harrison was back on the camp bus. Although, he’d been set on the first seat on the right aisle instead of his preferred seat. The bag full of eggs, supplies, and the jumbo pack was beside him. But his yogurt drink was missing. Not like much of it would’ve survived since he fell-

“I’m going to be sick…” Harrison groaned, shoving his hands against his mouth as the memory of a few hours ago flooded back. Nausea permeated his mind and his vision blurred. He could feel his body swaying once more.

“Don’t die on me again, boy. I almost got arrested dragging you here.” Quartermaster irritatedly interrupted his traumatization.

“Quartermaster?! You… huh…?” Harrison jolted, staring wide-eyed from him to the window as if an explanation would magically appear. Maybe if he closed his eyes he’d wake up back at camp, and this would all be one terribly horrific nightmare…

“I want to forget this entire night…” The magician complained, resting his forehead against the metal sheet in front of him.

“Don’t we all.” Quartermaster nodded in sympathy even though he had no right to be sympathetic since it was his entire fault! They drove in silence for what must’ve been an eternity until the bus rattled again. A moment passed before the vehicle was forced to a screeching halt, violently pushing both passengers forward. “Damn road…” The old man cursed, stretching as he pulled to the side. He proceeded to march outside with a wrench and hammer.

Harrison sat mutely for a moment, his pallor pale. His fists unhealthily clenched as if his life depended on it. A constant static invaded every crevice of his mind.

“That’s low… even for Quartermaster…” He thought in a daze. Outside, Harrison heard Quartermaster banging the side of the bus in a frenzy. The magician eventually inhaled and slapped the sides of his head. “Just don’t think about it. Don’t. Think. About. It.” it would remain seen whether his self-pep talk was effective or not.

Not thinking about it, Harrison stepped out and joined Quartermaster’s side.

“Do you need any help with the bus?” He dryly asked, crossing his arms.

“No.” The old man bluntly denied. A beat. “Actually…I need more coins.” He explained, pulling out more nickel rocks from his pocket. Somewhat not surprised, Harrison bent down to collect the fallen rocks and work his magic.

“Abracadabra…” He muttered with an eye-roll. “So, how’d you know the coin-popping trick would work?” Harrison attempted to chat, if anything to avoid another stretch of silence.

“Experience.” Quartermaster blandly responded… he should’ve expected that. “Why you calling it a trick?”

“That’s what it is, isn’t it?” Harrison shot back, jiggling the nickels in his hand. A cold wind blew hair in his face, which he subconsciously fixed. The magician watched Quartermaster’s shoulders visibly slouch. The bus must have been more difficult than normal.

“You need to broaden your horizons, boy.” The old man chided with a melancholic aura.

“Huh…?” Harrison tilted his head.

“The arcane arts can do things beyond simple tricks.” Quartermaster continued, watching him from over his shoulder. The magician merely blinked, not understanding. Was Harrison being insulted or given advice? It was far too late to think. He paused as if considering something. “Good to go. Get in.” 

Chapter Text

*Flashback* Two years ago…

According to his parents, they’d been blessed by God. To have been given not just the one, but two beautiful and perfect children that were Harrison and Erich. They were everything they could’ve ever asked for in sons: genial, obedient, and brighter than the golden sun. The boys’ parents prayed that Harrison would also be a prodigal older sibling to his little brother, only one year his junior.

“Happy birthday, Harrison!” His parents joyfully clapped as he blew out the candles. Next to them, Erich wiggled in his seat. But his little brother beamed along since the rest of his family were celebrating.

“Cake! Cake!” The two boys chanted, hungry for their sugary dessert. His parents bought Harrison’s favourite, strawberry shortcake for his eighth birthday! The candles were a sunny yellow and sky-blue frosting coated the cake’s top.

After eating and sorting through presents, the family travelled into town for a movie. Harrison and Erich weren’t let out of the house often. Something about the outside world being a dangerous and scary hell. But, they’d relish the rare treat while they could. It would also be Erich’s first time seeing a movie in an actual, huge, cinema! Although they owned home movies and DVDs, Harrison could attest from halcyon memories that it wasn’t the same.

“Someone’s excited.” His Mother softly noted, her hand enclosed in Harrison’s. His Mother had a really nice smile. Apparently, when he was younger and restless, she’d been able to calm him down just with a gentle grin.

“I am! I am! Movie time!” Harrison dizzily babbled, unable to keep the spring from his step. Next to them, his Father cheerfully carried Erich on his back.

The sun had begun to fall along the tree line, painting the sky with warm pinks and oranges. The clouds looked like tantalizing cotton candy. And while they strolled through the streets, Harrison and Erich called out the different animals they could see above. They both still wore their vibrant party cone hats after refusing to take them off at home.

“Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen! Come and see the best show in town from the one and only, Harry The Great!” A man dressed in a velvet suit and top hat announced in front of a lurid tent. An ostentatious sign with The Great Harry was plastered in front.

“Mommy, what’s that?” Harrison stopped to point at the tent. “His name’s Harry! Like me!”

His Father paused to stand next to them, scrutinizing the man and his area. “It’s one of those ridiculous… magicians.” He curled his lips in distaste. “You wouldn’t like what they do, son.” His Father tried to dissuade him.

“Magic?!” Harrison excitedly blurted out, eyes growing as big as saucers. “I want to see! I want to see! Please, Mommy! Please, Daddy!” The boy begged animatedly, tugging on his Mother’s hand. He practically had stars in his eyes.

“Harrison…” His Mother quietly chastised, sharing an unsure look with her husband.

“It’s my birthday…” Harrison slightly pouted, already sensing rejection. His parents had a wordless debate between them. He hoped they wouldn’t take too long. If they didn’t act soon, it’d be Erich’s birthday by the time they made a decision. Finally, his Mother sighed and acquiesced. They knew if they really insisted Harrison would listen. But, the adults agreed only because it was his birthday.

The next forty-five minutes would forever influence Harrison’s life.

Stars morphed into full-blown galaxies. When the family returned home, all the eight-year-old would prattle on about was magic and magicians and incredible tricks. Come the following morning, he stole his Father’s tall black hat and suit jacket. The boy knew that one day he’d be just like Harry The Great. No, he’d be more than great. Harrison would be amazing.

His first-ever trick was pulling a coin from behind Erich’s ear. He’d practised until it appeared just as Harry The Great performed it. Yet Harrison only needed to visualize the result in his mind and it’d happen as he’d go. Later, the boy would discover magic books that had those long tedious steps. However, the little magician assumed they existed merely to supplement magicians if they weren’t feeling well.

Surely, Harrison’s way was how it was supposed to work.

*Flashback End*

———

“There’s no way most magicians only use the books?!” Harrison incredulously thought as he sat backstage. He was mulling over what Quartermaster had told him the previous night. That magic - arcane arts sounded like something Nerris would say - was meant for more beyond tricks. The concept was alien in his mind. What else would one use magic for? It would explain Neil’s insistence he was a fraud though…

Memories of using his flames for light and the coin-popping filled his mind. Harrison frowned.

“Abracadabra!” He cast. “Now return, tada!” He lifted the tablecloth to find a broken egg as expected. Unfortunately, despite hanging out with Quartermaster for more than a week, Harrison’s attempts at the disappearing trick hadn’t visibly improved. His brain retrieved the image of the large nickel boulder for him.

Was it possible that the ‘tarp’ was just invisible and intangible? No, that made zero sense! Plus Harrison had never pulled the ‘tarp’ away which he usually needed to do. But, if there hadn’t been a tarp… then did he even need a tablecloth? The idea made his head pound.

“Would it be worth it to try without the tablecloth?” Harrison mentally debated, starting to feel like a clown. He’d only used five of his eggs. So, the magician technically had the supplies to spare for a quick experiment. It just felt… wrong to go against his performance tradition. Then again, wouldn’t it dazzle more spectators if they could see the magic underneath the cloth? Well, it would probably impress Erich at least. He set another egg down. “Okay… Abra-“

“Harrison?” David’s voice interrupted his trial, causing him to yelp and nearly scramble the egg.

“D-David! What are you doing here?” The magician scrambled to say, using his foot to hide the egg cartons. He didn’t really want to explain how he had more eggs than the camp.

“Why it’s breakfast, silly! You were absent and Preston told me I could find you here.” The tall counsellor cheerfully explained. “I know you’re eager to get started on today’s activities! But, you have to remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” He lightly chided while pointing his finger upwards.

“Oh… Yeah. I just… lost track of time while practising my tricks.” Harrison rapidly excused with a nod, stepping into the sunshine.

David laughed good-heartedly. “Oh, I understand, Harrison! Why when I was just a camper myself, I always got up hours before role call to go on hikes and enjoy this wonderful nature around us!” He dramatically regaled as they walked to the Mess Hall. Harrison focused on his feet. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. “… Don’t make a habit of it.” David nervously reminded with a strained grin.

“Got it. Great advice. Thanks, David!” The magician hurried to escape and scurried to Preston’s table.

The theatre boy was clearly waiting for him, resting his chin on clasped hands with narrowed eyes. “HARRISON!” Preston shouted, causing Harrison to stagger backwards. “Oh, right. My apologies!” His friend winced whilst simultaneously not lowering his volume in the slightest.

“Morning Preston…” The magician quietly replied, massaging his aching eardrums.

“Salutations to you as well! Except I awoke at the crack of dawn to discover you’d vanished, which begs the question! Where were you?!” Preston incessantly pressed, leaning far too closely into his personal space. Right, Harrison usually returned to their tent before he woke up. Weirdly he’d been forgetting to do that lately.

“I was practicing my tricks early. I thought you knew since you ratted me out to David.” The magician simply said.

“Excuse you! I did not rat you out! I merely proclaimed my concern for your general well-being and then pondered aloud your whereabouts in David’s close proximity.” Preston passionately denied.

“Yes, ratting me out.” Harrison sagely nodded, proceeding to shove a carrot into his own mouth. He let the crunch speak for itself. Sputtering, Preston was quick to continue the argument. Harrison would rather eat his breakfast in relative peace and so tuned his friend out.

———

After finishing breakfast, the two boys moved to leave. However, Harrison recalled the jumbo pack he’d bought for Nerris at the last moment and spun around. He quickly abandoned Preston’s side to locate her, who was eating with Erid at the other end of the Mess Hall.

Harrison overheard snippets of other conversations as he trotted over. “By the way, Quartermaster, I just want to express Camp Campbell’s heartfelt thanks to you for cooking today’s breakfast again!” David blithely went, swinging his elbow to the side.

“I’m just glad it wasn’t expired or rotten this time,” Gwen added in a dispassionate tone.

“Oh… I guess that’s why Quartermaster wanted me to do the grocery shopping…” The magician hummed as he reached Nerris’ table. “Hi, Nerris, Erid.” Harrison tentatively greeted with a wave.

“What’s up?” Erid cooly nodded.

“Greetings, Harrison. Is there anything you require of Nerris the Cute?” Nerris asked in a sing-song voice. In other words, typical Nerris things. He slowly blinked before shaking himself awake. Weird, the magician was sure he’d got enough sleep the previous night. Did Harrison need to adjust his sleep schedule again? It’d been working so well too…

“Would you like to see a real magic trick? Because Nerris, your dumb game is not real magic.” The real magician snarked, hands behind his back.

Nerris took the bait hook, line, and sinker. “We don’t want to see your cheap party tricks, Harrison!” She hissed out, venom emanating from her voice. Erid appeared apathetic next to her, rather studying her nails. But, Harrison caught the tiniest narrowing of her eyes at him. Okay, seriously, how did uncool Nerris become friends with the very cool Erid? All he got was Preston! And they both got bullied by Nurf every other day!

“Oh, really?” Harrison smirked, leaning on his heels. Before they could react, he jumped back and wiggled his fingers. “Abracadabra!” The magician cast and watched with satisfaction as Nerris felt something plummet underneath her hat and flail. He was confident that the trick would work. The boy would rather jump off a cliff than have a repeat of the egg fiasco. Fortunately, Harrison had practiced until he could do the summoning trick half-dead!

“What did you do, Harrison-“ Nerris furiously grumbled, grabbing at her hat and stupid fake ears. However, the insult died on her tongue when she found the jumbo pack in her hands. “Wait… this is…”

“Tada! One of those dumb expansion packs to your equally dumb game. It was hidden under my stage for some reason.” The lie rolled easily off his tongue. It wasn’t like he’d practiced it or anything! He had better things to do! Nerris was silent for a long moment, merely fixating on the pack. Wait, that wasn’t supposed to happen. Did he break her?! “Nerris…?”

“Thank you!” Before he could react, the girl had entrapped Harrison in a taut hug.

“Nerris?!” The magician squeaked, taken off guard. His breathing was suddenly constricted by the embrace’s ferocity. Harrison’s shoulders instinctively tensed up. And he belatedly realized that he… hadn’t had a hug since Erich… His parents avoided making physical contact at all costs with him for a while after the incident. It wore off eventually. But, hugs had been out of the question… Not like Harrison blamed them…

“Um…” He shyly mumbled.

“GASP.” An unfortunately familiar voice shouted and Harrison felt his earlier gloom dissipate. The two instantly broke the hug off and turned to stare at a gaping Preston. The magician was relieved to see Nerris look about as exasperated as he felt.

“Preston!” He spoke first, crossing his arms. It didn’t help that Harrison could view the counsellors in the corner of his vision. Which meant that he could clearly see Gwen with her full attention glued on them. There were practically glittering hearts in her eyes. That was never good. Never.

“Don’t mind ME! CARRY ON!” The theatre kid howled before hiding behind one of the benches to spy on them. They collectively covered their ears at his volume. It was high even for Preston, which was screaming something.

“Okay…?” Harrison tilted his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed at the whole debacle. “You’re welcome, Nerris… I think…”

“Err…” She went, still staring at a glowering Preston.

The magician had about enough of that awkwardness. Fire rumbled beneath his skin. “I’m going to go… practice… bye…” Harrison decided to end whatever Preston thought was going on. He automatically stalked toward the exit, not listening to whatever Nerris or Erid or Gwen or Preston had to say.

The magician needed to hide. Yes, hiding sounded like a brilliant idea. Better than any plot Preston could ever create in his entire career. Because Preston sucked. Also, he didn’t feel like getting teased that day. It had been a nice day. Very nice until Nerris hugged him and Preston made it weird. Harrison had weird friends.

“HARRISON!” Unfortunately, Preston didn’t get the memo. The theatre boy tackled him right outside of the different camps. He tried to mutely communicate with his tent mate that he was not happy to no avail. “That was brilliant! Incredible! Astounding! Tony-worthy performances from both of you! This will be great inspiration for my new play-“

“Preston.” Harrison’s eye twitched, and a spark of fire escaped from his fingers. “If you say anything else about what just happened. I will make you vomit scarves until you can’t say anything. Tada.” Preston would know he was being serious. He’d done it before. It had been the quietest week by far at Camp Campbell. Even though the magician privately acknowledged he’d missed the racket.

Fortunately, Preston finally got the memo with a yelp and sprinted away.

———

Once he was surrounded by the privacy backstage, Harrison buried his face in his knees and screamed. He didn’t know how long he’d remained in that position. Except when the magician deigned to move, his muscles were sore. Anyway, Harrison decided the best way to confront his emotions was to throw himself in magic practice.

“Abracadabra!” The magician angrily called and watched the sacrificial egg explode. He pondered imagining Preston’s face in lieu of the eggs to vent. However, Harrison thought better of it. Exploding eggs were probably just because of his rampant anger. So, he’d have to try the disappearing trick without the tablecloth again later. But boy, was it satisfying!

After murdering six innocent eggs, Harrison found himself with nothing to do.

There was a spare carton of eggs available. However, the magician wished to save it for the rest of the week’s practice. So, Harrison settled to get comfortable and play solitaire by himself. Solitaire gradually evolved into building card houses. And building card houses smoothly evolved into mindless card shuffling. And mindless card shuffling swiftly evolved into nail-biting boredom.

“I wish I knew more card games I could play by myself…” Harrison bemoaned, pulling his hands down his cheeks. “Why do most games need two players…?Two players… Wait.” An idea floated into his mind like a sparking lightbulb.

Once he was sure the coast was clear, Harrison carefully spied the immediate vicinity and tiptoed to his singular dummy. When the magician first arrived at camp, the milky plastic figure had intrigued him, as his parents had forbidden him from ever getting his own. Admittedly, Harrison had attempted the sawing-in-half trick once. And had quickly lost interest soon after. It hadn’t been particularly challenging.

“Hello, new friend!” The boy proudly whistled, tapping the dummy’s forehead. Granted, his last venture in creating life didn’t exactly work out! And sure, Harrison had been a little traumatized by said creation’s existential crisis. But, he was learning! “You will just… not know about basic biology! Tada!”

The boy proceeded to charm his top hat and place it on the dummy’s head. And waited…

And waited…

… And waited…

And waited…

“This is not working.” The magician grumbled, flicking the side of the dummy’s head for good measure. If his snowman’s frenzy was anything to go by, it should’ve sprang to life instantaneously. But, the plastic remained as still as… well plastic. Was it not human-like enough for the spell to succeed? Oh! What if he drew a face on the dummy?! He had a marker inside backstage somewhere…

Harrison turned and hopped behind the curtains. “Marker… marker… Where is it?” He dug through his supply box before a memory hit him. “Oh, right. I gave it to Preston… Preston…” The magician felt another pang of irritation and heard wind rustle the curtains outside. Harrison supposed pencil would have to do.

Pencil in hand, he exited once more. However, the sight he was beholden to caused his grip to go slack. The pencil pathetically crashed into the grass. Although it hardly mattered when… when…

The dummy was gone.

Harrison slowly pivoted his sight left and right… and not a trace of the dummy could be seen. He nervously gulped. “Um…”

———

The next hour featured Harrison frantically searching the entire campground whilst trying to appear inconspicuous. He still failed to understand how the dummy managed to just come to life and then flee without making a sound. Let alone seemingly vanish immediately afterwards. There weren’t any footprints. Was it light enough to avoid leaving tracks in the ground? And he wasn’t sure if it could speak since it had no mouth. The magician could only hope its sentience was more akin to a newborn than… something more sinister.

Harrison really did not want to be responsible for creating a genocidal world-ending terminator dummy!

Finally, the boy glimpsed Quartermaster approaching the Mess Hall. “Quartermaster!” He caught the old man’s attention. “Have you seen a… a walking white dummy anywhere?” Harrison fervently questioned while panting.

Quartermaster blinked hard before slowly staring at a humming David nearby. “Found one.”

“… Not to say that David is dumb, but not that kind of dummy! The one from Magic Camp that I sawed in half!” The magician huffed, crossing his arms. “I was… practising-” Trying to supernaturally create a companion since he was peeved off at his actual friends. “-Bringing dummies to life. And when I turned around it was gone!” He quickly recapped, relieved that at least Quartermaster would get the magical aspect.

“… It didn’t immediately start begging for the sweet mercy of death?” The elder curiously asked.

“Um, no…?” It came out as more of a question. “It did not do anything really.” Quartermaster seemed to finally notice his distinct lack of top hat. Honestly, Harrison’s head felt kind of naked without his signature accessory.

Quartermaster squinted his eyes at him, making the magician squirm on the spot. “Did you want to fuck it?”

“What?! NO-” Harrison furiously protested.

“Good. They’re always too energetic.” Quartermaster sighed in disappointment.

“Did you see one or not?!” The magician maniacally pushed, eager to move on from that entire topic. Slowly, the old man shook his head with a shrug. “Okay, if you see one please let me know!” Harrison shouted, channeling his inner Preston. And he was gone before Quartermaster could cover his ears.

———

The boy practically ransacked the rest of the grounds before returning to the camps. So invested in his pursuit, Harrison failed to register Nerris’ encroaching presence. “Harrison!” She bubbly greeted, waving her hand.

“Nerris!” He yelped antecedent to regaining his composure. “Have you seen a dummy anymore?” The girl gained a mischievous glint in her eyes, which he swiftly put a stop to. Harrison held up his palm. “Before you say yes and then call me a dummy, have you seen an actual white plastic dummy?” He pled, chopping the air in between them to make his point.

“The good lady has seen naught I’m afraid. Why do you ask?” Nerris inquired in a farcical voice.

“I lost mine…” Harrison hesitantly admitted, averting his eyes.

Nerris cracked up laughing, tears spilling from her eyes as she cradled her ribs. He stared unimpressed and felt a timid urge to knock her hat off. “How do you lose a dummy? Did it stand up and walk away or something?” She mercilessly teased. Because Nerris was mean and sucked like that.

“It did!” Harrison insisted.

“You saw it leave?” Nerris dubiously pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“Um… no…” He bashfully unveiled, shoving his arms behind his back. “But, it’s not where I left it! And I was trying to bring it to life before that. So what else could it be?” The magician spelled out in turn.

“Well, maybe someone stole it!” Nerris confidently proclaimed, tilting her chin up. “Oh! Like the Sacred Dark Elves! They probably mistook it for one of us, thought it was paralyzed, and kidnapped it while we seemed weak!” She rambled, excitement shoving away scorn. “We must go on a quest to rescue the dummy!” Nerris suggested, grinning. Harrison was instantly about to respond with dejection - he did NOT consider her proposal for a second.

However, a shrill scream from Preston’s stage caught their shared attention.

It was promptly ignored. Preston screamed a commonly concerning amount of times per day considering his scripts and rehearsals. “Wait… I didn’t check the inside of Preston’s stage…” Harrison realized with a scowl. He’d tried to avoid going inside everyone’s camps since that definitely would’ve attracted far too much interest. And the magician had particularly stayed clear of the theatre kid’s vicinity. But… “I swear if that dummy likes Preston…” He grumbled.

If it did then Harrison would have created something worse than a genocidal world-ending terminator dummy: a permanent audience to Preston’s plays. The theatre kid would be insufferable. He’d never get another wink of sleep again!

Harrison started sprinting toward Preston’s stage, uncaring that an indignant Nerris followed right after.

Preston yelled again, terror clear in his tone. “He’s been practicing the same scene for ages…” The magician thought, sneakily prying the velvet curtains apart. Unfortunately, he had to immediately slap a pale hand over his mouth.

“Harrison!” Nerris piped up. And the boy anxiously shushed her, carefully curling the curtains further to show her why. “Merlin’s beard…” She whimpered.

The missing dummy had Preston raised high within its plastic claws. Despite its blank expression, the dummy blatantly reeked of murderous intent. Preston wiggled in its grip, face paper-white and icy blue. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. Around them, the boy’s props and scripts were haphazardly scattered about, as if he’d tried to flee before being dragged back.

“I AM BEING ATTACKED! HELP! HELP!” Preston screamed, scratching at the dummy’s arms to no avail. Before either Harrison or Nerris could hide, his eyes fixated on their forms. “HARRISON! NERRIS! HELP ME!”

“U-Um!” Harrison stammered, taking an instinctive step back as the dummy turned. “Preston, knock the top hat off!” He loudly guided, shakily pointing at the said item of clothing.

The theatre boy hastened to follow through before the dummy could prevent him. Could the dummy understand human speech? Moving on, Preston slapped the top hat off and it gently floated to the floor. It was in juxtaposition with Preston’s rough fall to the floor as the dummy went slack. He scrambled backwards away from the dummy’s prone form.

“Preston, how many points of damage did you incur?” Nerris fired off, crouching down to meet the boy’s eyes.

“Just look at the state of my production! Ruined! How do you think I am?!” Preston wailed, waving his arms around. He nearly hit Harrison’s face in the process. Basically, he was fine. Hopefully, the dummy was just messing with him before the actual choking started. “YOU!” The theatre boy suddenly yelled, pointing a finger in Harrison’s direction.

“What?!” The magician defended, holding up his hands.

“Why was that thing wearing your top hat?!” Preston accused, firmly planting his fists on his hips.

“Uh…” Harrison panicked, glancing from his friend to the dummy, searching for an explanation that would placate him. “Well-“ He started before a rattling interrupted him. Turning, the trio observed as the dummy hurled itself forward and contorted into a dog position. The sound of its plastic limbs slamming the wooden planks reverberated in the small space. Drawing its leg back, it yanked the top hat upwards to land on its head. It had no eyes, but it glowered at them like a hunter to its prey.

Harrison gulped.

“RETREAT!” Nerris shouted.

———

“Is that your missing dummy?!” She shouted in a frenzy as they ran into the forest’s depths. The dummy was hot on their heels. Snapping branches and torn leaves trailed them relentlessly.

“Yes!” Harrison yelled back, nearly tripping on a loose tree root in the ground.

“And why did it attempt to take my life?!” Preston screeched while jumping over a small ditch.

“I don’t know!” The magician defended himself. “I was just trying to create a magical friend to play cards with! Not some murderous friend-hunting dummy!” He carried on, fatigue weighed into his bones. Screw nature! Would it be worthwhile to burn the forest down if the dummy went with it? David would be sad. But, he’d probably be a lot worse if they died!

“You could have come to me! The person who you share a tent with!” Preston shot back in a similar state of exhaustion.

“I was angry at you!” Harrison heatedly replied. However, he inexplicably slowed when a sudden realization overcame him. “Oh no, what if my anger manifested in the dummy and that’s why it tried to kill you…” The magician blanched, nausea penetrating his mind.

“Don’t be stupid!” Nerris urged, grabbing his arm to pull him forward. “Your dumb party tricks can’t do that!”

“They’re not dumb!” Harrison’s face twisted.

Preston clapped his hands in front of them both. “I love the dramatic tension! But, we do not have the time for squabbling right now!” The theatre kid warned just as the dummy leaped from a bush like some kind of feral creature. The three campers screamed and returned to fleeing.

“Who has the highest dexterity? Maybe we can trap it somewhere?” Nerris suggested, out of breath as they crashed into a small valley.

“I don’t know how strong it is…” Harrison puffed beside her, leaning on his knees.

“If it had Herculean strength, I do not believe it would have taken so long to asphyxiate me.” Preston brought up, collapsing onto the grass. “… It’s after me?” He repeated in a small voice.

“Yeah uh, I think so…” Harrison awkwardly affirmed. “Sorry Preston…” He tried to apologize, guilt-wracking his features. “Um, what if I tried to burn it alive?” The magician suggested, lighting a small flame in his palm that flickered in the wind.

“Plastic takes too long to burn. Do you even have enough stamina to pull it off?” Nerris shook her head, fixing her elf ears. “We also don’t know if fire would stop it.” She added with a shiver. The image of a charred dummy still trying to fight them while on fire invaded his head, and Harrison couldn’t help but agree. Plus, it would probably set the forest on fire with them far too deep to escape. “What about stunning?”

“Um, I don’t know how to stun people…” Harrison sadly noted, staring at his hands in his lap.

“Lightning Lure isn’t a hard spell to do! And you only need to do it once! It’s just lightning shooting out from your hand!” Nerris rapidly instructed. The magician dwelled on the possibility. He might be able to do it if he concentrated enough.

Fortunate thing that he figured it out right then. Since the dummy bombarded the valley in the next second and barrelled toward them.

“If you’re going to stun it do it now!” Preston pushed, already running away.

“Okay, okay!” Harrison nodded, unfurling his fists as he stared at the approaching dummy. Lightning. Fast. Blinding. Crackling. Sparks. Lightning. Electricity. Fiery amber embers leaped from his fingers before popping a dazzling blue. “Come on…” He whispered as the dummy came closer and closer.

His stomach suddenly emptied itself as a massive ball of energy built. The energy shot through his spine and into his arms. Finally, Harrison could feel it flee from his body and a blinding light hogged his vision. Lightning. “I got it!” He victoriously shouted, a wide smile growing across his face.

And then the dummy swerved right… opposite of Harrison.

“Hey!” The magician protested, bending his head away from the unstable power in his hands. The dummy had changed direction to chase Preston around the valley. Harrison grimaced, trying to inch his way closer to the moving pair and stun the dummy. However, the boy found himself unable to direct the frenetic lightning in his body. “I can’t aim! Stay still!” He shouted over the crackling.

“You must be kidding me!” Preston whined as he ran in circles. A brief contemplative look flitted across his face before unwavering resolve took over. “If I die tell them my story!”

“Preston, what are you doing?” Nerris shouted, backing away as the theatre kid turned toward Harrison’s spot. Preston stopped a few feet in front of the magician before jumping and spreading his arms wide open. “Come and get me you dummy!”

Harrison realized what his friend planned when the dummy didn’t even hesitate.

It charged toward the boys.

Right before the dummy could wrap its outstretched hands around Preston’s neck, Harrison stumbled forward and grabbed its torso. Lightning coursed through plastic flesh. The dummy convulsed. The two boys rushed to add distance between themselves and their hunter. However, it was for naught as the dummy fell to the grass. Harrison’s top hat toppled away from its head.

A beat passed.

“Is it…?” Preston questioned.

“I think it’s just immobilized.” Harrison carefully answered, inspecting the dummy’s body. There was an occasional twitch here and there. But, for all intents and purposes, it was down. They were safe. He released a long breath and retrieved his remarkably undamaged top hat. “… Sorry again for causing my dummy to go after you, Preston. My anger… I overreacted…” Harrison frowned, arms behind his back.

“Apology accepted!” The theatre boy grinned before he too grimaced. “And… I am also sorry about this morning.” Preston shrugged to him and Nerris. “You know how I get about…” He wisely stopped talking as Harrison levied a glare against him. “Drama! I love drama! I am a dramatic person! Ha!” The three exchanged cheeky grins.

“So… Harrison!” Nerris alerted. “Do you want to try out the new expansion pack with me? I wanted to ask this morning… but ah…” She had an earnest look in her eyes. Weird, he didn’t feel like she was making fun of him for once. It was actually kind of-

“Oh…” Harrison paused. Well, it would be nice to have something to do other than attend Preston’s rehearsals. “Sure.” He nodded.

“Can I participate?” Preston pressed, leaning in.

“Yes! We might even be able to do a tournament now! I just have to ask Neil and maybe Erid…. Excelsior!” Nerris cheered, punching the air. Before the three began the trek back to camp, Nerris glanced back at the dummy. “What should we do about… it?” She pondered.

———

“Then I said I had an idea, which is why I came to you. So, that’s basically what happened.” Harrison summarized as he and Quartermaster stared at the stunned dummy. Night had long fallen with the stars illuminating the valley. Quartermaster had another bucket of pig blood with him.

“Using reanimated puppets for revenge… Why didn’t I think of that?” The old man hummed before throwing a shovel at him. “We need to bury it, boy.”

“Got it.” Harrison nodded, beginning to dig a dummy-sized hole as Quartermaster dipped his hook in the pig's blood. Honestly, the magician was surprised the dummy had been immobilized for hours. He knew lightning was intense. But, not that intense. Besides him, the old man kicked the dummy when it started to twitch. “How… conscience is it?” He hesitantly asked, inklings of doubt creeping in.

The dummy had attempted to murder his friend. However, Harrison didn’t know how to feel about burying a sentient being alive.

“Depends. How sentient did you make it?” Quartermaster blandly parried as he drew symbols on the dummy. Harrison looked away, returning to digging. He’d just wanted someone to play cards with. Why did it have to end up wanting to murder Preston? Either way, the magician supposed he’d just avoid playing with the world’s natural order. Harrison comforted himself with the fact that he never once imagined the dummy to have feelings. So, hopefully, it wasn’t really alive.

Hopefully.

Once he finished digging the hole, he returned to Quartermaster’s side and observed his work. “What are you writing?” The boy quizzed. “The symbols look like the one in his book…” Harrison privately noted.

“Something to make sure this fucker stays down.” The old man explained. A silence ensued where Harrison watched and Quartermaster drew. The boy shoved his arms behind his back as he built the courage to speak.

“Do you think you could show me how?” Harrison requested and observed him pause. He inwardly panicked, thinking he’d annoyed the older man. Yet Quartermaster simply murmured something unintelligible.

“You’re broadening your horizons… Good.” The old man nodded. “Keep watching.” And Harrison hurried to crouch down next to him.

Chapter Text

*Flashback* One year ago…

Harrison sat on his bed, fiddling with the top hat in his hands. Dull rays of light sneaked in through half-drawn curtains. Magic books and cheap plastic props were disorderly arranged around him. But the most prominent item was a calendar on the opposing wall. A messy red circle captured the current August date: Erich’s eighth birthday.

It’s been a few weeks since his brother disappeared.

It’s been a few weeks since Harrison ruined everything.

He glanced to the side, seeing what remained of his letter to Erich. The battered shreds taunted him with his failure. And a cold feeling cascaded over his being. Harrison didn’t know what to think. Even after he’d painstakingly mended the letter with tape there’d been no response from Erich. Either his brother didn’t have anything to write with wherever he was or he hadn’t seen it at all. Neither was particularly comforting.

The boy’s stomach grumbled. Although, Harrison had grown used to hunger pains by that point. “I should get something to eat…” He distantly noted before debating leaving his room. Perhaps he should create a private snack supply? After all, Harrison didn’t want to upset his parents anymore.

Quiet as a mouse, he crept through the hallway and downstairs to the kitchen. Harrison suppressed a flinch while passing his parents’ room. He could clearly hear his Mother’s broken sobs and his Father’s soft attempts to soothe her through the wooden door. The boy felt a lingering urge to join and try to help. Yet Harrison had already apologized so much in the past month alone that his gesture would be lost in the masses.

Reaching the kitchen, he paused at the living room’s entrance. Those days, Harrison started his mornings by attempting to bring Erich back… and failing. However, he glanced at the ceiling towards his parents’ cries. It probably wouldn’t do any good to talk about magic right then.

“Oh… we’re out of milk again.” Harrison frowned upon opening the fridge. He shrugged and silently prepared a ham sandwich for himself, taking a seat at the desolate counter. If Erich were present, their Mother would’ve made them waffles with whipped cream for breakfast.

It should have been a joyous day.

Instead, they’d all just have to bear the next twenty-four hours with a child-sized shadow looming over them. Harrison lowered his head, shame spoiling his appetite. He swallowed. But, the boy tasted ash. “I’m sorry, Erich…” Harrison mumbled to the empty abode.

It would be a hard day.

Harrison’s voice cracked. “Happy eighth birthday…”

*Flashback End*

———

“Erich would be nine today.” The magician recalled, sitting on Nerris’ tower with her and Preston. They were all cross-legged with gaudy cards in their hands. Although Harrison would rather die than concede actually thinking the cards’ designs were kind of cool. Ridges on Nerris’ tower provided an oasis from the unusually powerful gusts.

Two weeks had gone by ever since the aptly named “dummy incident”.

In that period, Harrison had settled into a makeshift routine. Awaken before sunrise for magic practice, return to the tent before Preston gets up, force down an ideally non-mouldy breakfast, and react to the next inexplicable adventure by Max’s posse. Afterwards, they’d join Nerris for a few rounds of her card game before going their separate ways.

Nerris scrutinized her hand as if the cards had personally slighted her. “I summon an Undead Pirate Captain!” She eventually decided, tapping some cards for mana while placing said attacker on the frontlines. A haunting skeleton dressed in a tattered red coat glowered at them. “And, I cast Death’s Touch, which means I can kill any one of your attackers! Huzzah!”

Harrison could sense her target choice and groaned. “Oh, come on! I just summoned-“

“I kill Harrison’s Withering Mammoth,” Nerris smirked like the little gremlin she was. With an eye-roll, Harrison moved the slain card into his graveyard.

Surprisingly, there was more than one benefit to playing Nerris’ game. The fantastical illustrations and game mechanics provided him with inspiration for his own tricks. Hence, when night fell and Harrison joined Quartermaster’s escapades, he’d use the opportunity to try out new techniques. In fact, the magician had utilized Withering Mammoth’s portrait of a mammoth being strangled by vines as fuel to trip a squirrel the night before. Quartermaster thought it was funny at least. The squirrel… Harrison went to bed with one eye open.

“Moving onto my attack phase. Hmm…” The girl considered, leaning against her shoulder. “Harrison take five damage from my Undead Pirate Captain and Unholy Sacrifice. Preston take three from my Murder of Crows.”

It was also fun to play… admittedly. At least he could distract himself from Erich’s birthday for a while.

“I can’t block any damage without killing at least one of my cards…” Harrison bitterly surrendered, accepting the damage. He’d get her back on his turn.

“Using two mana, I call forth Sacred Priestess.” Preston casually motioned, clearly not overthinking the game. “Skipping attack phase. I gain three health.” His face lit up with a smirk.

“That’s such a broken card…” Nerris complained as she tallied their health changes. The winner was declared when their opponents’ health fell to zero. And they normally launched with twenty each.

“These are your broken cards.” Harrison pointed out with a mocking twinkle in his eyes.

“Shut up, Harrison.” The girl halfheartedly replied as his turn spun around. He retrieved another card from his deck. There was a maximum number of seven cards one could hold and that would be his eighth though. Harrison bit his lip, pondering which one to discard. However, his eyes momentarily widened when he processed the image on his new card.

It was a vampire stealing a Mother’s newborn child from her arms.

There went trying to distract himself. The image of a certain broken family appeared in his mind. Harrison’s face grew sombre, posture slouching. And he didn’t think twice before removing the image from his hand. “I attack Nerris with everything…” The magician unenthusiastically stated, tapping his attackers. A pregnant pause followed his words, causing him to look up. “Is there… something on my face?” Harrison quizzically asked.

“You’ve been acting weird. Weirder than usual.” Nerris set down her cards to warily peer at him.

“I concur!” Preston concurred. “You slept in this morning.” Okay, it’s a genuine miracle Harrison hadn’t done that yet considering his hidden activities. “You didn’t chastise me when I charitably fetched you for breakfast.” The magician had been too downtrodden to muster the energy. “You barely touched your breakfast!” His appetite had been practically non-existent. But, it was mercy killed when he’d seen something moving in his eggs!

“And you haven’t called Arcane: The Meeting dumb once today! I would say you finally gained some semblance of wisdom and acknowledged its brilliance. But, you’re not smart enough for that.” Nerris snidely concluded.

“Really?” Harrison deadpanned at his friends’ expectant looks. Yet he only held the expression momentarily before wilting. “Was it that obvious?” Nerris and Preston nodded as one. “It’s just…” The magician scrambled for an excuse close enough to the truth that didn’t outright exclaim his guilt. “It is my brother’s birthday today… and I miss him is all.”

“Ohhhh!” Preston gaped, comprehension dawning. “Erich, right?”

“Mhm… He turned nine.” Harrison reticently nodded.

“I didn’t know you had a brother!” Nerris shouted, eyes popping. “Wait, is he like a mini-you?” She wrinkled her nose, clearly finding the thought disgusting. Harrison felt the shadow of a smile return to him as he answered.

“He was my assistant for all of my shows! The best assistant.” The magician proudly bragged.

“Ew.” Nerris mimed a gagging motion. “Can’t you just hocus-pocus yourself back home for an hour?” She lowly asked. “You can give him one of my spare decks. So, he can grow up as a respectable wizard and not some random street performer…” 

“It does not work like that! And he wouldn’t like your dumb game, Nerris!” Harrison impulsively parried.

“WELL, I am completely confident that even without you, Erich’s having an amazing birthday!” Preston inserted himself back into the conversation. “Take him to the newest theatre production when you get back! That would make up for it!” He then suggested with a finger gun gesture. “When I was little, my Gram Gram would take me to the theatre for my birthdays!”

Nerris took over with a sigh. “What you should do is bring him on a quest! Elder One and I embark on an annual pilgrimage for my birthdays! We are charged with gathering the sacred items from all around town to challenge the dragon’s den!” She proceeded to describe said dragon’s den, which suspiciously resembled a dragon-shaped fruit cake.

Harrison listened to his friends and made a non-committal hum.

His tenth birthday hadn’t been anything memorable. In fact, it hadn’t been anything at all. Harrison’s family had understandably glossed over the occasion in lieu of Erich’s disappearance. He couldn’t blame them. But, if the magician had snuck out a strawberry cupcake from the fridge then that was his business and his alone. Although…

Harrison wasn’t stupid.

He knew his parents were afraid when they saw him. Initially, the boy assumed they were still furious at him for causing Erich’s accident. That presumption turned into overwhelming grief for a while. And suddenly one day, Harrison wandered into the kitchen and they jumped. They gasped and stuttered in his presence. Their eyes were wider than the moon above. Their faces paler. They became ghosts in their own home. Somehow, Harrison saw his parents even less each day.

He recognized their fear. Because the magician had felt the very same debilitating terror when he realized Erich wasn’t coming back soon.

Harrison knew when his parents spotted him, they couldn’t help but think about Erich. They couldn’t help but see him as the reason their other son was gone. They couldn’t help the fear that crawled up their spines and whispered that Erich wasn’t ever coming home. Fear was irrational like that. He couldn’t blame them.

Besides, Harrison knew his parents still loved him. Deep down, below all that distress. He just had to bring Erich home and lift away that foggy fear.

And everything would be alright again. It had to. It just had to.

———

At least Quartermaster seemed unable to tell something was amiss with Harrison. He actually couldn’t get an accurate read on their stoic custodian. The boy met up with him normally as if nothing atypical was occurring. After exchanging curt pleasantries, they began hiking through the forests.

“Where are we heading tonight?” Harrison dryly asked, carrying the strange book - grimoire, Quartermaster corrected him - in his hands.

“Cliffs.” The old man shortly responded with that day’s leftovers in a rusty bucket. There was an additional rope attached to a hook on his belt and a bottle of whiskey strapped to his back.

“Got it.” Harrison nodded as his mind turned the information over. “The wind’s been getting weirdly stronger for the last week even though it’s August. And all the birds have been hopping around instead of flying…” Quartermaster had gone over Camp Campbell’s different deities and abominations over the weeks. As well as their corresponding warning signs and warding procedures. It was a lot - about fifteen! And that was just during the Summer. But, Harrison was starting to get the gist of it if he did say so himself. “The rancher’s crow escaped…?”

“Feathery fucker can’t control their damn…” Quartermaster’s speech dissolved into angry mutterings. That was one of the few rare habits Harrison managed to glean about him. He would mutter intelligibly when he became annoyed.

“Mhm…” The magician bopped his head. “Wait, so are those the paralyzing parasites?” He gestured toward Quartermaster’s bucket.

“What else would it be, boy?” The elder scoffed.

According to Quartermaster, there was another dimension composed entirely of colossal birds. Intelligent beings were scarce amongst the avian populace, yet they operated sprawling ranches to corral the feral creatures. One of these ranchers in particular had an abyssmal reputation for losing crows which fled to the camp’s mountain caves and wrecked havoc.

The crows’ sizes challenged that of a whale. So, there was only one cave large enough to accommodate its living needs. Tracking the convict crow was thus an extremely straightforward task. Especially since its large wings affected the winds and feathery fellows around Camp Campbell.

“We’ll trick the crow to eat the paralyzing parasites so we can catch it. But, the parasites can only be harvested by heating up their host eggs and forcing them out.” Harrison recalled from the grimoire’s text. His mind traced back to their scrambled egg breakfast… which had something moving inside. “Did you use the parasites’ eggs for breakfast?!” He exclaimed as a nauseating green splashed across his face,

“Yes.” Quartermaster shrugged.

Hopefully, the parasites were slow-acting in humans and the paralysis could be dealt with at night. He was decently sure a parasite had been in Preston’s eggs. Poor Preston…

———

The cave’s entrance was massive. A nuke could have blown off a side of the mountain and Harrison wouldn’t even be surprised. “Ow.” He mumbled after knocking into Quartermaster’s back. The elder had halted without warning. 

Ever so carefully, Quartermaster tilted his body to peak into the cave. “Coast is clear.” He deadpanned before continuing as usual. Harrison forced himself to calmly exhale before following. Inside the cave were a myriad of nests built with tree trunks and mud. The smell of rotting meat permeated the air, causing him to instinctively cover his nostrils with his sleeve.

“This place stinks.” Harrison huffed after carefully wrapping a coloured scarf around his face.

“That would be the squirrels.” Quartermaster toned beside him, completely unaffected by the putrid aura.

“What squirrels?” The magician questioned. At that moment, a semi-decomposed squirrel corpse plummeted in front of them. “Oh.” Harrison flinched, staring upwards to find the ledges doused with the slain bodies of various animals.

Quartermaster mercilessly kicked the squirrel away. “Deserved.” He grumbled.

“So, how are we going to get the crow to eat the parasites?” Harrison unsurely asked, leaning in to study the frenetic spawn. They were an unsightly translucent purple, lacking legs, but using a singular extendable mandible to move.

Without answering, Quartermaster unceremoniously dumped the whiskey into the bucket. The two watched as the parasites absorbed the drug into their bodies. “Stops the bitch from fighting back much.” He gruffly explained before carefully pulling apart the nearest nest. Stepping forward, Harrison saw numerous milky-white eggs resting in the structure. The eggs were as tall as him and he resisted the urge to poke one. 

Quartermaster proceeded to shake a few parasites onto the eggs’ shells, which silently burrowed through the top. “Get the other nests open.”

Doing as instructed, Harrison shivered at the quivering eggs. “The crow’s going to eat the parasites so her eggs don’t get infected.” He guessed, a tinge of guilt nibbling at his conscience. However, the magician stared at the river of full-grown trees around him. “It would suck if they destroyed the entire forest though…”

Once they were finished they started building a hiding place for when the crow returned. Quartermaster dragged the largest of trunks from the nests while Harrison struggled to levitate them. He’d learned to make things float a few days ago. Yet pulling objects through the pungent air was a different story entirely. Eventually, they piled enough muddy trunks together to blend in beside one of the nests.

“When will the crow get back?” Harrison asked as Quartermaster inspected their shoddy crawlspace.

A strong wind nearly knocked his top hat off immediately afterwards. “Now?” He flatly surmised.

“Now,” Quartermaster affirmed, shoving him into the crawlspace. Harrison held his breath as the light diminished. An inky black cloud took its stead, enshrouding the cave in utter darkness. Warbled chirps accompanied the heavy flapping of feathered wings. Squinting his eyes, Harrison outlined the crow’s shape. Beady amber eyes glistened like fire in the dark.

The crow perched over one of the ledges, raising its throat to regurgitate its mangled prey. Saliva landed near their crawlspace, and he watched in muted horror as it dissolved part of the stone floor. “Acid,” Harrison told himself.

Remarkably, the crow’s only strange aspect was its size. Its legs were wider than the trees it used for nesting. Every step constantly reverberated like a heartbeat in his ears. It chirped again and leaned its head forward into a nest. Evidently, it noticed the parasites as it screeched and reared its head back. Harrison assumed the crow would carefully remove the parasites from its spawn.

Instead, the crow arched downwards, using its beak to pierce the eggs’ shells. A shrill squeak erupted but it was swiftly drowned out by the crow’s flapping. Still, Harrison slammed his palms against his ears.

At a leisurely pace, the crow’s beak lifted to reveal another ebony mass within its grasp.

Without hesitation, it swallowed the contents whole. The magician failed to disguise his gasp. He would’ve startled a trunk and revealed their location had Quartermaster not smacked his head. “That’s their egg… They just ate their own baby!” Harrison mouthed, stunned. The old man silently nodded.

The crows were cannibalistic?!

———

They watched as the crow meticulously consumed each and every egg in the cave. As the seconds passed, Harrison faintly observed how the creature’s movements strained. The parasites and whiskey seemed to be working as planned. After it swallowed the final egg, Quartermaster tapped his head and motioned toward the exit.

Following him, the old man removed his rope and hook. Meanwhile, Harrison kept his attention vigilant on the crow. It hopped around the cave in a daze, drawling its chirps. Suddenly, Quartermaster twirled and threw the hook through the air to dislodge the crow’s neck.

“DIE BITCH!” He howled as the crow screeched, wings thrusting forward. Commanding winds slammed into them but they managed to maintain their footing. “BURN THE BIRD, BOY!” Quartermaster ordered, using both arms to grasp the rope. Somehow, he had the strength to hold the crow down.

“O-Okay!” Harrison stammered, drawing upon his inner flames. He rushed forward, narrowly ducking as Quartermaster’s rope was pulled downwards by the crow’s movements. Once he reached closer proximity, the magician raised his hands and released a raging blaze upon the beast. Harrison felt the pulsing heat on his arms and quickly backed away as the crow was lit aflame.

Its screeches climbed to a zenith as stray embers were caught on the nests. Soon, the foreboding shadows had been switched with an unyielding brightness. Harrison squeezed his eyes tight as he was blinded.

But it ended as soon as it had started. The main fire extinguished itself as the crow’s charred corpse collapsed to the ground. The nests crumbled into smouldering ashes. Natural sunlight flooded the cave as Harrison hesitantly opened his eyes. “Is it over…?”

“Not yet.” Quartermaster shook his head and climbed onto the crow’s beak. In one fell motion, he stabbed his bare hands into the bird’s left eyeball. Harrison opened his mouth and then closed it, stepping back.

Should Harrison be concerned that he was barely fazed by Quartermaster’s actions anymore?

As he let the elder work, the boy stared at the crisp shells amongst the nests’ ashes. “I can’t believe she ate her own babies…” Harrison woefully commented.

“Can’t blame the bitch.” Quartermaster replied from the crow’s beak. He seemed to be using his hook to carve a set of symbols into the sclera. The magician would ask about it later. “Family sucks. Last time I saw the one who gave birth to me was when we tried to kill each other. I left that meeting without my eye.” The old man casually reminisced.

“Do you think anything not sucks?” Harrison asked in exasperation.

“… Nothing you need to know, boy,” Quartermaster answered after a pause.

Crossing his arms, the magician turned back to the shells. “Family shouldn’t hurt each other.” He thought. “I’d never hurt Erich or Mom or Dad… on purpose at least,” Harrison despised how he had to add, unable to stop the image of Erich from invading his mind.

Unfortunately, another, minuscule part of his mind was cruel. So, very, cruel. Memories stained by sin and stashed in the furthest crevices of his mind were pulled to the forefront. “Oh God, please no!” His Father had begged during Parents’ Day, clutching his Mother as if his life depended on it. Fear had dominated his once warm eyes. “Stay back!” His Mother had hissed during the six-month mark after Erich’s incident. Paranoia paraded itself around her body. 

But, it had been worry they’d been submerged in. It was impossible for it to be anything else!

“Why did they look afraid of being hurt then?” Logic betrayed him. No matter how hard the boy tried to pull away, it made him recall a time when their family visited the zoo. Harrison’s Mother had to hold his Father’s hand through the entire insect section. His Father was positively petrified of spiders… He looked at his son the same way he’d flinched away from those ghoulish arachnids.

“Dad and Mom didn’t think I was going to hurt them… right?” Harrison questioned, face pale.

The boy’s chest ached. His vision spun. Senses dulled. His heart ached just from thinking about it. Because of course, his parents hadn’t been scared of him! They knew Harrison! They knew he cared about their family! They knew he wouldn’t ever purposefully hurt them, especially after Erich!

Harrison wasn’t given time to ruminate on this newfound fear. “Boy!” Quartermaster shouted.

“Y-Yeah?” The magician stuttered, speed walking over. The elder had finished carving the symbols into the eyeball and had his hook held out.

“Invoke the incantation.” The old man deadpanned.

“Got it…” Harrison quietly responded, brain split from the task at hand and his earlier fear. He grabbed the hook. And nearly dropped the grimoire as he curled through the pages. Quartermaster had begun to stop leaving bookmarks for him. So, Harrison flipped to the crow’s chapter itself and read the Latin.

A flash of light followed his recital and they were gone.

———

Teleporting between dimensions was strange. It was as if one’s senses dispersed for a single moment and incessant buzzing filled the mind. Yet it only took a blink for the lustre to vanish from Harrison’s vision. And when he studied his surroundings, he was slightly whelmed to find they were completely different.

They’d been transported to the crow’s home dimension. It resembled the earth in many aspects with a yellow sun and clear blue skies. But then it differed in various others. For one, the ground was made of a flat seed collage ranging from farm crops to garden flowers. The trees were as tall as skyscrapers. And it appeared that there were only plants and birds in that world. Harrison was vaguely reminded of an old animal cartoon he used to watch.

Awaiting them had been the fidgety rancher, who resembled a humanoid chicken in overalls. He nervously greeted Quartermaster with a mixture of clucks and excuses. However, Harrison had withdrawn into himself for the entire conversation, allowing Quartermaster to do all the talking.

“Huh?” The boy stumbled when the rancher abruptly sent them back. However, the old man had already pivoted back towards the crow’s body. “What are you doing?”

“Getting breakfast.” Was Quartermaster’s charred response as he cut into the avian with a knife.

“Oh…” Harrison sweatdropped, shoving his arms behind his back. He got bored of standing around though, and thus found a large boulder to pop his own knife out of. The boy used to watch his Mother prepare Thanksgiving dinner. How hard could it be?

While cutting, his mind inevitably travelled back to his earlier debacle. “This is stupid… They’re not afraid of me! They’re not!” Harrison mentally insisted. He hung onto that belief like a lifeline in a bottomless sea of restless doubts. Otherwise, the boy was sure he’d drown. “I miss you, Erich… I wish I could talk to you right now…” Harrison went, closing his eyes.

A sharp pain erupted across his hand and he hissed.

Flashing his eyes open, Harrison found a thin line of red spreading across his hand. “Ow!” He yelped, pulling a dark green scarf from his hat to use as a bandage.

“Careful, boy.” Quartermaster passively reminded. And away from his control, Harrison felt something in him flare.

“It was an accident!” He irately yelled as a stream of flames leapt from his palm into stone. The boy blanched, earlier fire vanishing in an instant. “Sorry, that was-that was dumb…” He felt a deep blush coat his cheeks. Quartermaster stared. And stared. “I’m having a bad day…” Harrison awkwardly defended.

“Every day is a bad day.” The old man countered.

Harrison deigned not to respond immediately to that. He wanted to try and half-lie his way through the hour. But, recalled that Quartermaster did know about Erich because of the Octopus. ”It’s my brother’s birthday… and I still can’t bring him back…” The magician confessed.

“Mhm…” Quartermaster blandly retorted, causing him to groan.

“You wouldn’t get it.” Harrison bitterly glared. “You would probably make your family disappear on purpose if you think they suck.” He accused despite knowing that angering his pseudo-mentor was not a good idea. Unfortunately, his emotions were really pushing his limits that day.

“I will. I mean, I’ll mutilate them first but that works too.” The elder admitted without any hesitation whatsoever. He continued before Harrison could justifiably interrupt. “You made him disappear?”

The magician harshly gulped. “I didn’t mean to! It was supposed to be a fun trick!”

“Mhm…” The old man hummed. “… You… could’ve killed him.” He pointed out. “Newbies have shit control of the arcane. You can fix your mistake. Focus on that and fuck everything else, boy.” Quartermaster wistfully advised, finally returning to the crow. And Harrison found himself unable to respond to the man’s words. “NOW GET BACK TO CUTTING.”

They finished slicing away sections of the crow in silence.

As they walked back - crow meat piled high on Quartermaster’s back - Harrison’s mind was freaked. It was as if the past few weeks were registering all at once. The separate spells and abilities he’d learned. Deeper insights into the nature of magic and the world around him. His head felt as though several pounds of gold had been dropped whilst simultaneously feeling lighter than a feather.

After reflecting on everything, it had been a good, no, an amazing idea to approach Quartermaster that day.

He had to say something.

“Hey, Quartermaster…” The magician shyly started, shoving his arms behind his back.

“What do you want, boy?” The old man sardonically retorted.

“… Thanks.” He tried, showing a small smile. There was no reply to his attempt at gratitude. But, Harrison hoped Quartermaster understood what he was trying to say with one little word anyway.

Chapter Text

*Flashback* One year ago…

“Are you ready, Erich?” Harrison asked, stepping into his brother’s room. He was already dressed in the magician’s apparel he’d received for his birthday a few weeks prior. The boy’s brother on the other hand… “What did you do to your tie?!” The velvet-red ribbon appeared to be strangling the younger boy.

Erich sheepishly shuffled his feet. “Um… Can you help me, Harry?”

“The Amazing Harrison can do anything! Of course, I can!” Harrison boasted, inspecting the tie. He jumped back and wiggled his fingers. “Abracadabra!” The magician playfully cast. Both boys watched as the ribbon came alive and spun into a textbook bowtie with a small flourish. “Tada!” Harrison triumphantly declared as Erich gawked. He’d only seen television magicians summon clothing onto their persons once. But, Harrison had obviously mastered the trick on his first go!

“That’s so cool! When can I do magic like you too, Harry?” Erich babbled as they started downstairs where their parents were waiting.

The magician paused with a contemplative face. It had been odd. His brother still could only do tricks using the magic books they owned. The boy had yet to perform any with his own power. “It will be any day now!” Harrison encouraged him nonetheless as being the responsible older brother he was. “I think…”

“I cannot wait!” The younger boy beamed as they reached the ground floor.

After pulling their parents to the living room, the two brothers exchanged a rousing grin. 

Harrison dimmed the lights.

*Flashback End*

———

“I found another rusty nail.” Harrison droned as they dug through the soil. He - along with everyone else - had forgotten Archaeology Camp was scheduled that day. Hence, rather than hanging out with Preston like they’d planned. The magician was knee-dump in a large pit they’d manually dug searching for whatever stuck out.

Gwen didn’t look up from her magazine, sitting beside the pit on a lawn chair. “Nice. Just throw it with the other nineteen.” She flippantly remarked.

Nearby, Max indifferently kicked some dirt around with a scowl. However, a gravel geyser exploded in his face as Nikki burrowed through the ground like some feral gopher. “Fuck this.” The other boy growled, shaking the rocks off.

On the other end of the spectrum. “This is great, Max!” Nikki merrily shouted. The girl raised her hands high to reveal an array of squirming worms, beetles, and other creepy crawlies. Harrison felt the hairs on his arms stand up in alarm and hurried away.

Max’s eye twitched. He stared at his muddy sneakers. “Hey Nikki, look what I found.” He said with faux cheer.

“What?” The green-haired girl innocently inquired.

“It’s your sanity.” Max deadpanned before sauntering towards Neil. The science camper seemed to be enjoying the activity - that fact dumbfounded absolutely no one. “Have you found anything actually worth our time?” Max grilled. “A lady’s shitty jewelry, a dinosaur bone, other boring stuff some dumb fucker with too much money will buy.”

Neil was using a magnifying glass to examine a tan stone. “Actually, I believe I’ve discovered a coprolite - fossilized feces.”

“Like, from a dinosaur that we can sell?” Max visibly perked up. “We can make decent dough off of that.”

“That would be true… except this exact specimen appears to be from a few decades ago. Furthermore, it originates from a dog species.” Neil frowned. “Still, it’s quite the fascinating-“ The boy attempted to explain before being interrupted.

“-Then I don’t care.” Max reverted back to his usual uncaring self. Harrison proceeded to tune the conversation out, having thrown his rusty find in with the rest of the junk they managed to uncover. David had set up the pit far from the camp’s daily theatrics. So, surrounded by undisturbed fauna and rocks, they’d been hoping to find something better than nails and aged cigarettes.

“Keep looking campers! Archaeology is not a task for the impatient!” David encouraged in high spirits… and also wearing a cowboy hat.

“How much longer must we stay here in this CLODHOPPING environment?” Preston complained, having dug one hole before calling it quits. Harrison silently nodded behind him, supporting his friend.

David just patted him on the shoulder. “Why, I don’t know what ‘clodhopping’ means. But, I will assume it means fun and delightful! In which case, we only have fifteen minutes left before we have to head back to camp!” The counsellor brightly stated.

Harrison side-eyed his friend before shrugging. They both returned to putting in the minimal amount of effort to look busy while doing nothing in real time. After a couple of minutes, the magician heard a clang and turned. “Did you hit something?” He curiously piqued Preston.

“I believe so!” The theatre kid loudly proclaimed, heaving his shovel backwards. Together, the two boys worked to unearth his discovery. Harrison admittedly did most of the digging - Preston uttered a random excuse along the lines of having a fragile constitution - yet they collaborated to drag his treasure to the surface. “This is definitely better than a rusty nail.” Harrison grinned.

It was a pristine marble statue of a Roman warrior.

“Holy shit…” Max gaped as the other campers surrounded them. “That looks ancient!”

“See! Look how being patient can be rewarding! Good job, campers!” David congratulated.

“Maybe we can finally afford medium-par plumbing,” Gwen muttered under her breath, unheard by the galvanized campers. “Wait, how are we going to get this thing all the way back to camp?” She realistically pointed out.

Harrison’s mind instantly jumped to his levitation ability. But, he was stalled from bringing up said ability upon spotting a familiar set of symbols carved into the statue’s back. “Those look like the same ones Quartermaster used on the dummy…” The magician suspiciously noted. After a beat, he decided to ask the old man once they returned to camp. Unfortunately, a large hand was shoved in front of his face, causing him to jump.

“Nurf! Please do not hurt me!” Harrison pleaded. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the other campers were carrying the statue back like a funeral casket.

“Wow. I wasn’t going to punch you just because I can.” The bully judgementally grumbled, crossing his arms. “I just wanted to ask why you were staring off into nothing like a decent person would. Shame on you for jumping to conclusions.”

“Oh… uh…” Harrison stammered.

“Since clearly acting differently is fruitless against the preconceived notions of my character, I have no choice but to continue this cycle of violence and punch you in the face.” Nurf sighed, drawing back his arm as if… resigned?!

“Wait what-“ Nurf proceeded to punch him in the face.

———

Nursing a black eye, Harrison stumbled into the Mess Hall’s kitchen where he knew Quartermaster would be. The old man spared him a glance before returning to a boiling pot of potato soup. Wordlessly, Quartermaster slid him a glass of water.  “… Thanks, Quartermaster.” Harrison numbly nodded, freezing the water to use as an ice pack. He signed in relief as he felt the chilling sensation.

It was strange. Things had changed between them ever since Erich’s birthday. As if an invisible curtain had been lifted without either noticing.

“We found a statue during Archaeology Camp.” The magician cordially started. “It was a person. Wearing clothes.” He quickly added before Quartermaster could ask otherwise on both accounts.

“Sounds boring.” The old man followed within expectations.

“Mostly.” Harrison agreed. “There was something freaky about the statue. It had a similar string of symbols to the ones you painted on that dummy a couple of weeks ago…” The boy continued before his voice slowly trailed off. Quartermaster had stiffened. “Um… Quartermaster?” He prodded. The old man’s eyes were glazed as if reliving a particularly annoying memory. “Your soup is going to spill…” Harrison tried to grab his attention. 

Gradually, the fog lifted. “The shifter has arisen once more.” The elder cryptically went, allowing his soup to drip onto his foot.

“Uh, who is the shifter?” The magician questioned, shoving his arms behind his back. He’d long read the grimoire front to back and upside down and had never once seen a shifter be mentioned.

In lieu of answering, Quartermaster put his hook out to silence him. “SHHH! It could be listening as we speak, boy.” He narrowed his eyes at the walls. “I’M GONNA GET YOU! YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME!” The old man shouted as his soup puddled on the floor.

“Does that not defeat the point of being quiet?” Harrison purposefully noted… and was ignored.

Quartermaster dumped his soup down the drain. In turn, the sink began to bubble and shake. The boy eyed it with caution. “We shall convene in the Thinking Cave.” Quartermaster proceeded to walk out. Harrison spared a glance at the abandoned kitchen. The sink trembled and miraculously, a rude burp erupted from the faulty pipes. He didn’t need to be told twice before tagging behind Quartermaster.

———

Oddly, the old man led them down a separate trail into the forests instead of their usual path. “Away from prying eyes.” As Quartermaster put it. When they arrived at the cave, he stilled at the wall’s scarlet warning: DANGER DEMON CAVE. “That’s accurate now.” He panned.

“What?!” Harrison cried out, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. “I thought you took care of it?”

“I did. And now it has been undone.” Quartermaster sighed as they entered the familiar room.

There have been substantial changes to the Thinking Cave ever since Astronomy Camp. All of the elder’s knickknacks had been rearranged by colour. Apparently, it had to do with luck and the constellations. Harrison honestly thought it sounded like one of his Mother’s paranoid spiels. But, he would’ve said that about most of Quartermaster’s ramblings before seeing the proof firsthand. If anything, the magician might start the habit himself once he came home.

“So, can you tell me what the shifter is now?” Harrison quizzed, taking a seat on an oblique wooden chair. He’d got to have his own chair after the third visit.

“This used to be its turf,” Quartermaster informed.

The magician gave him a flat look. “I gathered that from the demon cave.”

The old man was quiet for a while, choosing to peruse his shelves. “When the shifter is nigh, the devil doth cry…” He pensively spoke in riddles. An array of lurid bottles stood at his front, each filled with different yet equally alluring substances. “… It’s the most dangerous bitch in this forest, boy.” He finally described, back still turned to him. Harrison suddenly shivered, rubbing his arms for warmth. “You kids know what shapeshifters are from your TV. The shifter is worse.” Quartermaster gravely continued. “Any person, creature, idea, it can become. Fucking freak claws into your mind and searches for the right form to take for you.”

“When you say anything-“ The magician pushed, mind flashing to every single eldritch being they’d encountered that month.

“Anything.” The elder confirmed, picking up two sky-blue plastic bottles from the shelf. “Holy water. It’s the only thing that can force the shifter’s ass to stay still. Need to slap the curse on it again.” He hissed slightly as set them on the table. Harrison wanted to ask where he got holy water from before deciding against it.

Quartermaster probably stole it from a church.

The old man yanked another sickly-green glass bottle from the shelf. “Here’s the fun part!” He declared, voice brightening to a concerning degree. The magician carefully read the faded label and blanched.

“That is poison!” Harrison shouted in alarm, shooting up. “What do you need poison for?!”

“Dinner.” Quartermaster shrugged, sniffing the top of the bottle. Dinner? But, how would poison at dinner help them trap the shifter? Actually, Harrison never recalled an evening where the elder ate with the rest of camp. Wait…

“You are going to poison the camp?!” He incredulously realized. “How does that help?!”

“When the shifter takes a form, it inherits all its fucking weaknesses too. If that bitch turns into one of you kids, it can be poisoned. Won’t kill it, but it will fall asleep.” The old man casually explained as if discussing his normal dinner plans. “Easier to cut into flesh than a rock too.” He added as if that made it any better.

“You cannot just poison everyone!” Harrison protested.

“Yes, I can. I said I would betray you all one day.” Quartermaster shrugged again.

“How do you even know the shifter is moving again? It was still a statue when I last saw it!” The magician accused, hands clenched firm at his sides. Not only did he not want his only friends to die from poison. Harrison was rather partial to not being arrested as a poisoner’s accomplice.

“When you set a curse, make sure you know when it gets broken, boy!” The old man yelled back. Plus, marble wasn’t exactly difficult to damage. A single scratch or crack from the campers to the symbols and it would break.

“O-Okay, but-can you not put everyone to sleep instead of poison?” Harrison hopefully suggested, shoving his arms behind his back.

“Then I can’t tell the bitch apart from you regular kids.” Quartermaster shook his head. 

The magician grimaced, eyes meeting the floor. “What about…”

———

Harrison fidgeted as they stood in line for dinner. Remaining calm was impossible with knowledge of their current predicament. Yet, the shifter could be anywhere and anything. “As long as everything goes to plan…” He reminded himself, shifting to avoid grazing Preston’s back. According to Quartermaster, it was only able to read minds when in physical contact. So, the boy tried his best to avoid such contact with the other campers.

“Potato soup.” Quartermaster delivered, carelessly dumping the piss-coloured slop into his tray.

“Thanks…” Harrison grumbled, subtly meeting the elder’s eyes. Departing, he was surprised that the soup smelled decent. The old man’s food was tasteless on good days and plain inedible on worst.

“HARRISON! HELLO!” Preston shouted as he sat down.

The magician nearly spilled his soup at the volume. “Hey, Preston.” He grinned, half-deaf. Looking around, Harrison saw everyone eagerly chowing down Quartermaster’s soup. “Is poison that addicting…?” The boy pondered.

“How’s your eye doing?” Preston queried with a slurp.

Harrison mindlessly stirred his soup. “Oh, better. I got some ice for it.” He proceeded to touch the ghoulish skin under his eye. It had started to swell around the socket. But, the overall pain was barely noticeable. Barely. In any case, it could have been worse. From experience, Harrison’s bullies at home had given him worse. “What did you guys do with the statue while I was gone?”

“OH!” He winced. “David and Gwen left it in the counsellor’s cabin! They’re going to get someone to look it over next week!” The theatre kid boomed.

“Maybe we will have something other than potatoes.” Harrison faintly chuckled, knowing full well that their counsellors were in for a nasty surprise come dawn. Eh, he considered it payback for making them dig through the dirt all afternoon.

“You should try the soup! It’s INCREDIBLE!” Preston encouraged, gulping the remains of his portion.

In response, the magician merely continued to shift his bowl around. “I’m not that hungry…” He nervously waved off. His friend shrugged and continued to demolish the soup. The other campers and counsellors were also finishing their bowls. “Should the poison not have kicked in by now?” Harrison thought, stealthily pushing his bowl over to Preston.

If they ate any faster, a record might actually be broken: asking Quartermaster for seconds.

“HMM!” Preston slowed beside him, stroking his chin. “I feel foul…” His voice slowly turned into a garble. Afterwards, as if a pin dropped, Preston’s face slammed into the table with a loud bang. Startled, Harrison jumped up from his seat.

Before anyone else could react, they too fell unconscious in a swift domino effect. “Preston…?” The magician tentatively prodded, checking his friend's neck after a beat. Thankfully, he’d negotiated with Quartermaster into utilizing a sleep tonic - drugs - instead of lethal poison. So, Preston and his fellow campers were merely asleep. No harm done once they woke up!

“I will just never tell them about this. Ever.” Harrison released a breath before silently moving toward the exit. He stole a glance at an empty kitchen antecedent to leaving the Mess Hall.

The plan was to rendezvous with Quartermaster just outside the activities field.

The evening air flew around him like tangled strings. Harrison’s heartbeat sped up as he looped the plan. He crossed the centre of the field and ignored the uncanny shadows in his vision. His eyes remained locked on the path ahead, step by step.

Harrison only deviated from his path to stop at his Magic Camp. Earlier he’d swiped a water gun for the holy water, which he’d hidden backstage. Thus, the magician continued his journey with the plastic weapon firmly clutched to his chest.

It seemed quieter than usual.

“Harry?” An achingly familiar voice called. His steps came to a screeching halt. His heart froze in his chest. Harrison knew that voice as well as his own, heard it in his dreams and nightmares.

Erich.

Chapter Text

*Flashback* A few hours ago…

The magician grimaced, eyes meeting the floor. “What about making the shifter come to us? Then there is no need to tell it apart from everyone else.” Harrison boldly suggested, watching his reflection warp in the bottle’s surface. Quartermaster blinked hard. In all fairness, the Eternal Custodian never lured his targets toward him. He was the one hunting after them.

“Not the shittiest plan, boy… The shifter does amuse itself by playing with its victims…” Quartermaster eventually said, rubbing his chin.

“When Preston and I pulled it up, would it have been able to read my mind?” Harrison wasted no time planning. Fortunately, his strategizing had vastly improved after numerous rounds of Arcane: The Meeting. The old man grumbled an affirmative. Likely not pleased with the fact himself since the shifter would know about their connection. “That is… not good. But, we just need to give it a reason to go to us.”

“That bitch probably remembers when I first beat its ass. If it has a bone to pick it’ll be with me.” Quartermaster sardonically stated.

Judging from the way his eye glimmered, Harrison presumed it had been quite the violent spectacle. “Okay…” He mumbled. “Now how do we make sure it goes after Quartermaster and not everyone else?” While the boy was deep in thought, the elder resumed inspecting his diverse bottle collection. Hopefully, he was choosing sleep tonics instead of another poison. That thought reminded Harrison of Quartermaster’s earlier statement about the shifter. “If poison only puts the shifter to sleep. What would a normal sleeping spell do?” He inquisitively asked.

“Wake up quickly.” The old man dryly replied, nicking a short, pale lilac bottle in his hook. “This one’ll knock you kids out until daybreak!” He eagerly explained, holding it above his eye. “The bitch’ll start screaming after a few minutes…” He continued in a withdrawn tone, body wilting like an expired leaf.

An idea built itself in his mind. “What do you think it would do if everyone was asleep… and we were both gone?” Harrison keenly offered.

“Scream.” Quartermaster immediately answered. “After that… it’d figure out what I did and seek revenge.” He must’ve pieced together what Harrison had, as he emitted a quiet hum.

The magician nodded. “After you put everyone to sleep, we should stay close by. That way, when the shifter wakes up it will find you quickly. But, everyone else will be safe.” Harrison steadily laid out, moving his hands around as if a map were in front of them.

“Not you.” The elder cut in, roughly slamming the lilac bottle down on the table.

He tilted his head, perplexed. “Huh? What do you mean not me?” Quartermaster didn’t want to poison the camp that badly, did he? He’d threatened to do so more times than he could count! But, the elder had never followed through! Harrison should have died weeks-months ago if that was the case!

“You don’t want to see what that bitch becomes with me, boy.” Quartermaster acutely stated, narrowing his one eye.

Knowing the elder, Harrison knew he really didn’t. Yet on the other hand… “Will you be okay by yourself? You said it was the most dangerous… demon here.” The magician pushed, arms behind his back. “Would it not be hard to do this without magic?”

“I beat it once.” The old man shrugged. Although, Harrison was handed the impression he wouldn’t budge on that particular front.

“Well… if you are sure with it…” He unsurely agreed, scratching the back of his head. “Dinner will be starting soon. We should head back.” The boy notified, stepping toward the exit. “Are you not worried about your soup?” Harrison swore on his life that he heard a burp from somewhere in the Thinking Cave. He startled at the sound.

“All will be taken care of.” Quartermaster vacantly retorted. “You want any pickles?” The elder motioned toward the nearby pickle jars. He offered one to him every occasion they dropped by.

“I am never going to say yes to that.” Harrison tiredly said back, not waiting for Quartermaster as he made his exit.

*Flashback End*

———

His plan had foxtrotted, pirouetted, and somersaulted off the rails. The shifter was adamantly not supposed to be there with Harrison.

“Harry?” It repeated in his brother’s voice and body. Another day. Any other day. And he would have been happier than the moment he discovered the magician’s world to see Erich. Erich, who wore the exact same velvet-red ribbon he’d helped him tie. Erich, still clad in Harrison’s former, amateur vest with a juice stain on the front. Erich, who may as well have been pasted from his memory. How Harrison wanted to believe so badly that his beloved little brother was safe!

It was the worst trick he’d ever seen.

“H-Harry?” The shifter stuttered, wrapping its arms around its stomach like Erich always did. “W-What’s going on? W-Where’s Mommy and Daddy? I’m scared.” It cried, fixing two innocent pupils on his frame. “Harry, can I have a hug? Please!” That insulting imitation of Erich timidly stepped forward.

The magician walked backwards, shaking his head. He vaguely wanted to retch. “How dare-“ Scathing thoughts pounded in his head, threatening to burst and overwhelm him. Yet Harrison knew that’s what the shifter desired above all: a reaction. The boy forced himself to take a deep breath. Fire simmered down to a  stewing smoke. “You’re not my brother.” His voice sounded much more confident than he felt.

Erich’s face stilled imperceptibly for just a second. Only one small second. But, it was enough for Harrison to snap out of his stupor and recall the water gun in his hands. With a furious growl, he aimed the weapon at his brother’s face.

“Harry?! What are you doing?!” The imposter fell back into its act. Far too convincing tears dripped down Erich’s cheeks. And Harrison was helpless against the swarm of memories that assaulted his senses. Frozen moments in time when Erich had cried after hurting himself, being bullied at school, or when his favourite show was cancelled… burned.

Harrison’s wrists shook. “You’re not Erich! You’re not!” He shot back. “Shoot! Pull the trigger, Harrison!” The magician’s mind screamed at him. Still, it was as if Medusa had caught the boy within her sight. Why wouldn’t his body obey his brain’s commands?!

“I’m scared, Harry! What happened after you made me go away?! Why did you not bring me back?” The shifter continued to inch forward, sobbing like the child it was trying to mimic. And it was working!

It hit a nerve, dead centre. A steaming claw may have stabbed into his neck at those words. Harrison felt his face go slack. “I-I tried! I’ve been trying ever since then!” He fervently protested.

“Did you not want me to come back, Harry?!” Erich’s face warped into something hideous. “Did you WANT ME TO GO AWAY?!”

“No! That’s not what happened!” Harrison instinctively defended, heart flaring. It was his worst nightmare brought to fruition. He barely noticed as his will dissolved, the water gun arching lower and lower. Or as the shifter’s manic grin rose higher and higher. How could he as each guilt and regret he’d ever felt for the past year arose like a wild tornado?

“I WAS SURROUNDED BY MONSTERS! I WAS HURT! DO YOU JUST HATE ME?!” Erich - the shifter, it was the shifter - howled like a banshee.

Chest too tight. Something around him? Breathing too fast. Still breathing? It became difficult to tell the two apart. Why was the night so quiet? Wait, no, there was a loud ringing in his ears. He needed to do something, didn’t he? But, Erich was right there. Erich. No.

“The shifter. Shifter. That’s the shifter.” Looped incessantly like a broken record. Harrison’s emotions were prying at the walls of his control, begging to be set free. His magic was trying to tear him apart. The water gun fell from his sweaty hands.

Harrison understood why Quartermaster considered the shifter so dangerous.

“SHUT UP!” He roared, unleashing an inferno from his palms. Although unintentional, it’d been adequate to ward the shifter away for some time. Harrison distantly observed the demon change forms in the blink of an eye. But, he was left with little time to process it as his ring of flames was extinguished.

“WOO! That’s what I love to see!” The shifter - in the form of the Roman warrior - cackled. Faster than lightning, Harrison felt the warrior’s foot collide with his stomach. He was thrown into the stars and landed in a tree. Sharp leaves poked at exposed skin. Sputtering, the magician hurriedly popped his own wooden sword from the trunk and landed with a stumble. Unfortunately, steel against wood was not a fair competition. The warrior sliced through his weapon like butter.

Harrison gulped and scrambled back with blatant panic.

“Come on! Think! Think!” He muttered, rapidly scanning his environment. Before the shifter could pounce, he raised his hand and threw a sizeable boulder at its head. Harrison heard a loud crack as the warrior toppled over. “No, where’s the water gun?!” The boy hissed while patting his person, belatedly realizing he’d lost the only weapon that could stun the shifter.

However, an ominous clicking sound grabbed his attention. Pivoting, Harrison turned whiter than a ghost as the warrior shifted into a grand, centipede-human hybrid. It stood taller than his house and crushed trees with its feet. The shifter’s shadow completely enveloped him in darkness.

“Really?!” He squeaked as the shifter’s mandibles opened and spat out a torrent of lime-green acid. Harrison only nearly avoided the attack, lodging deeper within the forest. “Where’s Quartermaster?!”

Another stream of acid melted the tree he hid behind, forcing him to run further inside.

“Do yourself a favour and come out, boy!” The shifter called, imitating Quartermaster’s voice. In response, Harrison raised his fingers and produced a storm of electricity. While the lightning hit its mark and the centipede-human spasmed profusely. The shifter waived the damage by morphing into what appeared to be a European rifleman. Bloody organs emerged and folded inside out as its limbs contorted into shape.

A bullet embedded itself in the ground next to Harrison. “Ah!”

“Ugh… I hate lightning.” The shifter groaned, cracking their neck. It scrunched a hand in tousled, ginger hair before pulling at its pale cheek. “And human flesh…” The demon kept its rifle aimed at Harrison’s chest when he tried to flee. “Oi, I’d stay still if I were you, brat.” It mocked, smirking. The boy glared back. “Please, and I’m the demon? I’m doing you a favour! It’s not like you have a family that will MISS YOU!” Harrison barely managed to circumvent the next bullet to his other side.

Before finding his next path of attack, the boy stilled. There was something in the distance…

The shifter callously stepped forward, a sadistic aura falling off of them in buckets. “Oh boy, I just cannot wait to see the look on that custodian’s face when I-“

It was aggressively interrupted when a harpoon impaled itself in its chest. Harrison grinned when its attacker entered the fray. “Quartermaster!”

———

“RUN, BOY!” The old man ordered, racing forward with a speed Harrison didn’t know he had in him, holy water in hand. Yet the magician only managed to steal a few feet until the shifter acted. While blood sprinkled from its exposed chest, the shifter yanked the harpoon out from the front with a frightening clarity. Simultaneously, it morphed into another human with tanned skin and blond hair.

The shifter spun the harpoon in its hands before breaking it in two with a chuckle. “Eternal Custodian! How wonderful it is to see you again after… Hmmm, how long was it? One century? Two?” Its face degraded into a vicious snarl. “Time gets pretty hard to track when you’re frozen underground!”

“You’re going back,” Quartermaster grumbled, ducking a punch from the frenetic shifter.

It flipped backwards to avoid the holy water in his hands. “Never.” They hissed, crouching down to morph their lower body. Golden fur rapidly sprouted on its legs. And with a sudden burst of power, the shifter sprinted forward.

You didn’t need to be a genius to determine that their new form gave the shifter inhuman speeds. It appeared like a blur rather than a tangible being. Thus, Quartermaster was put on the defensive, expertly avoiding harpoon strike after strike. The elder was uncharacteristically tensed in battle, unlike his usual aloofness. “It’s like he’s fighting the wind.” Harrison described from the sidelines.

However, the shifter proved to be the more capable fighter of the two. Soon enough, it wrestled the bottle of holy water away from Quartermaster’s grasp and it shattered against the grass. “FUCK!” The old man cursed as a single strike forced him back.

Harrison was deftly reminded of the need for his water gun if they wanted to win.

Slapping his cheeks to focus, the boy silently slipped away. The fight had drawn them deep within the forest. Hence, Harrison had to trek all the way back to the activities field to search for his water gun. Fortunately, once he did arrive, it was straightforward enough to locate the fallen weapon surrounded by scorched dirt. The plastic was lightly singed, but a quick test proved it was still functional.

“STAY STILL! BITCH!” The magician heard Quartermaster swear profusely, which ironically soothed his nerves as it proved he hadn’t been incapacitated.

Harrison ran as if possessed, chasing the fight’s echoes until he caught up. The shifter lorded over a maimed Quartermaster in the same form when he’d left. That was not the case for long though. As the shifter spread its arms out, dropping the harpoon. In the next second, a figure wearing a long brown robe replaced them.

Even from his far-off position, the magician could tell what form it’d taken. A signature ball cap rested on its head. Grey hair protruded from the scalp. Quartermaster himself. “You remember this form, don’t you, Eternal Custodian?” The shifter vindictively taunted, voice perfectly matching Quartermaster’s. Harrison couldn’t withhold the gasp that fled his mouth.

The shifter went rigid before whipping its head to face him. It revealed another revelation about the form: it had both eyes open and both hands fully intact. “Welcome back to the fray, brat.” It maliciously waved.

The magician attempted to act, to do anything. But, it was for naught. For the shifter only needed to raise a single hand and vines erupted from underneath him. Luscious stems crawled up his body and forced him to his knees in less than a blink. Harrison’s arms - including the water gun - were securely pinned underneath the foliage.

“No! Not again!” The boy bemoaned, struggling in vain to free himself. He tried to summon his flames. But, the vines were damp and thus extinguished sparks before they could emerge.

The shifter continued to cackle as it surveyed both him and Quartermaster. His skin shivered. “Oh, Eternal Custodian! Did you really think I wouldn’t have my own plan for revenge once I finally broke free? Did you really think I would have anything else on my mind except making you suffer in the worst way possible? For imprisoning me? FOR RUINING MY FUN?!”

In response, Quartermaster narrowed his one eye. It was filled with such an intense loathing that Harrison hadn’t seen since Quartersister.

“No words? Not surprised. I know I can’t exactly kill you either.” The shifter huffed, “But I can make you beg for mercy all the same.” A barbaric hunger filled the shifter’s sight as it spun toward Harrison. “Starting with this brat.”

With a bloodthirsty hum, they clenched their fist tight. At the same time, Harrison felt the vines around him constrict tighter and tighter. He yelped, struggles increasing tenfold. But at that point, he could only manage to make his fingers wiggle.

It was getting hard to breathe…

“I have to do something!” The magician’s mind protested, refusing to accept such a grisly outcome. He felt the water gun graze his knee. If he could only free his one hand and shoot. One shot was all he needed. One shot and the shifter would be paralyzed.

Harrison felt his brain ache, pressure building within his skull, threatening to explode…

“Holy water… I just need to get the holy water on it!” The magician gasped, vaguely hearing Quartermaster’s shouts.

He had no time to care…

The water itself. Could he teleport the water itself above the shifter’s head? If it worked with the coffee it would have to work with the holy water! Or would the fact that it was holy water interfere with his trick? It would have to do lest Harrison die.

And dying was unacceptable. “Abra…” Harrison wheezed, the words strained and hoarse. “Abra…”

Black spots invaded the edges of his vision, popping in and out like sparkling sequins…

“Abracadabra!” His mind desperately supplied as his voice failed. There was a sizzling sound. The sensation of being dropped. Cold grass against his arms. Yet the black spots were ruthless in conquering his world.

Harrison felt his consciousness fade away…

———

When he opened his eyes, a mesmerizing galaxy of purples and blues greeted him. “Huh…?” Harrison dreamily mumbled, getting to his feet in a daze. His body protested at the movement. Yet the magician persevered and studied his surroundings. He stood on a grey asteroid, covered in sickeningly colourful plants. A lurid orange butterfly landed on his head briefly before flying off. “Where am I…? What happened?”

All of a sudden, a very familiar face flew into his view.

“HARRY!” Erich shouted with palpable joy. Harrison’s reactions stalled as his little brother’s arm wrapped around his torso. “You're here! You’re finally here! I missed you so much!” The younger boy blabbed incessantly.

The magician blinked. And blinked again before frantically rubbing his eyes. Was that the shifter again? But, if that was the case why wasn’t Harrison dead? Or, was he dead already? No, if Harrison died there was no way he and Erich ended up in the same afterlife. Either way… 

“Erich… is this actually you?” He asked in quiet disbelief, slowly reciprocating the firm embrace.

“Yeah! It is me! Erich! And you are Harry!” His little brother eagerly nodded into his side.

“How…?” Harrison blanched, pulling apart to look Erich in the face while gently holding his shoulders. “I do not understand…”

“It’s simple, young Harrison.” A strange voice answered, causing him to yelp and pull his brother closer. However, Erich broke free and gleefully jumped toward the new arrival. Looking upwards, Harrison saw the Octopus from Astronomy Camp, tentacles, top hat, and all. His confusion only grew until the strange being spoke once more. “Your magic swelled due to your near-death scare and acted appropriately. While your physical body remains unconscious in the mortal realm, your mental state was temporarily sent here.” The Octopus explained in a neutral tone.

The magician stared with a slack-jawed expression. “Why… here?” He unsurely questioned, glancing around them at the shifting cosmos.

“My realm is where all things unwanted are sent to. Vanished objects, comatose minds, the country of Wagaboo.” The Octopus said back, tentacle flicking Harrison’s forehead. “If I had my way, your mortal realm would burn so your human litter would no longer pester me.” It added in a tad aggrieved tone.

“Okay… Sure… Yeah…” Harrison would deal with that particular piece of information as he did with Quartermaster’s disturbing nature. Not at all. “SO, Erich! You have been here this entire time?” He moved on, focusing on his beloved little brother who was playing with one of the Octopus’s tentacles.

“Yeah! Me and Mr. Octopus are best friends!” Erich giggled, giving the strange being a small hug.

If the Octopus could shrug, Harrison felt that it would in that moment. “I have not had pleasant company for one hundred million eons. Your brother lacks the inherent corruption of your race.”

“… Mhm.” He nodded along. “You are safe? You are not hurt?” The older brother softly prodded, coming closer.

“Yeah! Me and Mr. Octopus are having loads of fun here, Harry! They’re showing me how to burn the world down and remove the bad people!” Erich regaled with an overjoyed tone. Harrison buried his spiking concern for a later issue. “But, I miss you and Mommy and Daddy! Can we go home now?” His brother innocently inquired, tugging on his arm.

“I…” Harrison hesitated to respond, locking gazes with the Octopus.

It stared at him. “I cannot bring nor send humans across realms, young Harrison. Only you can do such things.”

“Oh…” The older brother sighed, resignation flashing across his face. “Then, I can’t bring you home right now, Erich.” Harrison sadly replied, grimacing. Disappointment grasped his heart and his hands shook. “But, I’ll bring you back soon! And then we’ll have a huge party with Mom and Dad to celebrate! Just for you!” He brightly vowed for his brother’s sake.

“Okay, I cannot wait!” Erich immediately agreed with a lopsided smile. “I trust you, Harry! You are the best!” His little brother laughed, so very trusting and not full of hate like he’d feared. “But, can you write me letters again?”

Harrison’s mouth fell ajar. “You got my letters?”

“Yeah! They pop here and then they pop out! I wanted to write you something back. But, Mr. Octopus only knows how to shoot ink puddles not letters.” Erich summarized. “I’m sorry…” His bottom lip trembled.

“It’s alright, it’s fine, Erich! Just seeing you right now, that’s… that’s better than any letter.” Harrison frantically reassured, pulling his brother into another hug. “I was so worried about you…” He whispered, afraid to let his brother go again.

“It appears young Harrison, your time is up.” The Octopus interrupted their family moment.

“What, already?!” The magician shouted, before examining himself to see his body becoming translucent by the second.

“Aww, I wish you could stay longer, Harry.” Erich frowned. However, before Harrison could cheer him up his brother gaped. “Wait, your eye is bad!” The younger boy suddenly noticed his black eye in distress.

“Oh, that… Um-“ Harrison scrambled to reply. How does one explain to their younger sibling that they are being bullied?

“Mr. Octopus! Can you fix Harry’s eye, please?” Erich was already poking the Octopus’s tentacle with a pleading look on his face.

“That I can, young Erich.” The Octopus neutrally stated, reaching for Harrison’s fading head with a tentacle.

The magician flinched away, reminded of the previous time the Octopus had messed with his head. “Wait, wait, wait-“ Harrison felt a zap on his face. By the time he’d recovered, his mind was already retreating from the Octopus’s realm. “Erich, I’ll see you soon!” The older brother managed to shout before he was fully pulled back.

———

Harrison flashed awake with a gasp, throwing himself into a sitting position from where he lay on the floor.

“Welcome back.” Quartermaster dryly greeted, back turned. Ripping away the lingering haziness from his mind, he glanced around to see they were in the Thinking Cave. Quartermaster was busy digging a hole in the cave’s corner, a frozen shifter next to him with the curse carved into its skull. The demon’s arms were wildly positioned above its head as if startled. “Good work there, boy.” The old man praised.

“Um, thanks.” He awkwardly accepted. Odd, the magician had assumed his voice would sound hoarser than it currently did.

Carefully, Harrison stood and tried to comprehend his... visit? Dream? He didn’t know what the correct term was. Yet, the boy touched his eyelid, observing how the previous swelling had all but vanished. There was no way he had made the entire encounter up. It had definitely been real.

“I saw my brother…” Harrison quietly noted, seizing Quartermaster’s attention. “I saw my brother!” The magician repeated in an increasingly blaring voice.

Erich was okay…

Erich was safe…

Erich didn’t hate him…

Harrison felt a wave of raw relief. He wanted to cry and jump for joy and a million other wonderful things. Unfortunately, the boy only had the energy to lazily grin, the evening’s events catching up with him. Euphoria dulled the tiredness in his bones though.

“-Boy!” Quartermaster was saying something to him.

“Sorry, what?” Harrison sheepishly excused, shoving his arms behind his back. But, even as the elder grumbled unintelligibly and restarted his statement. His mind could only anchor on bringing Erich back. Magic bubbled beneath his skin in anticipation. You could bet that the first opportunity Harrison found he would practice that disappearing trick until his hands hurt. 

“-Can you handle that, boy?” Quartermaster was finishing. Harrison emerged from the eddies of his mind looking like a deer caught in headlights. Rather than an expected chastening, the old man’s shoulders slumped in tired suffering. “Time to go drag those bodies out.” He stated without context.

“Okay!” The magician easily obliged, his spirits too disturbingly high to falter.

They both walked toward the Thinking Cave’s exit in opposing moods. “You want any pickles?” Quartermaster asked as he always did.

Perhaps it was the boundless feelings of triumph in his veins. Or a delayed sense of gratitude. Maybe his usual preservations had been inhibited by both exhaustion and mirth. Nonetheless, Harrison found himself partial to his mentor’s offer. “Sure! I will take pomegranate!” The boy exclaimed without the faintest whiff of sarcasm.

Even Quartermaster seemed taken aback by his exuberant reply, steps faltering by the smallest of margins. Yet offered no counter as he unscrewed the red-tinted jar and threw the pickle that should not exist at him.

He bit into it like his Mother’s cooking. Harrison’s mouth exploded with an abundance of sugar and vinegar. The two flavours warred with each other on his tongue like two colliding missiles. Once the initial punch faded, however, the boy took another bite, chewing. “It’s actually not that bad!”

———

Harrison collapsed into his bunk after floating Preston’s body into their tent. The duo had spent the past hour arduously returning everyone to their beds. They had to if they wanted their story of food poisoning to make sense come sunrise. The boy’s muscles were strained beyond belief. And even Quartermaster seemed worn out from the day’s expenses when they parted at last.

However, even as his body yearned for rest, Harrison had one last task to partake in.

The magician pulled an egg and tablecloth out from the bottom of his bunk, nonchalantly caressing them in his palms. “Abracadabra.” He watched as the egg vanished without flourish. Seconds ticked past while he fiddled with his top hat. Harrison’s customary anxieties from performing the trick never reared once.

Erich was safe. His little brother trusted him to bring him home. And The Amazing Harrison would do it. No matter how long it took.

“And return… tada.” The older brother fearlessly yanked the tablecloth away.

The egg returned with only half of it cracked.

Chapter Text

Breakfast was the same as always: unappetizing mashed potatoes, a side of wrinkled peas, sent off with a cracked glass of water. Preston Goodplay was fairly certain - and when he was certain, HE WAS CERTAIN - that Quartermaster had not deigned to ad-lib the daily menu. Although, he wouldn’t have particularly cared if the faded stock character had added a twist or two. Tuesday’s dinner had been exquisite, minus the food poisoning of course!

Enough monologuing! Suffice it to say, the day’s morning nourishments were anything but jaw-dropping. So, Preston was astounded beyond stars when his good friend, Harrison wolfed it down without a second thought.

“HARRISON!” The theatre kid exclaimed in rapid alarm - surely enough to rouse a thousand lions from rest in the deadest night - when Harrison began to choke. Faster than Zeus, Preston channelled his inner heroic instincts, raised his arm… and clapped him on the back.

The magician coughed and wheezed, face tinged a frothy blue. Finally, after what must’ve been an arduous lifetime - seven point five seconds - a pale pea popped from his lips. “Ha! I have saved you! I, Preston the Hero!” Preston the Hero humbly boasted, striking a bombastic pose once his friend could breathe.

“Thanks… Preston…” Harrison mumbled, face turning a scarlet red. While he was distracted, Preston swiftly snacked on some of his potatoes.

“HMM, they don’t taste any less foul than mine…” The theatre kid said in a suspicious aside. However, his mouth was left open when Harrison finished his serving with an inhuman speed. Preston only recalled to swallow when stray mash fell onto his calf. “Cease thy hastening!” He implored when the magician rushed to leave.

Harrison stumbled antecedent to swivelling toward him with a befuddled look. “Um, yes, Preston?” The other boy cautiously replied. And Preston could guess from the minor shaking of his hands that he wanted to shove them behind his back.

“Macbeth: In Space is having its first rehearsal this afternoon. Will you be in attendance?” The theatre boy fervidly invited. His friend avoided his glance. Yet Preston understood from the many months they’d known each other that Harrison was leaning toward no. That would not do! He would not stand for such injustice! “Nerris said she would be there.”

A flicker of uncertainty! Success! Preston, master of the human heart, connoisseur of conflict, supreme teller of stories, and the ultimate matchmaker, held no doubt that-

“Sorry, Preston! I have this new trick I am working on and so I can’t come this time! I-I’ll see you later!” Harrison hurriedly excused, taking a single step before running off.

The theatre kid was left in the metaphorically dusty dust, stunned silent by his script going off the metaphorically rusty rails. “Huh…?” He quietly gaped, staring at the doors Harrison had dashed through.

———

Harrison felt something tap his forehead. At first, enervation ignored the sudden disturbance and he simply rolled onto his side. However, a sharp kick to his back finally stirred his consciousness from rest. Tiny blossoms of pain sprouted across his body as momentum threw him into a field of abandoned eggs.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Harrison hissed, fully awake. He quickly righted himself and patted the white shells away. His Magic Camp’s billowing curtains had down torn aside, and exposed, he could see the stars above. Wait. Stars? “Is it not just the afternoon?” The baffled magician questioned. It certainly had been afternoon when Harrison entered backstage. He’d even remarked on how unusually bright it was.

But that was only a couple of hours ago… right? “Heh... Maybe I am overdoing it…” The boy reluctantly assented, tilting his head.

“Boy.” Quartermaster appeared, causing him to yelp.

Sleep had clearly been something of a choice rather than a basic need for living as of lately. Hence, his nerves were particularly on edge. While there were moments when his body seemed unwilling to cooperate, sheer determination strung it along. Anyways, Harrison instinctively raised his arms. “Quartermaster?! What are you doing here?” He demanded.

The old man raised a singular eyebrow. “Work. Thought you wanted in. Unless I have been forsworn once again…” He wistfully sighed, closing his eye.

“Work…? But, the next apocalypse is not scheduled until Thursday. And… it is not Thursday. It is Wednesday.” Harrison slowly cited, getting the tiniest of inklings that he was missing a key detail.

“It’s Thursday,” Quartermaster informed. The magician felt like he’d been hit over the head with a sledgehammer.

Simultaneously, events of the previous two days came darting back. They relentlessly slammed into his mental fortitudes and caused him to stumble. After a major breakthrough with the eggs, Harrison had become drunk on the notion he could bring Erich home. It’d got into his mind that he was only a few attempts away from success. And when those failed, the next three. And then the next three. And so forth. He’d acted like a gambler in a high-stakes casino.

Meanwhile, time had escaped him.

Man, Harrison really needed that break.

It certainly explained the collateral that was backstage. He also vaguely recalled shooing Preston and David away with excuses ranging from lame to sadistic. “I’ll apologize to them later.” Harrison winced with a light pink dusting his cheeks. “Oh… I lost track of time! I still want in!”

Quartermaster gave a nearly imperceptible twitch in response. “Very well. We must tread carefully. For the path ahead is fraught with peril.” 

“Mhm…” He nodded as they trekked toward the Thinking Cave. His luck would take another swan dive for the worse though. And another problem soon presented itself to him. “Darn, I spent too long backstage and didn’t see any clues about tonight’s task… “ A spike of irritation. Yet the magician speedily composed himself. It was a minor setback in the grand scheme of things! Besides, Harrison could use Quartermaster’s supplies to surmise their upcoming foe.

Said supplies turned out to be a collection of ground-up flower petals. The grains were gathered together in a single glass jar. Briefly, the stellar image of confetti flickered into his head. He’d always wanted to use confetti in a show finale. But, it was a pain to clean up.

Next to him, Quartermaster hoisted a sizeable satchel behind his back. “Your turn, boy.” The elder gruffly continued, tossing the grimoire.

“Got it.” Harrison had gathered enough information to determine their task.

They were going to a fauna-dense realm. It had both the simplest setup and the thickest grimoire section, covering nearly a hundred separate native plants. Colour had retreated over time. But, the magician received the private impression of vivid hues and smells. Additionally, those flowers were the very same ones gathered and ground for their task tonight. “Apparently, it is also Quartermaster’s favoured realm.” It was that or he’d badly misinterpreted the gigantic hearts doodled everywhere.

While Harrison skimmed the grimoire, Quartermaster popped the lid off the jar. He placed it on the ground between them. Shaking his arm, a small ice cube slid into the old man’s palm.

He read the Latin.

“To eternal bliss…” Quartermaster muttered. The jar started to titter profusely. Tittering turned to rattling. And rattling turned to full-on quaking. By the end of Harrison's reading, it was like a ticking time bomb. The ice was dropped inside and a crack split the frenetic jar in two. Its effect was instantaneous.

The grains erupted from the jar in volcanic-like ashes, disguising the night’s darkness with colour and flare. But, there was only a minute opportunity to admire the fantastical scene before those very same lurid ashes rained down upon them. They clung to every inch of his body and seized every mile of vision.

Suddenly, Harrison felt the familiar sensation of hopping dimensions.

———

Once the gaudy shower dispersed, he immediately had to shut his eyes again. For their new scintillating surroundings burned into his retinas. As if a light switch had been flicked in the sky, turning it from midnight to afternoon. After some time, the magician’s pupils adjusted to the intensity and beheld their environment.

“Woah…” Harrison could not help but release.

He stood in the middle of a spacious, grassy meadow. Long blades the colour of green apple lollipops tickled his shoes. Near the meadow’s fringe was an eclectic garden of oversized plants. Bright blue mushrooms towered over minuscule redwoods. Golden sunflowers rested above pink carnations. Fragrant tulips oscillated back and forth, bumping into each other and releasing glittering pollen that danced in the wind.

Harrison sniffed before doing a large inhale. “Even the air tastes sweet.” He smacked his lips.

Oddly, the boy was briefly tempted to chew on the grass. Alas, Camp Campbell barely had enough funds as it did to provide toothbrushes. If Harrison got a cavity then he’d suffer until camp ended.

“Still, I understand why Quartermaster likes this place so much…” The magician mused, fixing his priorities. They had work to do! Maybe when all was said and done he’d ask his mentor to bring some flora back with them for breakfast. Ha! Imagine that, a sweet breakfast? His grandparents would be rolling in their graves. Erich would be so jealous! “Wait…” Harrison stilled before spinning in a slow circle. “Where’s Quartermaster?!”

The old man should have spoken by then.

His first look yielded zero Quartermasters. Nor the second. He spun with more fever on the third. Yet still, there was no trace of the enigmatic elder. “Quartermaster?!” The magician whispered before breaking out into a run. “QUARTERMASTER!”

Panic strangled his heart. Blood flow sped up with every step. And if he could see his face, it’d be bone white. Harrison searched in random directions, hoping beyond hope that anything would turn up! A footprint, an overturned rock, a broken stalk, anything! Unfortunately, Quartermaster had always been a master at stealth when he wanted to be. Nothing.

“QUARTERMASTER?!” Harrison yelled again for the fiftieth time. One of his hands was tangled in his hair as he staggered backwards. Nothing but the ever-present wind and nature’s gentle lullaby accompanied him. His other hand hugged the grimoire to his chest.

Finally, Fortuna took pity on him.

“YES! OPEN DEM FUCKING GATES!” Quartermaster’s voice carried across the meadow.

———

He loves it here.

What more could He need? One swallow of sweet, sweet, nectar and every fibre of his cursed body lights on fire. All the colours start acting funny. Every touch sends shivers of joy across bare skin in ways the pretenders could only dream of. Screw his job. The boy was ready. He only needs to turn his infinite thinking juice off and enjoy himself for fucking once.

He has more far more pleasurable matters to attend to. Mainly screwing this beautiful son of a-

———

Harrison hates this place. Forget what he said earlier. The older brother was jealous of Erich, not the other way around.

Minutes ago, he’d been overjoyed upon hearing his mentor’s shouts. That was then. That was when the magician thought he’d find a sane, normal, Quartermaster. Okay, the old man didn’t exactly meet the average standards for sane or normal most days. And Harrison didn’t really have room to talk about normalcy, did he? But, that was beside the fact! The point was that he was expecting to find the Quartermaster from before they teleported.

Harrison did not find that Quartermaster. Instead, the boy discovered a fully clothed old man interlocked with a chocolate-brown leopard atop a bouncing red dahlia.

To his credit, he did not faint as he would have one month prior. Some kind of immunity must’ve developed after so much time with the perverted old man. Although, his mind was still sufficiently freaked.

The magician exasperatedly closed his eyes shut and silently begged that when he opened them it would be gone, that it was all one big illusion. Better yet, he’d launch awake backstage in his Magic Camp. And discover it’d been a twisted nightmare, inspired by everything he didn’t think about and thrown in a locked box in the farthest corner of his mind.

“One… two… three…” Harrison painstakingly counted. Five seconds skedaddled and he tentatively pried his eyelids open-nope. “Nope, nope, nope, nope…” The magician muttered to himself like a praying mantra, head down, pivoting on his heel and speed walking in the opposite direction.

Of course, he didn’t go far. Far enough to escape the worst of the encounter. Yet not too distant as to lose track of Quartermaster’s location. No matter what, no matter how annoyed he became, a part of Harrison was relieved to locate his mentor.

Too bad annoyance was the dominant emotion. “Quartermaster…” Harrison huffed, hiding his face in his palms. He’d dropped the grimoire on a tattered wooden stump. Just in case the magician’s emotions flared up and accidentally damaged it.

The old man continued to… engage. “-DON’T STOP YOU-“ The ten-year-old slammed his hands over his ears before Quartermaster could finish that breathy sentence. Eventually, Harrison’s mind was able to selectively tune out… all of that… so he could actually think.

“Okay… okay…” The magician hesitantly started, shoving his arms behind his back while pacing. “So, Quartermaster probably can’t work right now. Which leaves me to do the job!” Harrison pumped his arms to try and motivate himself. It kind of succeeded. “I just have to believe in myself! Tada!” He proclaimed, forcing himself to stand just a bit straighter.

He really could! The boy had been paying apt attention, memorizing details such as the precise tasks-

“-SWEET MOTHERFUCKER-“ Quartermaster loudly moaned, piercing his initiative.

Harrison visibly deflated. “Can I really just leave Quartermaster behind…?” He nervously pondered. Honestly, half of the magician - the petty half - wanted to leave the old man to himself. The other half - his conscience - objected. One, Quartermaster would most likely desire that anyway. Two, Quartermaster would continue doing… the thing… if he left him alone. Three, Harrison didn’t know if two people could return to camp on two separate trips.

... Boo, he hated logic. That’s why magic was better.

Reluctantly, the magician wandered back toward Quartermaster. Not only to fetch the lecherous elder. His mentor had all of the supplies they needed for the job. Fortunately, it appeared that the old man had relinquished their materials before… engaging.

“Not thinking about it. Not thinking about it.” Harrison chanted like his life depended on it. The boy could hear Quartermaster in the background. So many items were going into the locked box in the farthest corner of his mind. Finally, he levitated the satchel above his shoulder before taking a deep breath. “Here we go…”

The magician levied the most unimpressed possible stare at his mentor’s current form.

Harrison noted how the old man frequently snorted the dahlia's yellow pollen. Every inhale seemed to cause his eye to dilute and increase his energy. Thus, it was likely addling his brain somewhat. The boy in turn summoned a purple scarf from his hat to use as a makeshift mask.

“So… how am I going to get Quartermaster away from… this…?” Harrison questioned. After going through a myriad of safe and ethical options. Methods that respected concepts like integrity and humility. He proceeded to vanish every single one of said options into cold oblivion. And allowed a saccharine smile to spread across his face.

In his defence, there wasn’t a single soul back at camp who would’ve guessed Quartermaster could go that far.

“Abracadabra…”

———

“I am not sorry.” Harrison deadpanned, tugging his floating mentor along with a string of scarves. It’d been pathetically easy to tap the elder’s shoulder and separate him from the leopard. Speaking of the furry mammal, it was surprisingly docile and slinked off into the mushrooms. He wasn’t questioning it.

If only Quartermaster could do the same. “Come here, you gorgeous bitch!” The old man hollered at a passing fox before vomiting another baseball bat. A rubber chicken followed the bat. Scarves followed the chicken. You got the idea.

“Mhm…” The magician nonchalantly hummed. Quartermaster had even attempted to get with a tree at some point.

Moving on, Harrison kept his eyes on the sky, searching for a certain bell-shaped purple flower. Fortunately, he wasn’t left wandering for long. “There they are! Balloon flowers!” He paused, glancing behind him at his buoyant mentor before stifling a chuckle. Had circumstances varied, the boy might have actually laughed at the irony.

Harrison proceeded to securely tie the scarves and by extension Quartermaster to a stem. “Heh, let’s get hitched.” The old man giggled. And then he sloppily licked a water drop from the green structure.

Shaking his head, the resigned magician returned to work.

Overpopulation was the main issue in this dimension. Reproduction of the various thriving flora was influenced by the native rabbits, who emitted airborne hormones that helped the buds reproduce. Hence, greater rabbit populations correlated to booming plant growth. In turn, the plants outgrew their environment and started to appear in other dimensions.

To his dismay, the solution to said foreign invasion was clear: exterminate the rabbits.

“Why does it have to be bunnies?” Harrison bemoaned, face falling. He’d wanted a cute, fluffy white bunny for a long time. Not only would it have been excellent for tricks. They looked plain adorable. However, the magician was on thin ice at home already. He was not willing to risk worsening relations by asking for a pet of all things.

Harrison pushed the thought aside, focusing. “That should do it.” He nodded, satisfied after carving an intricate symbol into the balloon flower’s stem. The carving glowed a ghastly green antecedent to draining the plant’s vitality. Like a bouncing castle depleted of air, it quickly sank.

Afterwards, the boy grabbed a knife and hacked at the flower’s forlorn base. Clearing away the stem’s remains, Harrison was left with a sizeable hole into the underground. “That is dark…” He nervously stated, arms shoved behind his back.

The local rabbits were prone to consume balloon flowers. As a result, they made their tunnel systems underneath the purple flora. So, by traversing the hole into the now-hollowed roots, Harrison should be able to enter their burrow.

“I hope I can kill them without making them suffer…” The magician crossed his fingers. There were no further supplies left in the satchel. Consequently, he lacked direction on how to terminate the mammals. So, Harrison would wing it. “I can do this!” He motivated himself before hopping down the hole.

Surprisingly, it was a supremely short endeavour. Only a couple of seconds passed until his feet hit the floor.

Well, hit wasn’t precisely accurate. The roots were rather mushy with rot. So, it was more of a sinking rather than a concrete landing. Anyway, once Harrison gathered his bearings, he lit a small flame in his hands and began hiking. “I guess this could have been worse.” The boy reflected while navigating the path down. “I could have had to fight the shifter by myself.”

Finally, the boy arrived at the root’s narrow end, having been forced to his knees. Swiftly cutting the roots away, he was happy to see the rabbits’ tunnels before him. “I wonder how many bunnies there will be…” There must be hundreds if they were causing an overpopulation problem.

Harrison talked to himself to fill the all-encompassing silence of the tunnels. Although, in retrospect, that hadn’t been the wisest decision considering rabbits’ keen hearing. It mattered naught in the end. He instantly fell quiet when earthquake-like rumbles filled the tunnels. Loose dust and soil fell onto his head, yet it was paid no attention.

Two thoughts flew through the boy’s mind. “I must be getting close.” And. “Oh, they’re giant bunnies. That makes more sense than hundreds of normal ones.”

The tunnels gradually became wider and wider whilst Harrison’s sparks grew fainter and fainter. Eventually, he entered what he assumed was the main burrow due to its grand scale. Tip-toeing closer, the magician observed a humongous mud-coloured rabbit sleeping amongst a pile of rocks.

“Aww, it looks so fluffy.” The boy softly grinned, tempted to pet the rabbit. However, his joy morphed into depression upon recalling his task. “At least it will be easier this way…” He sadly denoted, raising his arms while stalking forward.

And then he shocked the rabbit to death. There were no screams. No sudden movements or twitches. Just the bright crackle of electricity. The boy ensured that the voltage was high enough to cause no suffering. In lieu, the rabbit only faced a fragment of pain before death reclaimed it.

“I’m sorry, little-big guy,” Harrison whispered to the smoking corpse, turning away. Guilt wrestled in his stomach. “That was… pretty easy…” He stated, slightly dumbfounded.

The boy was about to write it off as an exception to the usual shenanigans… when the rumbling returned in full force. Harrison yelped, falling to the floor in shock. While he scrambled to stand, the burrow filled with rabbit after rabbit after rabbit. His mouth felt dry as he shakily examined the alert creatures. His pulse pounded in his ears.

A dozen pairs of glowing, bloodthirsty eyes glared back.

Oh. They were giant killer rabbits. That was decidedly not adorable. And made a lot more sense.

———

The magician ran from the rabbits.

They furiously screeched while chasing him up and down the various tunnels and dens. Yet there was never a good opportunity to flee the raging horde and make his escape. Harrison felt his limbs numb with fatigue. Although, Adrenaline kept him alive.

“I can’t make enough lightning to get all of them before something gets me!” The boy realized, naked fear scratching at his back.

Another killer rabbit violently stomped, causing the tunnel to tremor. He nearly lost his balance while some of the crusty walls collapsed. Rocks the size of Harrison’s head rained down and nearly struck him. “There’s nowhere to hide!” He coughed as heavy dust showered over his body. Unfortunately, the attack’s force blew his flame out, coating them all in darkness.

The magician stumbled in order to produce a new spark. But, the wasted time allowed his rabid pursuers to make headway. Once Harrison could see again, he immediately had to jump back before a brown-furred foot dented his former position.

“What can I do?!” He internally screamed, rushing into another large burrow. “I can’t outrun them much longer!”

The boy slammed into a cold wall, cushioning the impact with his palms. Pushing forward, Harrison desperately searched for another tunnel. However, there were none. He’d been cornered. The magician hiccuped as the killer rabbits grew closer and closer. If Harrison could do something, he had to do it now. Lest he wasted any more valuable energy on fleeing.

Harrison saw the red glow of their eyes. It ripped through the little calm he felt. They charged him like a raging bull in the stadium.

“No other tunnels. No other escape. No way to kill them.” The boy pressed himself further against the wall. “Nothing. Nothing.” Harrison shook, mind racing across the entire burrow. “Nowhere…” He mumbled, dragging his fingers across the curved surface behind him. “Wait… curved…” The magician realized, light returning to his eyes. “Up,” Harrison whispered.

By that point, the herd had entered the burrow. But, the boy was ready at last.

Harrison took a deep breath in, moving his palms to his sides. If the magician wanted to survive this encounter, he’d have to perform a trick he’d never practiced prior. The boy waited for the rabbits to charge nearer and narrowed his eyes. “One… two… three…”

“Wind!” Harrison yelled just as a rabbit lunged at his throat. Summoning a gale storm from his palms, he launched into the air. Upon reaching the height of his flight, the magician repeated the spell to zoom past the ravenous group and back into the tunnels. Landing with a roll, a victorious grin possessed his face. “Tada!” He laughed, leaving the rabbits in the dust.

The boy sprinted back into the original burrow, hearing the echoes of the killer rabbits. The climbing energy shook the tunnels. However, the dust on his shoulders gave Harrison a final idea on killing the herd.

“Please work.” He begged while slapping his hand against the wall. Using most of his leftover energy, Harrison created a mini-tornado. The powerful winds exploded across the tunnels, forming deep cracks as they went. Hopefully, the entire system would collapse, taking the killer rabbits with it.

He lacked the hours to ensure their demise though. So, with crumbling walls nipping at his heels, Harrison fled the tunnels.

———

The magician barely leapt out of the flower’s hole. Harrison collapsed back-first onto the grass, limbs sprawled around him. “I made it…” He panted, blankly watching the blue-raspberry sky. “I did it…” He coughed up stray dust particles as his chest steadily rose and fell.

“Boy.” Quartermaster suddenly spoke up.

Initially, Harrison wanted to ignore his mentor. The day had been crazy enough as it was. Yet against his better judgements, he turned. “Yeah…?” He tiredly replied, forcing himself into a sitting position. His arms and legs felt like they were going to fall off. When the boy returned to camp, he was going to sleep for at least twelve hours.

To his surprise, Quartermaster had freed himself from his scarf bindings. And he no longer seemed to be puking up random objects. But, what stunned Harrison most was that the glaze in the old man’s one eye had faded. His mentor was lucid! Perhaps the proximity away from that dahlia waived the pollen’s effects.

The old man kicked at the wilted balloon flower before giving Harrison an appraising look. “Good job.” Quartermaster slowly nodded.

Inexplicably, he had the strangest of thoughts that his mentor had set the entire debacle up on purpose…

Whatever, Harrison was still annoyed. He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go.” The magician grumbled. “Before you go and disappear again…”

———

David merrily hummed to himself as he jaunted toward the Mess Hall! Spotting Quartermaster, he amiably smiled. “Why good morning, Quartermaster! You’re looking awfully cheerful today!”

Chapter Text

*Flashback* ??? years ago… 

“FUCK! FUCK THIS! FUCK ALL OF YOU!” A bottle of poison was smashed to the floor.

Rocks were smashed as several boots angrily marched through a forest. “Hollering like that ain’t going to help us much!” Another voice, slightly more feminine yet very much alike to the previous speaker.

“TO HELL IT WON’T, BITCH!” They angrily countered, walking closer as if rearing for a fight. 

She cracked her knuckles dangerously. “DON’T CALL ME BITCH, BITCH!”

“I’LL CALL YOU WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT, YOU GODDAMN BITCH!” They stomped their feet, anger combusting to a boil. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. The gods were laughing at their helpless ordeal. “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” A lunge. A parry. A stab. The aggressive struggle continued into the night. It started to rain, drenching them to the bone to boot.

“Ha! You missed!” She baited, insane. A third figure spat on the ground, backing away from the fight with loathing. Next to them, a fourth and final voice observed with an impassive stare.

“YOU THREE FUCKERS STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!” Four voices threatened in perfect unison.

*Flashback End*

———

Harrison landed atop the murderous platypus, grinning. “My aim is getting better!” He celebrated in spite of the oversized creature thrashing back and forth to shake him off. Its flat tail splashed into Lake Lilac, creating tall waves that pounced across the water. Webbed feet entrenched themselves into soil. Its pointed beak ripped evergreens from their roots. Fanged teeth the scale of stalagmites glistened with wet blood and saliva. Yet the magician paid it no heed. Instead, he grasped the platypus’ spiky silver fur with both hands. “Woah!”

Was this what it was like being a cowboy? “Finish wrangling the beast, boy!” Quartermaster ordered from below, quite distant to avoid the platypus’ attacks.

“Aww, I kind of like it up here…” Harrison pouted, enjoying the cold wind in his hair, but relented nonetheless. “Got it!” He shouted back, squaring his shoulders. “Okay, lightning!” The magician called. Harrison was long familiar with the hectic ball of energy that swerved through his system and into the beast.

“HERE SHE BLOWS!” The old man bellowed as the platypus spasmed before dramatically tipping over onto its side.

Harrison stalled for a moment before vaulting off himself. He had a playful glimmer on his face. And when he neared the ground, summoned a minor gale to soften his fall. Honestly, the wind trick had become one of the more fun ones to do. Especially without the stress of a life-or-death crisis. “Is it down for good?” The boy curiously examined.

Quartermaster scoffed in response and booted the platypus into the lake’s depths. “Now it is.”

“Oh…” The magician dumbly replied, hands behind his back. Harrison observed the creature sink deeper and deeper under the current until it was no longer visible. “I suppose nature will take care of it.” He mentally noted with a quiet sigh. “So, are we done for the night then?”

His mentor had started walking already. “Another apocalypse foiled, another day of suffering…” He sombrely commented. Harrison translated that as a yes.

“There’s only one more week of camp before we all go home…” The boy frowned, following. “I wonder if I will be able to bring Erich back home by then.” He added, hope burning in his chest. Even if Harrison couldn’t do it immediately, he’d definitely be able to succeed soon! It was only a matter of time! “And then Mom and Dad won’t be scared of me anymore. Erich will be back. Everything will be normal again!” The older brother just knew it!

“One more week of you kids until this nightmare ends.” Quartermaster sagely nodded, as if baring with the most horrible of afflictions known to man.

Harrison promptly tilted his head, perplexed. “I thought you worked here every Summer? You are in all of David’s pictures from when he was a camper… Are you retiring?!” He tensely exclaimed. Not that the boy would ever admit to such a thing!

“Unfortunately not. Duty calls.” His mentor unintelligibly grumbled.

Unbeknownst to either, Harrison’s shoulders drooped with relief. “Oh, okay!” He happily acquiesced. A beat passed. “Hey, what would you do if you did retire?” The magician pushed, voice brimming with wonder. “My Grandpa said he went on a loooong vacation to Europe when he retired!”

Quartermaster muttered under his breath. “What part of eternal do you not understand, boy?” The old man gruffly retorted, caring Harrison to misstep. However, he quickly regained his footing with a slightly embarrassed flush.

“Right.” The boy nodded, wincing. But, it wasn’t long before he opened his mouth again. “So, you are going to stay at Camp Campbell for the rest of the year?” After all, apocalypses and eldritch horrors weren’t limited to Summertime. Personally, Harrison thought staying at camp year-round was way too lonely. However, his intuition told him Quartermaster preferred it that way.

It was odd, having even a partial understanding of the elder. Yet that’s how things were now. Almost like how everything started back during Astronomy Camp. When Harrison for a single, strange fortnight considered Quartermaster his friend.

“Only a fool would leave.” The old man shrugged, casting a forlorn gaze toward Lake Lilac.

Well, the boy disagreed there. He truly enjoyed his Magic Camp and enjoyed meeting Preston, Nerris, and all the others. An unforgettable Summer for sure. But, there was not a snowball’s chance in magic that he’d stay forever! Harrison expressed none of these sentiments.

“Even if it got you away from all of us?” The magician snickered, leaning forward a tad.

“I will betray everyone here if that’s what it takes.” Quartermaster gravely warned. He couldn’t really argue that, having seen the elder nearly poison camp and all. The sudden tension was immediately lifted with his next words, however. “I was here first.” Which was far more baffling than concerning. Unfortunately, it was one of those Quartermaster quirks that Harrison always failed to unravel. And whenever he asked, all he received was another cryptic response.

Inwardly rolling his eyes, the boy dropped the issue without much resistance. They could see the Mess Hall’s outline up ahead. “I will see you tomorrow night, right?” He put forward, pivoting towards the tents.

“That you will,” Quartermaster affirmed in a monotone, stalking off to wherever he went after they were done.

———

As usual, he woke up in the early morning. However, instead of hightailing it to his Magic Camp, Harrison simply sat on his bunk and allowed his thoughts to wander. ”One week left of camp…” The magician listlessly mumbled, eyes darting to Preston’s sleeping form, who wore the gaudiest face mask in history. For a brief second, he wished for a phone to record his tent mate’s very audible snores.

Preston proceeded to prove his point. “Tony Award… thank you…!” A symphony of snores followed.

Alas, his magic was not yet at a calibre where that was possible. It’d make for a comical subject to remember next Summer though. “Maybe if I improve enough, I could sneak a listening device into camp!” Harrison mischievously imagined.

However, dreaming of the next Summer only served to return him to his previous train of thought. “I’m not worried about not being able to come to camp again. Erich will definitely be home by then. So, my parents won’t think it is useless!” The magician confirmed, slowly laying back down on his pillow. “But until then, who knows when the next time I’ll see anyone will be…”

It could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months all the way until Summer began anew! Thus… Harrison would take a break from practising magic for a week. Just so he could make some more memories with his friends until they had to leave.

He was firm in his decision. But, tiny thorns of guilt poked into him nonetheless. “Erich trusts me…” The older brother repeated to himself, calming his scattered heartbeat as Preston stirred awake. Showtime. Harrison grinned. “Morning, Preston.”

“And good morrow to you as well, Harrison!” The theatre kid sprung, tearing the sleep from his eyes along with the face mask. Preston promptly leaned into his personal space. “I MUST tell you, I had the most splendid of visions come to me! I-“ Harrison cut in before Preston became lost in his own regaling.

“Let me guess, you got a Tony?” The magician amusedly surmised.

In turn, his friend sputtered, stepping back in shock. “GASP! How did you know?!”

“It’s magic, silly!” Harrison teased while grabbing his top hat and vest. “You also talk in your sleep and snore. That helped too.” He added slyly, counting the seconds in his head for the inventible explosion-

“WHY MUST I REPEAT MYSELF TO YOU?! I. DO. NOT. SNORE.” Preston ranted, hands turning into claws as he roared to the heavens.

Watching the theatre kid’s routine reaction, Harrison faintly chuckled. “It’s way too easy to make him angry.” He thought, moving toward their tent’s flaps. “Then again, I am kind of the same way when my tricks are called fake… except I’m less loud and get revenge later.” The magician hummed in a chipper mood, recalling freaking Neil’s mind out with Nikki. That had been a good day.

“-And to conclude this sermon! Your paltry attempt at dramatic irony has gone phut, packed up and pawned away what little dignity you once held! BECAUSE I DO NOT AND HAVE NEVER SNORED IN MY TEN YEARS OF LIFE!” Preston finished with a huff after joining him outside.

“Mhm.” He nodded absent-mindedly. The joke had gone old fast once his ears started to ring.

“I am pleased we are in agreement! Now, onwards to breakfast!” The contented theatre kid proclaimed, marching forward. The boy’s own stomach grumbled in harmony, causing him to sigh. But, Harrison couldn’t prevent the smile that sported his cheeks.

Yes. he could certainly go a single week more without practice.

———

A stack of fluffy, golden, buttery pancakes was flipped onto his tray.

Harrison ogled the food with wide eyes. For a moment, the boy was numb, frozen on his feet until Max loudly coughed behind him. “Fucking move it, Harrison.” The other camper rudely pressured. Yet there was a scary desire in those carnivorous irises focused on the flapjacks in his possession. Another moment, and Harrison had a hunch Max would swipe one for himself, utensils or not.

“R-Right…” Harrison shakily nodded, walking off in a daze. He couldn’t feel his feet. Was that bad? Around him - not that the magician was paying attention - the rest of Camp Campbell was in several stages of shock.

“Is this a bribe in advance for some weird activity you guys want us to do today?” Neil suspiciously questioned, tentatively forking his stack. He was either uncaring or plain ignorant of the wayward bits of pancake in his hair from Nikki’s vicious eating.

The closest counsellor to him was Gwen, who thoughtfully chewed before answering. “Nope, nothing out of the ordinary on today’s schedule.” She eventually went, crossing her arms over her chest. “Do we even have the budget for these?”

David proved no help, promptly bursting into tears out of pancake-induced joy. “Oh, Quartermaster! Thank you! Just thank you! I knew you had it in you!” The tall man sniffled, rainbow-coloured stars in his eyes.

“You’re welcome, brat!” The older man cheerfully replied, giving a gloved thumbs up as he served the next-in-line, which was even more alarming.

“What the…” Harrison mumbled, taking his usual seat next to Preston. The theatre boy had already devoured half of his stack and was in a similar state of hysterics to David. Fortunately, he hadn’t started bawling yet. Preston was an unnaturally loud crier. The magician had the misfortune to discover that fact during Sock Puppets: Drama of the Drawer. It was like standing right beside a blaring air horn at full power. “Something… is not right,” Harrison muttered in disbelief.

“You speak the TRUTH!” Preston dramatically declared after swallowing. “It is not right! Right is not enough to describe this turn of fortune! It is SPECTACULAR!”

“That is not what I meant…” The magician muttered under his breath.

“If you are not going to finish those, I shall seize them for myself!” Preston obliviously carried on, wielding his fork at him.

Harrison adopted a protective stance, slamming his arm between his tray and the theatre kid. “I am just… waiting. What if we get food poisoning again? He huffed, fighting the urge to demolish the tantalizing golden stack.

Preston actually paused in consideration, placing a finger on his chin. “That would be an ironic twist of our fate… BUT, good stories take daring risks! People love pain!” He promptly shrugged it off.

Their conversation ended there as his friend was too engrossed with breakfast. That off feeling which had settled in Harrison’s stomach had only grown stronger, like a harbinger of doom. The magician glanced at Quartermaster with an uncomfortable aura around him. “Pancakes, enjoy!” His mentor positively chirped while serving Space Kid.

Maybe the pancakes were poisoned? That would explain Quartermaster’s uncharacteristically jubilant mood. Except the old man had already confirmed his return next year. And that didn’t align with poisoning everyone the morning after. Plus… Harrison would have liked to think his mentor would warn him beforehand.

He shook his head, fidgeting in his seat. “I still have to meet him tonight.” The magician reminded himself, finally taking a delicious bite. Hopefully, Quartermaster’s spirits would have lowered by then. And if not. Well, Harrison supposed prying an answer out of an amiable Quartermaster would be easier than a regular Quartermaster.

Still though… something felt wrong. Something bitter hiding beneath the sweet texture of gluten.

Harrison hadn’t felt such anxiety since his first post-Astronomy Camp job with Quartermaster. He hoped he was merely being paranoid.

———

The boy was trying - and failing - not to freak his mind too much. But, night had long fallen. Everyone was slumbering away. And he’d been sitting in the Mess Hall alone for over an hour waiting for Quartermaster! The off feeling had gone from strong to practically impossible to ignore! “Something’s not right… Something’s not right…” Harrison mindlessly repeated, having resorted to nervously pacing the hall.

Brilliant stars loomed above him, judging. The magician had neither the time nor the patience to wait any longer. After all, the apocalypse waited for no one.

Harrison silently exited the Mess Hall, giving one last fleeting look for his mentor before sighing. “Thinking Cave… I’ll check there.” He chose as his plan of action. Not only was it Quartermaster’s most probable location. It would contain all of the supplies the boy required for their job.

A flurry of unease shot through the magician unbidden. Harrison’s feet trudged ahead without him registering it, the path etched into memory so his thoughts could run wild. “First, Quartermaster’s cooking was actually not bad. Then he was happy in the morning. And now he has ditched… What’s going on…?” He pondered aloud while scratching his head. The Thinking Cave came into view.

However, the area around his mentor’s abode caused him to become motionless.

Hell may as well have been released and gone berserk. Trees stood askew as if pushed down by a mad riot. Their trunks had savage wounds, which had been the blatant case of death for several fallen evergreens. Mud and dirt clumped together. From experience, Harrison would say someone had been pushed, and their heels dug into the soil to resist. Topping it off were scorch marks. Overall… it had seen better days. “Was there a fight…?” The boy exclaimed, inspecting the various remains.

A torn scrap of paper tangled in a tree branch caught his attention. It was ancient, yellow crusting the edges. On the front side were a plethora of small, printed letters, making him believe it was from a book of sorts. Harrison carefully picked it up and flipped it over. There was a single, hastily scrawled rune in heavy ink.

It was not dissimilar to those Quartermaster utilized on their nightly escapades. But, the meaning of that particular rune sent a jolt of fear through him.

“Pain?!” He hissed, instantly dropping the curse. The magician had only learned about offensive runes from the grimoire since his mentor never felt the compulsion to use them himself. The intent was quiet self-explanatory. Normally though, they activated upon first touch, regardless of which side made contact. The only explanation Harrison wasn’t currently writhing in intense agony was that it’d already been used.

The boy’s worry for his mentor was steadily building.

He cautiously approached the Thinking Cave, apprehensive of what he’d find. But, yet another gasp escaped him upon spotting the cave’s wall. Iron filled his nose. And the magician faltered, stepping away in horror. The original message was still legible… behind a fresh coat of blood.

Whatever shreds of calmness he once had vanished before his eyes. “Quartermaster?!” Harrison yelled, barging into the cave without a second thought.

He found the elder, alright. Unfortunately, what little relief that brought him was swiftly replaced by the state he was found in. “MMMM!” Quartermaster loudly gagged, bounded by thick, metal chains. A putrid sock securely wrapped around his mouth. “MMMMM!”

———

“Quartermaster!” Harrison shouted, running up to his mentor and untangling the sock so he could speak. “What happened?!” He pressed, proceeding to tug at the heavy chains to no avail. The boy pinpointed the problem soon enough. Tiny, nearly invisible, glowing runes were scratched into the restraints, strengthening them. “Knife. I need a knife to scratch the runes off.” His mind provided.

The old man muttered unintelligibly. “What?!” Harrison pushed as he prepared to pop a blade out of the floor. “Can you repeat that, please?!”

“I got into a goddamn brawl with-“ Quartermaster furiously started, eye twitching before the sound of footsteps approached. “Hide, boy!” The elder harshly ordered. And the magician was in no position to doubt or disobey. He dove under the first thing he could glimpse in the cave - a dusty, battered blanket that smelled like expired milk. No time for complaints! No time for hesitation! Harrison was hidden - hands miserably over his lower face - in the nick of time.

The cave’s entrance creaked open.

A stranger’s foot stepped in, purposefully drawn out.

A hook for a foot accompanied it in the next beat.

Quartermaster’s own face met the old man’s glare.

The boy suppressed choking from surprise, remaining utterly still under the blanket. “They look… exactly like Quartermaster!” Harrison mentally blanched, gaze darting from his incapacitated mentor to the stranger. “Is it the shifter again?” The magician suspected antecedent to shooting the idea down. “No, Quartermaster would not let them escape again after last time.” He noted, regaining his wits.

Additionally, his attention was drawn to the minute differences between them. The stranger had both of their hands. And in lieu, a hook for a foot instead. Two, open, functional eyes wryly travelled Quartermaster’s body. Yet there was a hint of something else in that leer.

The stranger clicked their tongue… and then punched his mentor in the gut. “YOU MOTHERFUCKER! How’d you break your fucking gag?! I knew I tied that shit tight!” A masculine voice screeched, squeakier yet undeniably Quartermaster.

“I AIN’T TELLING YOU, YOU BITCH! You tied me up!” Harrison’s mentor yelled back, wringing back and forth despite his bindings.

“Don’t fucking gaslight me and pretend you ain’t into this shit!” The stranger heatedly shot as they dissolved into a rambunctious - if petty - argument.

“This reminds me of when Quartermaster’s sister visited…” The magician vaguely recalled in disgust. However, that memory created a new profile for the stranger’s identity. “Could he be related to Quartermaster too?!” There wasn’t much time to speculate. For the siblings (?) eventually ended their feud when the stranger violently slapped his mentor.

Drops of blood splattered near Harrison. And in righteous anger, a puff of smoke escaped his palms. Fortunately, the boy was able to reign in his inner flames before he was discovered.

“Enough.” The stranger hissed, cracking his knuckles. “Let us continue where we left off before those brats woke up.” He begrudgingly went, getting down on one knee to stare the other in the face. “Reunite with me!” The stranger proposed, seemingly with all of the politeness he could muster if his clenched teeth were any indication.

“Reunite…?” Harrison mouthed at a loss.

“Think about it! Our POWER-“ He was abruptly interrupted by a spit in his eye.

Quartermaster spat blood on the ground, glare maintained throughout the entire exchange. “NOT A CHANCE IN HELL, YOU BITCH! THAT TONTINE IS MINE, YOU HEAR?! MINE!” They started bickering again. But, in the middle of their verbal showdown, his mentor glanced toward Harrison’s hiding spot, contemplative. “NOW SHUT THE HELL UP! The world’s going to fucking end in five hours if I don’t get out there!”

Those words appeared to have a startling effect on the stranger, who visibly tensed. “That’s now?!” They staggered backwards, grumbling and clearly annoyed.

“Are you deaf too? YES!” Quartermaster screamed, rattling his chains. “You have fucking horrible timing! Or did your lazy ass decide not to keep up with our tasks?” The old man grilled, and Harrison had to wonder if he was riling him up on purpose. “And you think you deserve to win the tontine…”

“SHUT UP!” The stranger growled, kicking his mentor in the chest. It lacked power, however. For the stranger was evidently distracted by their new information. He crossed the Thinking Cave twice before speaking. “… DAMN YOU! I’m gonna go fix this shit and then I’ll be back! You hear me?!” The stranger shouted.

“Oh…” Harrison understood what his mentor was doing. Quartermaster was buying the magician time to free him from his shackles. And while they were occupied he sent the stranger off to stop the incoming apocalypse! Two squirrels with one stone!

The stranger refused to stay and hear Quartermaster’s answer, stomping out into the forest.

———

Harrison threw the blanket off of him in relief, taking a large inhale to cleanse his lungs of the stink. Afterwards, he scrambled around for something sharp to undo Quartermaster’s runes. Luckily for him, the blade that he’d popped earlier lay still in the corner. “Quartermaster, who was-is that-“ The boy rambled, rushing to pick up a chain.

“Brother.” His mentor grumbled, spitting on the floor once more.

So, the stranger was Quartermaster’s brother - Quarterbrother then. “How many siblings do you have?!” The magician incredulously mumbled, slashing the runes apart chain by chain. Why were they so heavy? “He mentioned you are fighting over a… tontine. What is that?” He couldn’t help but ask, interest blending with alarm. Halfway done, come on…

His mentor pulled at the weakening shackles, incensed. “It is a long and burdensome story, boy! Right now, I need to-“ 

“Forgot something!” Quarterbrother called, barreling through the Thinking Cave’s entrance without warning. No! He was so close! Just a few more chains and he’d have had it! Harrison was forced to drop the rock in order to dodge debris from his entrance. However, that kept him wide in the clear.

Quarterbrother blinked, staring directly at him. “Uhh…” The boy sheepishly went, frozen in place.

“Why the hell are you here?” The stranger bellowed, pointing at him. Hey, another difference between him and Quartermaster. The latter would have tackled him to the ground by then. Actually, Harrison would probably be dead. Very violently.

Shaking such thoughts away, the magician gave himself a second to think before doing the only thing he could. He gave a star-dazzling smile, raising his hand as if waving. “Hi!” He cheerfully greeted. “Wind.”

And with a burst of unstoppable gales, shoved Quarterbrother out of the cave.

———

“FUCK!” Their foe cursed as he crashed into a boulder. But, Harrison raced forward nonetheless, hoping Quartermaster could free himself with one of the many stray rocks from his brother’s impromptu entrance. He had bigger fish to fry.

By the time he reached Quarterbrother, the older man was alert and ready. “You’re going to pay for that, you little shit!” Quarterbrother threatened, tapping his hook into the ground. With a click, the metal transformed into a steel short blade. He pounced.

Harrison adeptly avoided the frenzied attacks, jumping from left to right. Quarterbrother’s movements were brisk and nimble. He relied on his hook foot, maneuvering his lower body to get a clean swipe at his head. The boy felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. Eventually, Harrison put enough distance between them to go on the offensive.

“It’s my turn now!” He went, spreading his arms out. “Lightning!”

Blue bolts crackled, lashing out at the astounded male. Unfortunately, his attack only managed to hit his hand. Quarterbrother howled with convulsions, clutching his blistered appendage. “The arcane…” He twitched, meeting his eyes with a renewed interest. “He’s found a damn brat, huh?!” They warily circled each other amongst the torched grass. “This’ll make convincing that motherfucker easier at least…”

Harrison was kind of done with being used as leverage against his mentor. So, sorry, that was not happening.

He thought another bout of lightning made his point quite clear. But, Quarterbrother had changed his stance, more guarded, more intuitive. He somersaulted over the electricity and came down behind him. The older man proceeded to spin on his head while spreading his legs so that his hook swung like a circular blade, missing Harrison’s neck by mere inches. He was wholly unpredictable.

Jumping back, the magician sweat dropped at his whirlwind speed. However, he shook himself out of it in time to call forth luscious vines from below. The fauna emerged with a quake and quickly ensnared Quarterbrother’s entire head.

“Ha! That tickles!” His foe laughed as they crawled up his body. In one fell motion, he bent his leg directly parallel to his torso and chopped all the vines away. Quarterbrother then grabbed the remaining plants and twisted them into a thorny, green rope. Harrison was thus compelled to make them wither on sight. Rather, the boy didn’t desire to be on the receiving end of nature for a second time. Those things were unbearably taut.

His opponent wasn’t finished though, bringing out multiple slips of yellow paper. “Not good!” The magician gritted his teeth.

Runes of pain were shot at him like playing cards. Harrison had to duck sideways to avoid the initial few. But, after a roll managed to release a flag of fire to incinerate the rest. Quarterbrother lifted a brow at him. “Impressive…”

“Oh, thanks-“ The boy instinctively replied before stopping himself short, turning a beet-red in the process. “Um, I mean-take this!” Harrison hurriedly amended, levitating a boulder before slamming it into his enemy.

The rock broke into pebbles upon colliding with Quartermaster, who didn’t even flinch. “Ow.” The older man dryly mocked.

His magic bristled underneath the determined facade he wore. The magician couldn’t keep spamming spells lest he run out of energy. “The only thing that’s worked so far was the windstorm!” He remembered, choosing to repeat his earlier action. Harrison pushed his palms forward, allowing the gales to emerge from them and charge.

But, the odds were not in his favour. Either Quarterbrother was prepared for the attack, or he’d simply been taken off guard at first. The older man swiftly dashed to the side, and - faster than wind - catapulted toward Harrison.

He couldn’t react in time. Quarterbrother drove his boot - fortunately not his hook - into the boy’s shoulder. While he yelped in pain, the older man launched another attack, elbowing Harrison and knocking him off his feet.

Quarterbrother’s arm fiercely dug into his neck. “Much better.” He growled, fishing his pocket for another pain rune. The older man held it up high, like a dagger bathing in the sun’s glow.

He brought it down to Harrison’s face. “No, no, no, no, no!” The magician protested, squirming and futilely trying to wrestle free from underneath. Struggling was for naught. The rune kissed his cheek. And Harrison squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the unimaginable pain…

…

… Wait, where was the pain?

“Huh…?” The boy cluelessly blinked, studying the glowing rune in the corner of his vision. It had activated all right, he could feel a firm pulse beneath his cheek. However, the worst change he’d encountered was an irritating but mild itch around his body. Was that it? Really? “Does he have a really low tolerance for pain or something?” Harrison thought, glancing at an expectant Quarterbrother. “No, if he’s anything like Quartermaster this is nothing. So then, why are they so weak?”

The sole reason runes’ effects weakened was due to a lack of power. Quarterbrother… and Quartermaster by extension… have never performed a spell in front of him before. His eyes widened with clarity. And he knew what to do. The boy’s body ached. But, he had enough magic left for one last trick.

Harrison spotted the remaining pain runes discarded amongst the dirt. With indistinct finger movements, the magician floated them into his hand and allowed his power to freely flow into them. It was like spreading his warmth to an ice cube. By then, Quarterbrother had realized something was amiss. But, he was far too late to halt what was in motion.

The old man’s eyes exploded with badly concealed horror upon spotting the vibrating runes in his fists.

Harrison brightly smiled and let them loose. “Tada!”

———

Quartermaster wandered next to him as he finished binding his brother to a tree with scarves. “Okay, he should not be able to escape!” The magician proudly declared, stepping back to admire his handiwork. After a few tense minutes, Quarterbrother sobered up from his pain-induced high. And if looks could kill, both Harrison and his mentor would be dead on their feet.

Man, if only his facial expressions matched his fighting prowess. He might have won.

Quartermaster had other thoughts on the matter. “Dammit, lucky bastard… manhandled by some kid…” He spat on his face. “Any last words, bitch?” His mentor coyly offered, menacingly tapping his hook in his hand.

“MOTHERFUCKER!” His brother seethed, pulling at the scarves. Profanity after profanity spewed between the two old men.

“Mhm…” Harrison listlessly nodded, backing off as they fought. The boy didn’t need to be around for that. Even though he had his own reservations about sibling feuds - brothers shouldn’t fight. It really wasn’t any of his business.

That was the magician’s first mistake.

“Well, what exactly has your fucking lazy ass been up to all these years? Sucking bear dicks and obsessing over the goddamn tontine?” Quartermaster taunted, having viciously stabbed his brother in the thigh. Payback, he’d called it. Quarterbrother became unnaturally silent, eyes darkening with every passing syllable. The sudden pause even caused Harrison to look over.

And then Quarterbrother, with inhuman reflexes, bit his brother’s wrist.

There was a bright light along with a raucous explosion that sent Harrison flying before he could call out.

He painfully hit an overturned trunk, landing face-first in a mud puddle. But, the boy only let himself stay down for a moment, concern overriding instinct. Harrison shakily stood, head pounding, and world tilted. A deafening silence rang in his ears as he stumbled back toward his mentor’s location. “Quartermaster…?” The magician shouted, leaning against an evergreen for support.

Not a soul answered. 

For the only thing Harrison could see were dual metal hooks, laid to rest on the ground.

Chapter Text

There are legends. And there are myths. And there are oral tales passed down from generation to generation. Some came close, but none quite captured the truth of who he was. Or rather, what He was. That indomitable force of nature that created miracles with his hands. That black-robed figure who wandered the woods and disappeared in the early fog. That lone stranger who walked amongst the bears and the wolves.

But, they called him The Master.

Master of what exactly? Master of the arcane arts that flourished in his fingers? Master of the world, for he knew so many of its deepest, most horrifying, forbidden secrets? Master of nature, for its laws bent to his words? Master of the unknown, for it seemed he only appeared to vanquish the unspeakable? He had never asked nor cared. In turn, they have never explained.

His first memory was of crystal waters and iridescent skies. Golden grains of sand underneath his fingers and toes. A blazing sun that illuminated evergreen trees and meadows. And the gentle lullaby of nature.

The first thing He did was release the bubbling energy in his veins. And he watched in wonder and joy as blazing, ruby flames filled the air with flare. He smiled that day with heat blanketing his skin, knowing his purpose. Indeed, from the moment He came to be, he was one with the universe in its ethereal glory.

The Master’s undeniable power both captivated and terrified those around him.

———

He seldom left his forest. It was where he was born and where he shall never leave. How long had it been since he first opened his eyes? Time had become an irrelevant concept in recent years. Death did not touch him, and he doubted it ever would.

Only when his duty took him afar did he travel beyond the evergreens. There was a meagre settlement expanding a way away from his forest. Those humans and their need for companionship. He never could understand. Their buildings were built of burly wood and sturdy stone. Yet such pithy barriers would provide null protection if the apocalypse galloped through their homes.

The people there - Jews, they called themselves - disliked him. No, they abhorred him to the bone. “Devil!” Humans cried when He walked their streets. They saw what he could perform with the arcane and feared him, fearing that he would be their ruin. Although, the feeling wasn’t reciprocated. He would never cower before them and their threats. Why should he? What could they do to stop him, that indomitable force of nature?

Plenty, it turned out.

They cornered him in his forest. He had just conquered a hellish week, an apocalypse each day and night. His muscles protested every movement. His power was at its lowest. It was a mystery how the fight lasted longer than an hour in his state.

The humans bound him to stone and doused him in oil. Afterwards, a white-robed figure held a torch in his hands, chanting in a language he did not understand before setting him aflame.

The Master screamed as his body burned. He felt every cell in his limbs thrash and flail in anguish. Yet the humans decided it wasn’t enough. Something else invaded his body, increasing his suffering in spades. It lurked like a tiger behind lush foliage, waiting to pounce. It took far too long for him to realize what that something was targeting: his power.

He howled while the arcane was ripped from his skin and quartered.

And as the world, forest, and humans retreated, a single promise burned in his manic mind. “Once I undo this… they will pay with their blood.” However, even that was forgotten once all was said and done with.

The Master went from one to four: He, She, Brother, and Sister.

———

There was no undoing what was done to him… them.

At first, them four joining forces had been the sensible course of action to enact revenge. But it fell apart like ashes after cackling at the burning settlement’s remains and decoding their dear grimoire. For in that short fragment of time, the quarters had changed irreversibly. They’d become addicted to independence, too human, and were no longer willing to sacrifice it for his powers. For the tontine. And even if they all miraculously agreed to reunite right then and there, only a quarter’s personality would remain intact. Only a quarter. The Master’s spirit was gone for good.

The frustration of the ordeal, the unfairness of it all, caused He to smash a poison bottle. “FUCK! FUCK THIS! FUCK ALL OF YOU!

———

Thinking wasn’t something he did often after separation. He just knew he wanted to get as far away as heavenly possible from his homeland. Despite who knows how fucking long The Master lived in his forest, they lacked the same sentimentality. So, it came to no surprise when the quarters jumped ship and abandoned their eternal post. Besides, there was no point in staying. Not without his powers to continue his task.

His first death post-quartering was unmemorable. If there’s anything to be grateful for, it’s that his fear of death remained non-existent.

“What the fuck happened…?” He snarled, resting a hook against his weary temple. His reflection was crystal clear in the lake. A broken body on display for all to see. He hated it, kicking the water and allowing ripples to distort his image. Golden sand rubbed against his clothes. And the quarter averted his single eye from the omniscient moon.

Foggy memories clouded his mind. He died in some random city alley in an unnamed country. It probably helped shit being drunk on his ass most of the time anyway. Or having lost himself in hedonistic pleasure after pleasure, trying to do anything but think.

A feminine cough caught his attention. “Excuse me?“

His eye twitched, recognizing one of the three voices he’d tried to scrub clean from memory. He reluctantly twisted his neck to glare at She. “What the hell are you doing here?” The man growled, pushing himself onto unsteady feet. Because there was no way they managed to defy the odds and perish simultaneously. There was no way the Gods hated them that much to toy with fate’s strings.

“I LIVE HERE, FUCKER!” She angrily flailed her two, completely normal arms around. “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE? I SAID I NEVER WANTED TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!”

He felt a vein throb on his head. Seriously, why did he have to stay connected with that goddamn lake? “WELL, I’M SORRY MY DEATH’S INCONVENIENCING YOU. NOT! Take it up with the higher-ups if you got a problem with it!” The male shot back, temper ignited. It took another second before her screeching registered in his head. “What do you mean you live here, CRAZY BITCH?!”

“I live here means I FUCKING LIVE HERE! Or did you lose your thinking juice along with your ugly-ass eye-“ She screamed back, dressed up in some ridiculous garb reminiscent of royalty.

He’d heard rumours of a she-witch trying to overthrow some doll-face European’s throne. “Should’ve known it’d be that whore…” Thankfully, it failed spectacularly. But, apparently, she hadn’t let the ridiculous, frilly costume go after fleeing.

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” The man snapped, killing intent practically dripping from his form. “Now you the stay the fuck away from me!” He threatened, taking a lone step across the lake’s coast. Even though his instincts screamed to rip the bitch to shreds, hair by hair, organ by organ, she really just wasn’t worth the expense. None of them gave a rat’s ass about the tontine anymore…

“OR WHAT?!” She challenged, shrinking the space between them. In the process, silver light caught on her own hook foot.

“OR…” He started, body tensed and rearing for a showdown. However, the man paused when a sudden tremor shook the earth. “What in the…?” The quarter hissed, nearly losing his balance and forgetting about her for a brisk moment.

A moment too long, it turned out.

Everything happened so fast. One breath and the water exploded behind him with an ear-splitting screech. In the next, he’d been shoved aside as his fellow quarter courageously leapt forward, hook raised defiantly above the rapids.

He was used to the Eldritch horror that broke the surface and shattered the sky. The Master’s memories had simply been… pushed aside. They hadn’t any worth for him! What the man was explicitly not used to was seeing She in combat. After all, The Master had always acted alone and thus never saw himself fight! The woman was quick on her feet, sharp, and coldly efficient. Yet there was a certain… grace to her movements that kept him mesmerized.

The battle itself lasted only eighteen minutes. And as the beast sank below the current, She laughed at his face. “Like what you see?” The woman slyly teased, voice like fine silk.

He shook himself out of his stupor, matching her gaze. “… You’ve been continuing his work.” The male stated dumbly.

“That I have.” She nodded, walking closer and closer. Slowly though, as to drain every drop dry of the memory. Without a single one of his powers too… He couldn’t see why she would. The woman answered as if reading his thoughts. “It’s our purpose.”

Honestly… he found that really fucking attractive.

———

At first, He stayed in the forest because he was too busy fucking She for days on end. Later, the man remained because of the alluring prospect of purpose. He truly wanted to know if the other quarter had found a way out of the desolate wandering they’d forsaken themselves to.

They were together for a few months. A few months for He to polish his tricks and instincts. A few months for He to retrace his steps back toward their progenitor. A few months for He to realize the woman had been speaking truthfully. It was like everything finally settled into place as he slipped into the shoes of the Eternal Custodian. A dying ember, gifted enough wood to become a blaze.

“We should reunite…” She was the one who proposed one night, mid-embrace. Without the quarters’ infighting, they were essentially the same person from appearance to personality. But, those days they even fought for the same purpose. In the grand scheme of the universe, two custodians were not needed.

They had their purpose, whether apart or together.

“As you wish.” He slid his hand behind her sweaty back. And with a single breath, the process of reunification began.

Reuniting was neither painful nor pleasant. There were feelings of both loss and gain. He felt his body dissolve into tiny particles, energy exploding from a crumbling frame. The same occurred to She. Their particles interwove and looped in a dance of wills. Their minds turned to air as they mingled together. Light retreated as chance chose the victor. And where once stood a couple then stood the custodian. 

They are He and She no longer. Only He remains…

From two to one.

———

It was a regular Sunday when He saw the man. Brown hair. Blue eyes. The human wore a flimsy yellow scruff around his neck. On first impressions, the custodian believed him to be like all the others who came to the forest. Loonies who fooled themselves into thinking they loved the outdoors whilst lacking the will to fully embrace it. He usually left them alone lest they got in his way.

Besides, The Master hadn’t been one to seek out companionship. A trait that had carried over to his quarters despite their diverging paths.

“Hi ho, nature-no, that’s lame… Oh, what about adventure?! Kids love adventure! Wait, no, too generic… God, why is thinking of a summer camp motto so hard?!” The man talked to himself, pacing in a circle near the forest’s edge.

“Weirdo.” He judged before making his presence known. The human was standing above the spot where he’d buried his stash. “Boo.”

The man was easily startled, screaming like a little girl. Funny. But, he quickly regained his composure and coughed into his fist. “I-mean, who are you?! And what are you doing trespassing on Cameron C. Campbell’s property?” Campbell put on false bravado, almost hiding the plain fear underneath. Almost. 

“I live here.” He bluntly explained.

His response seemed to take the human off guard, and he stepped back in alarm. However, the surprise vanished just as quickly as the first, and Campbell turned to mumble to himself. “A local all the way out here? But, the charades person said it was uninhabited… Perhaps it was a mistake trusting a mime’s word…”

Was the custodian not supposed to hear him? It’d been a while since He last left the forest. Apparently, humans got weirder while he was gone. As if he’d never pivoted in the first place, Campbell spun back energetically. “Say, my good fellow! Do you happen to know any inspirational local sayings that one could copyright as their own?” The man’s smile was obnoxiously bold.

“No.” The custodian apathetically debunked.

Campbell wilted at his answer. “Oh…” He pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. “What about any salutes of sorts? Something that screams camaraderie or another marketable concept?”

He debated for a moment, although his outward expression remained stony. “Like this?” The older of the two by far demonstrated, using the weird hand signal She had invented for her failed monarchy. They weren’t exactly comrades but close enough, right?

The human’s eyes lit up. “Perfect! Finally, life is going Cameron C. Campbell’s way! Now, I just need to think of that damn motto, build the blasted camp and hire… “ Campbell’s gaze fell upon him once more. “Say, local fellow! Would you like to work for me in my Summer camp?” He eagerly offered, a cheap gleam in his face. Before He could answer the man forwarded his pitch. “The pay is better than anything you’ll find in any other Summer camp, or any camp for that matter…”

He stopped paying attention after the word pay. “Pay as in money?” The custodian inquired, just in case. No one wished for a repeat of the oregano incident. Dark times those days. Dark times.

Campbell sputtered… indignantly… maybe. “Why, why of course! I would never try to scam my own employees…”

He liked money. It’s a hell of a lot easier to get shit done outside of the forest with money. “Deal.”

———

The work was laughably easy, if annoying. He hated kids with a burning passion. Fortunately, the custodian only had to deal with the fucking kids during mealtimes and the occasional event or trouble.

“Oh, that’s the good shit…” He sighed in bliss after downing his second bottle of rat poison. While the elder was supposed to be cleaning up the grounds from… Baking Camp, his job had reached hazardous heights since the newest brat was doing a performance of some kind. “Damn kids…” He grumbled, trying to block out the loud gaggle of youths a few yards off.

Don’t get him wrong, the custodian had been intrigued when Campbell introduced the various camps. Particularly, the magic campers. It had never occurred to the old man that there might be others gifted in the arcane. Let alone, search for them.

Unfortunately, He was grossly disappointed with the results. Every magic camper  - if they stayed for more than a week that is - showed no promise in his area of expertise. They relied on deceit and trickery, fooling the human mind with human lies. Not a drop of the arcane anywhere.

That year proved no different. The boy with hopeful yet apprehensive eyes was limited to card tricks and metal rings. “Fuck, disappointing…” He thought.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to The Amazing Harrison’s Magic Show!” The boy charmingly headlined, arms spread out wide, imitating a shining star. Polite claps and excited hollers chased after him. So, the boy carried on, irrefutably pleased by his reception. From that point forward, the spectacle was more or less what He expected. Of course, it appeared that the boy was better than those before him. His tricks were harder to comprehend and contained extra colours. Yet without the arcane, the custodian held no vested interest-

Flames burst from the boy’s hands.

He stilled, staring at the dazzling sparks while the children oohed and awed. The world skidded to an abrupt halt even as the boy bowed off stage for his next trick. Amber embers fluttered around them. Perhaps it was the halcyon expression of wonder on his face? Or was it the way the blaze-heartedly glowed? No matter, He recognized the arcane when he saw it.

“That one has potential…” The custodian declared, marvelling at the notion of finding another like him.

———

Sister came and went one day, thanks to the tall one’s meddling. He is pretty darn confident they’ve steered clear of each other longer than the tall one’s been alive. But, with how long they’ve walked the land, their encounter was a mere blink of an eye.

He is mildly taken off guard by how easy the reunification process was. How little time it took compared to She. Perchance there was merit in the fools’… counselling, was it? Nonetheless, his will proved supreme once more. They are together now. Forever and ever and ever.

From three to one.

———

For unknown reasons, that boy limited his spells to the same cheap shit as those before him. But, perhaps it was for the best. Their eternal tasks were not suited toward the heavy-hearted. And He would never subject another soul to dredge down a trail not of their choosing. He would suffocate before echoing those hooligans who’d quartered him.

The custodian never reached out. In turn, the boy failed to realize their shared abilities.

So, He didn’t expect the boy to be the one to approach him. And not only once, but twice.

To put it mildly, He had offered him participation in his eternal tasks because he was being a nostalgic motherfucker. Although the custodian had long learned to survive - maybe not completely accept living - without his powers, he missed them. The man yearned for the rush of mana in his veins, the arcane’s comforting hum beneath flesh. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want to see the arcane in action again.

And reservations aside, it goddamn irked him to see those abilities being wasted in that fucking camp.

However, staring at Brother’s bound body, He supposed he’d somewhat underestimated the boy’s latent potential even after a month. Even though the kid lacked experience - it couldn’t be helped compared to his millennia - he had enough raw power to rival his prime.

“MOTHERFUCKER!” Brother seethed, trying to eviscerate him with his eyes.

“Fucking fool…” If He had two balls to roll he would’ve done so. “DON’T YELL AT ME WHEN THIS IS YOUR OWN FUCKING FAULT! ANYONE WORTH THEIR DAMN WOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO FIGHT ME!” The custodian stabbed him for good measure, just to make sure the message stuck. Payback…

Brother reared his teeth, struggling like a fish in a net. It suited him. “SHUT UP!”

“MAKE ME!” He fired back, waving his arms in the air to emphasize that oh, he couldn’t!

“I WOULDN’T HAVE HAD TO BEAT YOU IF YOU JUST AGREED TO REUNITE ALREADY!” The other man argued, skin turning an ugly red from his incessant yanking. He needed to ask the boy what those scarves were made out of. “YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT WE COULD DO WITH HIS GIFT! ANYTHING WE WANT! YOU’RE JUST, JUST-“

“I’VE BEEN DOING OUR DAMN JOB!” The custodian boomed, getting face to face with him, shaking the earth with his voice. “Well, what exactly has your fucking lazy ass been up to all these years? Sucking bear dicks and obsessing over the goddamn tontine?”

Silence. Good.

He was about to taunt him further when Brother bit his hand. And the custodian was unwillingly pulled into their reunification process. Neither of them, any of them, were the type to throw their lives away. It seemed his final quarter had decided to stop beating around the bush for the tontine’s winner. It’s the same and yet so different.

From four to one.

———

They opened their eyes.

Chapter Text

“Shed away night’s bodily embrace and WAKE UP HARRISON!” Preston rambunctiously beckoned, leaning over his bunk. In response, the magician simply groaned and flipped over. He gleaned the luminous rays of sunlight beyond their tent’s flaps but couldn’t bring himself to care, sleep schedule be damned. 

Harrison didn’t want to get up and realize last night’s cruel ordeal had been real. Once the initial shock of his mentor literally exploding wore off, the boy spent the entire night in a frenzy trying to track him down. He’d checked every mile of Camp Campbell: the Thinking Cave, the Mess Hall, every single one of their past job sites, even taking the boat out into the lake in desperation. But, Quartermaster was simply… gone.

“I want to sleep… Abracadabra…” The magician tiredly drawled, lazily snapping his fingers to fling Preston’s pillow onto his own head.

“… Oh, really?” The theatre kid gauged in a blasé tone, arms tightly fixed to his hips. After a brief, silent showdown, his friend sighed in defeat. “Well…” Preston started, spinning on his heel with exaggerated pizzazz. “I guess I’ll go then-PLOT TWIST! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR HAS BEEN ANTICIPATING AN AUDIENCE FOR FAR TOO LONG-“

Harrison finally snapped. Growling, he hurled a pillow at the theatre kid’s stupefied face. Wasting no time, the magician proceeded to drag his other pillow out and over his aggravated temple. “Leave me alone, Preston.” He mumbled, haunted yet unyielding in his position.

Preston would not… could never understand. For he hadn’t been the witness. For he hadn’t been the one to fight off the tantalizing arms of sweet slumber until the wee hours of dawn, perched on the lake’s edge and begging beyond hope that the custodian would arise. In the end, Harrison failed to get even a wink of sleep. And he collapsed vacantly staring at the wall in his bunk, fully clothed, only due to extreme exhaustion.

His friend looked both undeterred and concerned. Probably because Preston’s alarm clock shouting had never failed in its efficiency. “You… are acting FUNNY, HARRISON!” He loudly accosted, pointing a finger at his face.

Well, funny was the furthest thing from Harrison’s mind at that moment. “I didn’t get any sleep last night…” The magician offered, albeit lamely.

“Dramatic irony is inappropriate right now!” Preston countered, unconvinced. “This is the scene where you unveil what’s plaguing your mind!”

“I…” The magician faltered, gently closing his eyes. Was there no really escape from this conversation? Truthfully, Harrison was more than fine with turning into a human bat and sleeping through the day. That just gave him extra hours to continue his search for Quartermaster.

Alas, if he forever held his peace and didn’t speak then Preston would surely hunt David or Gwen down… Actually, that might be the more appealing option. It would be ludicrously easier to trick the counsellors than his tent mate.

“I could pretend to be sick…? No, I can’t maintain the temperature high while sleeping… And the soup does not taste good…” The magician drearily debated.

Apparently, he took too long to answer as Preston frowned. The theatre kid then coughed, breaking character. Which meant he miraculously ceased his shouting. “Seriously, what’s going on with you?” His friend urged at a normal enough volume.

In the end, Harrison was tired. He’d been through this once already, the disappearance of someone he cared for. First, it had been Erich. And then it was Quartermaster. A second there, another gone. And the boy knew how things would proceed. Worry. Panic. Anger. All coalesced into a viscous, heinous sludge that only grew with time before eventually sinking into sullen faces.

There were small mercies. At least in the present, the little magician couldn’t get blamed. Only feel guilt. And merely because no one could possibly know. However, those mercies tangled with dirty setbacks. With Erich, Harrison knew what went wrong and what he had to do to fix it. In Quartermaster’s case… he didn’t even know where to start!

Harrison exhaled, numbly bringing his head up and brushing loose hair from his eyes. “I’m just… worried.”

———

“I wonder if David and Gwen have noticed he’s gone…” Harrison grimly noted as they arrived at the Mess Hall for breakfast. He’d eventually dragged himself out of bed - if anything to relieve Preston of that particular fuss. Yet his friend persisted in shooting him concerned looks. Plus, the magician’s delay caused them to be stuck dead last in line.

His eye uncontrollably twitched from sleep deprivation.

“Hey, why’s David making breakfast today? I thought that was Quartermaster’s job! Did Quartermaster get fired?!” Nikki exclaimed, bouncing on the spot from the line’s front. Harrison yawned.

“Maybe they finally realized what a creep he is and got rid of him.” Max sagely nodded behind her.

A flicker of anger sparked before he stamped it out. The magician wouldn’t be able to explain his defence of Quartermaster without delving into personal matters. “Besides, I’ll just make sure their coffee machine breaks later…” Harrison reckoned. “We will see how they like that! Tada!”

“No one has been fired!” Gwen quickly denied, a slight panic on her face before she settled down. “Thank, God for that… Quartermaster… had a rough night. So, he’s taking a breather today.” The counsellor calmly explained, crossing her arms over her chest. “Basically, don’t try to bug him. And don’t make too much of a mess either, you brats.” She added pointedly.

“Ah, so that’s what they’re going with…” The boy hummed. It was a good plan he supposed. If his mentor was absent for another morning, they’d probably say he took a day off or something. But, they’d have to call the police eventually, right?

David chose that moment to interject. “But, even without Quartermaster’s superb cooking talent, we can manage just fine!” He cheered, emerging from the kitchen with a bucket of scrambled eggs - probably the eggs Harrison had sneakily returned himself. “Why, I bet he’ll be back before we know it!” 

Harrison liked to believe that too. The magician sat at his usual place beside Preston, tray filled with fully-cooked eggs. There was a blank schedule for camp activities. “I wonder if David and Gwen are going to look for Quartermaster.” He went. The counsellors likely wouldn’t, seeing as the campers would only have Mister Campbell to rely on if something went amiss. But, even if David and Gwen did try their hands at tracking him down, they’d be out of luck. They wouldn’t even find his hook. Harrison had taken great care in concealing that underneath the backstage boards.

He picked at his food, having lost most if not all of his appetite.

He could feel Preston’s stare bore into his skull. The magician paused, weighed his options, and sighed. “So… “ Harrison lightly started, attaching his displeasure to a ball and chain and kicking it off into the sea of his mind. “What is… Shakespeare’s King Lear about…?” He forced through his teeth.

The magician knew he’d won when Preston’s eyes lit up with stars. Privacy at the cost of his sanity. Joy.

However, Harrison’s sacrifice only meant something for three minutes. After which, the theatre kid unexpectedly froze before glaring holes at him. Darn, that usually lasted entire mornings before. King Lear must be a really short play!

“AHA! I’ve seen through your deception, HARRISON!” Preston declared, pointing accusingly. “But, the tension has been drawn out far enough! Spill already!” He reiterated, fixing a stern gaze on him.

The magician refused to meet his eyes. Logically, Harrison was aware that if he made it steadfastly clear he was not talking, Preston would drop his interrogation. He was a good person like that. On the other hand… Harrison would feel like a horrible friend if he made the theatre kid worry about him for the rest of camp. But, a magician never revealed their hand.

Except… Harrison didn’t have to tell the whole whole truth, did he?

“I will… tell you if it gets bad. Like, really, bad. Like, I burned down all of your scripts on accident bad. I’m okay right now. I’m good.” He sported a good-natured smile to further sell the effect. And it would be okay. It would. “I’ll just find Quartermaster!” The magician coped, shoving uncertainty away. So what if he didn’t know the hows or the where?! He believed in himself and he’d figure it out! “Somehow…”

Harrison was not about to let his worry wreck his friends’ remaining time at camp.

“HMMMM…” Preston doubtfully judged his act, raising a finger to his chin.

“Come on, just pretend everything is normal? Please.” Harrison said in his most laid-back voice. It was both an answer and a non-answer. They both knew that. Even so, it appeared to mollify the theatre kid.

“… Very WELL! But, the moment I seeth thou art ailing! Nothing shall thwart me! NOTHING!” His friend humphed. He exhaled into his eggs. At least that was one problem out of the way. The second could be addressed once the magician was alone. However, Harrison wasn’t about to pull the rug underneath Preston’s feet and ditch after assuring him he was alright. An illusionist he may be, but not all tricks were appropriate!

Fortunately, dinner finished without another hiccup.

The two boys stood to leave, trading quips about stage presence. Yet before they could exit Nerris zoomed toward them. She took a large breath while lifting her chin. “Greetings Preston… And you too, Harrison.” The girl cooly addressed with a smirk.

“Hi, Nerris.” The magician rolled his eyes. Although, there was no real bad blood between them. “What is up?”

She cleared her throat. “I, Nerris the Cute, hereby invite you to participate in the first-ever official Camp of Campbell Arcane: The Gathering Tournament of Wizards!” The elf-eared girl cordially stated.

Harrison paused. “That is a long name…”

“It’s a perfectly reasonable length! Definitely better than just The Amazing Harrison’s Magic Show!” Nerris mocked. “So, are you coming? Neil and Erid already said they’d join!” She added much more amiably.

Preston briefly glanced at him before responding. “I for one, think this is a stupendous idea! I AM IN!” The theatre kid pledged. Nerris practically vibrated with giddiness before focusing on Harrison. Her stare was intense, drilling into his resolve and initially causing him to stumble. Well, he did say that he wasn’t going to run off at the first opportunity. And if it made his friends happy and not concerned… the magician thought it’d be worth it.

“Yeah, I will be there!” He performed on stage. On and off.

———

Another day…

Branches snapped and leaves crumpled under his feet. Harrison scrutinized the ground as if it were a card trick that had gone particularly awry. He was miraculously alone. For Preston saw fit to work on one of his script’s final renditions while Nerris was galavanting somewhere with Erid. With his newfound freedom, the magician further combed through the forests with little success.

“I have to be missing something…” Harrison grimly thought as he meandered back into camp. It considerably helped treating the entire debacle like another one of his and Quartermaster’s jobs. Well, it mainly served to dull the boy’s stress and worry. “There’s always a sign…  I just need to figure out what it is!” 

He was debating the ethical implications of human sacrifice when he spotted David sneaking behind the Mess Hall.

“Huh? I thought David was setting up Paper Mache Camp by the lake.” The magician noted, approaching to spy on the counsellor. Upon closer inspection, the latter had brought out his cell phone and was typing with an agitated expression. 

“Oh, darn…” David talked to himself. “Hello, I need to report-“

Harrison chose that moment to interrupt. “Hey, David. What’s up?” He neutrally greeted.

In turn, the counsellor sprung into the air, nearly dropping his phone in the process. “Harrison?!” David shrieked, stuffing his device away. He coughed to gather his bearings before continuing. “Why, shouldn't you be at Magic Camp right now?” 

The magician shrugged. “I am taking a break to recharge my magical prowess.” He offered, wiggling his fingers beside his head. “Looking for Quartermaster…” His mind fired back. “What about you?” 

“Oh, uh. Me?!” The other sputtered, pupils spinning in circles as he raised his arms. “I’m just… calling my bank! To make sure all is in order… heh…” David weakly supplied with a plastic grin.

Of course, Harrison was utterly oblivious to that. “Oh. That makes sense. Is that not kind of boring though?”

“Not at all! It’s no issue! None! Nadda! I love sorting through my finances! Sure, do ree!” David spoke, flustered and swinging his arm out. Harrison tilted his head. But, let the older man’s strange behaviour go. Everyone expressed their passion differently, he supposed. Although, the magician would rather make someone else handle that for him. Or, enchant the papers to come to life and figure themselves out. It sounded immensely tedious.

“Okay.” The boy said. A beat passed in silence. Harrison shifted on his feet. David blinked.

“... Say, what do you think of spaghetti for dinner tonight?” The counsellor eventually broke the silence, grin turning genuine. 

“Oh, I like spaghetti.” Harrison nonchalantly agreed.

“Well then, seeing as the end of camp is coming up on us, I think spaghetti shall do!” David beamed, resting his fists on his hips. “I don’t know what Quarter… master was planning…” The words instantly died on his tongue as regret made eddies in his eyes. However, the counsellor quickly bounced back from his episode of despondency. “BUT, I’m sure he’d be a-okay with it! Yup!”

Harrison was quiet. When it came to his mentor, the boy’s naiveté stepped back. He lowered his gaze unsurely before patting the older man’s arm. “It’s okay… I miss him too.” The magician commiserated.

“Harrison…?” David repeated, stunned.

“Wait.” The boy went, straightening up. He backed away and sniffed the air. “Is something… burning?”

Clouds violently tore through the sky. And wind curled around tree crowns as if being swept by a tsunami. Leaves were thrown upwards while a dominating quake shook. Yet howling filled the air like a warning carroll. It almost seemed that Mother Nature herself was recoiling from whoever walked her lands. Both males were rendered speechless, sights locked on the enigmatic force marching toward them.

Harrison’s jaw dropped to the ground. “It’s…”

Strolling forward as if it were any other day, Quartermaster stopped to acknowledge their presence. “Afternoon.” His eyes narrowed. Eyes. Plural? “Staring’s rude, you know.” The magician didn’t have any room to fully respond to that, simply advancing with a tumble.

His eyes were blown so wide, that he was mildly surprised they didn’t fall out. Despite the forest’s wailing, Harrison deemed it void of sound. A beat passed before he finally found his voice. “QUARTERMASTER!” The boy shouted, charging forward… And tackled the old man with a hug. “You’re okay!” Harrison cried out, uncompromising in his position.

The sentiment wasn’t… exactly returned. “EH?! GET OFF OF ME! GET THE HELL OFF OF ME YOU-“ Quartermaster bellowed, frantically shaking his leg and arm to escape the embrace.

Finally, after what must have been a few minutes, Harrison was ripped off and placed on his own two feet. But, that didn’t deter the lopsided upturning of his lips. “Quartermaster!” David proceeded to wail uglily, racing forward with his arms outstretched. Unluckily for the counsellor, the elder was ready for him and drew his fist back. “Where were you-“ BAM. David chuckled weakly as he gave Quartermaster his space, clutching his throat. “Sorry… “ He sniffled.

“I took a sick leave. Problem with that, boy?” The old man pressed his fists together.

Fists. Plural.

David took notice of that little fun fact. “Y-Your hook-hand! Hand hook!” He sputtered, shakily pointing at his fleshy and very not metallic appendage.

Quartermaster shrugged his apparent shock off. “The miracles of modern medicine.” He dully explained before making toward the Mess Hall. “Dinner time.” The custodian monotoned, abandoning him and a gaping David.. But, not before slyly meeting Harrison’s gaze and giving the most imperceptible of nods. “Later…”

———

So elated was the magician, he didn’t even complain when Quartermaster served them his spaghetti - a grotesque assortment of bloody animal intestines. Harrison would definitely get sick at some point. But, who freaking cared about that when Quartermaster was back!

He and his mentor met up on the same night the latter returned. It was only in the Thinking Cave’s complete privacy did the old man casually reveal his past. Everything, from The Master’s purpose and eventual quartering to their tontine was explained. Harrison digested the information dump better than expected, mind one minor concern of whether Quartermaster was still Quartermaster now that he was whole.

“I’m not quitting, boy!” His mentor had gruffly retorted upon questioning, promptly answering that. Quartermaster would always be Quartermaster in both mind and title. Even if he had enough power to level the universe a million times over.

Which brought them into the present, the final night of camp before they were due to return. And Harrison’s final job with his mentor…

———

“Duck!” Harrison warned before shooting a pillar of fire over Quartermaster’s head. The flames licked a thin branch, causing the frolicking bats above it to scatter. He jumped ahead of his mentor, hands coated with fumes and firepower. “This is actually pretty easy!” The boy observed, incinerating another colony.

“The encroachment of the fall equinox offers a brief respite to these dark times…” The old man muttered, catapulting off a loose rock to spear a particularly large beast in its stomach. He promptly licked its blood off his face. 

Humming, the magician narrowly missed his next attack. “Oh, come on!” Harrison cursed, watching as the bat flew into the night’s expanse. It joined other screeching creatures above them, congregating into one large cesspool of wings and teeth. They watched the dark whirlpool for a few minutes until the boy tilted his head. “Huh? Are they just… staying up there?” 

“Cowardliness is effective when clawing onto life.” Quartermaster blankly stated. Muddy, seed-like bat droppings rained down on them, infesting the area with their foul odour.

“Hey-EW!” The magician yelped, hopping around to avoid the stool storm before summoning an umbrella from his hat. Meanwhile, the elder appeared complacent as droppings piled around him. Harrison took the liberty of floating a large branch above Quartermaster, mainly for his own sake. Standing near, the boy glanced up at the morphing colony, perturbed. “I don’t think I can shoot them all from here…” He stated, cringing at the smell.

His mentor humphed, spitting on wet ground. “Amateur.” He flatly remarked, removing himself from the branch’s sanctity. “Watch and learn, boy.” Quartermaster flippantly declared, raising his arm to the stars. 

Tremors erupted as the elder’s magic wrestled control away from their world’s natural powers. Admittedly, Harrison was rather focused on keeping his umbrella cover straight than maintaining balance. Yet even he stalled to watch the master at work. Quartermaster started to chant in a low, otherworldly voice. And as he finished, a thousand chains composed of pale bones and hair shot out from the earth. They stretched across the sky, impaling every single bat and showering them with scarlet. 

Quartermaster slowly turned, cracking his head while moonlight shone on him. “Woah…” Harrison breathed out, mouth dry. Although, it would’ve looked cooler had the area not been stool-laden. But, he digressed. It was that epic. “That is awesome…” 

His mentor being able to do magic - let alone herculean feats of legend - was something he needed to get used to. It certainly made jobs speedier from time to time. However, it seemed Quartermaster himself was still adapting to having powers again. Hence, they continued to do things the old-fashioned way. Or, was it new fashion? Since technically the elder’s original methods were arcane-based. Time was strange. 

The chains crumbled to dust as they reconvened. “It is what it is,” Quartermaster commented, and was it Harrison’s imagination or did he seem vaguely proud?

“That is it then, right? All done for Summer.” The magician surmised in a fond tone. Fond, a concept that he would’ve called impossible in early August.

They found a cozy, grassy spot to sit on near the cliffs. He looked across at the vast wilderness spread out before him and listened to wondrous nature in all its glory. The boy felt at ease as the forest slept soundly. It was quiet. But, unlike the suffocating silent pressure to speak at his house. It was a good kind of quiet. The peaceful kind where all in the world felt right.

“So it would seem.” His mentor nodded from next to him. 

“Hey, Quartermaster.” Harrison affectionately started, cheekily stuffing his hand in his hat. 

The old man didn’t bother with looking toward him. “What is it, boy?” He grumbled while picking his nose. 

“Let’s celebrate!” The boy cheered, pulling out a strawberry yogurt drink for himself. “Tada! Here,” Harrison continued, summoning a bottle of rat poison and handing it to a curious Quartermaster. 

In turn, the old man weighed the green concoction in his palms, lifting a brow at him. “Huh? Where’d you nab this from? My store’s locked tight.” He tentatively sipped, a contented noise leaving his throat.

“I made some extra coins for myself during the last grocery trip,” Harrison replied, nonplussed. A smooth operation if he did say so himself. The cashier didn’t even look fazed upon ringing the suspicious items up! Quartermaster accepted the answer with a shrug. And as they drank, the magician allowed himself to reflect on the past month. 

He paused, glancing at his mentor. It wasn’t long before a soft smile lit up the boy’s face. “I can’t believe I am going to say this. But, even though I have freaked my mind out probably more times than is healthy, I am going to miss this…” Harrison whistled as the night slumbered in peace.

———

“I think I got everything!” The magician remarked to his friend as they finished packing.

“As do I!” Preston supported, hauling a hefty bag over his shoulder. It was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of manuscripts - in innumerable stages of completion - that he’d penned during the season. It wasn’t even all of them… Preston was leaving the deplorable drafts behind. “Summer’s fall could not march sooner! Everyone at home shall marvel at my unrivalled talent! They’ll laud me, erect a marble statue of my image, and shout the grand name of Preston Goodplay through the streets!” The theatre kid boldly claimed, very much in the deep territory of ego.

Recently, Preston had taken note of the magician’s improved demeanour. Thus, they were able to spend their final days at Camp Campbell in genuinely high spirits. Highlight number one was watching Nerris get owned by Neil in the Arcane: The Gathering final. Highlight number two was watching Neil sweat to earn that win. Highlight number three was the sweet knowledge that Harrison won no matter the match’s result.

“I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep.” Harrison shook his head, half joking and half not.

His friend missed that point entirely. “A most understandable desire! I too am eager to catch but a wink of sleep without nature’s unholy hallows!”

In response, the magician playfully rolled his eyes. “This feels strange. It almost was like Summer would never end.” Harrison wistfully commented as they studied their barren tent.

“I AGREE! Yet, as they say, all good things must reach their end… I suppose good COULD be debatable in this case though!” Preston added with a thoughtful hum. Unfortunately, the boys lacked the time to ruminate on their memories. “We should be off now. Lest Quartermaster leave us behind to ROT!”

Seeing as the elder was returning himself, Harrison doubted he’d do such a thing. But, he naturally kept mum. Instead, Harrison pulled on his backpack and followed Preston to the Mess Hall. Yet as they walked, a single, bittersweet thought stood in his mind. “Bye, Camp Campbell…”

———

Harrison shot awake, bumping his head into a window as someone roughly shook his arms. “Harrison, you dummy! Wake up! We’re here!” Nerris shouted in his face. Behind her was a gleeful Preston, watching with rapt attention. Most of their other friends had left or were in the process of leaving. Harrison must have dozed off at some point. Hey, it was a long trip!

“Okay, okay, I am up! Stop shouting!” He exclaimed, shoving Nerris off of him. Outside, the boy heard the sounds of bustling crowds and traffic jams.

She huffed, spinning down the bus aisle. “Grab your dumb illusion stuff, Harrison. I didn’t get to introduce you to my parents during Parents’ Day!” Nerris incessantly pushed. And before he could answer she’d already flown toward the doors.

The magician shot a pointed look at a gasping Preston. But, his friend simply clapped him on the shoulder. Afterwards, Preston made his own exit, obsessively scribbling in a notebook that Harrison - with dread - thought held his and Nerris’ names on it. “I am not thinking about what he’s using that for…” He shivered, stretching his atrophied legs upon standing.

Harrison took his time walking, drawing out every movement. However, his stalling amounted to nothing as he reached upfront. Quartermaster was at the helm, wearing his eyepatch and a modified hook over his reclaimed hand. When the boy had asked, all the elder had stated was something about too much attention and whatnot. Harrison had trouble believing any of the campers or counsellors would describe their Quartermaster at length. Yet he wasn’t about to question that kind of paranoia anymore.

“So… this it it.” The magician faintly said, watching strangers come and go beyond the doors.

His mentor paused, if even for a minuscule fraction of a moment. “… Finally.” He grumbled, methodically tapping the wheel.

“Um…” Harrison started, at a loss for words. As a magician on stage, he enjoyed a splendid, riveting finale. Simultaneously, the boy had never been big on goodbyes. They always seemed painfully awkward at best and grief-glutton at worst.

Quartermaster sighed, slugging his arms across his chest. “Spit it out, boy. I don’t got all day.”

“Right, sorry…” His face burned. “Thanks for showing me how to improve my magic. And for teaching me about all the stuff that happens around camp at night. If you are okay with it… “ Harrison stalled, taking a deep breath. “… Can I still assist next year?” He was completely aware that Quartermaster didn’t need his help, especially now that he’d won his powers back.

“Hmm…” The elder leaned into his seat. “Well, could use someone to cover a few shifts if I want to fuck.”

The boy excitedly sprung to life, bouncing on his feet while balling his hands in front of him. “Is that a yes?!”

“Sure.” Quartermaster shrugged.

“Yes! Thank you!” Harrison cheered, although enough common sense remained to not go in for another hug. An awkward second passed in silence. Although, the magician’s smile didn’t falter one bit. “Okay… I am going to go now.” He randomly blurted out, marching his body toward the door.

“…Boy.” His mentor spoke up.

The magician stopped on the bus’s last step. “Yeah?” He went, rotating his perplexed head.

The old shuffled in his seat. “… You’re a good kid… If you ever get framed for murder and need a place to hide out, you know where to find me.” Quartermaster reluctantly related, a foreign tinge of uncertainty coating him. However, the boy heard his underlying meaning and grinned.

Harrison warmly laughed as he turned and left. “See you next Summer, Quartermaster.”

“Hmph, that you will, boy. That you will.” His mentor cordially saluted him. Then the doors slammed shut. And with those final parting words, the Eternal Custodian departed.

———

He found his parents near the back of the station, away from the other adults. “Mom! Dad!” Harrison yelled to catch their attention, lips curved in a blinding smile. Unfortunately… they shrieked upon seeing him, backing off ever so slightly. The magician felt himself wilt at their reaction. “Oh… you’re still doing that…” The boy sadly noted, approaching like a scolded child.

“… H-Harrison!” His Mother hesitated, before slowly stepping forward.

He lowered his gaze but forced a smile. “Hey…”

“D-Did you learn how to… how to…?” His Father shakily asked, standing next to her. The unfinished implication was loud and clear. “Did you learn how to bring Erich back home?” Not wasting any time then, huh?

“I think so.” Harrison nodded, shoving his arms behind his back. At his words, his parents seemed to jolt from a sudden burst of energy. Eyes wide, his Mother grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. “Hey!” The boy protested, glancing over his shoulder to see the other campers mingling with their families. “Mom! I don’t want to go home yet!”

Immediately, the woman released him, reeling from the small anger in his voice. And immediately, Harrison felt shame cloud his mind. “Or, uh, it’s okay… I just wanted to talk with my friends first…” The end of his statement was nearly imperceptible with how quietly he spoke.

Again, his parents shared a strange look. “N-No, no, it’s fine, H-Harrison. We can wait…” His Father reassured, clasping his Mother’s hand tightly.

Harrison shyly dipped his chin before nodding. “Okay… thanks, Mom and Dad…” The boy said, promptly hurrying to meet with Preston and Nerris before they went their separate ways.

About twenty minutes of back-and-forth and meeting their respective parents - minus Harrison’s who kept to themselves - passed. Afterwards, the three friends made plans to call each other once they made it home. However, as Harrison walked behind his parents to his Father’s ancient car, he couldn’t help but study the other families.

Preston’s Grandmother gave him a peck on the cheek.

Nerris’ Father carried her on his shoulders while her Mother watched with concern.

Just like how Harrison’s family used to be before Erich’s disappearance. Yet now they looked at him with worry… and fear. Old, dark thoughts crept into Harrison’s mind. “Dad and Mom didn’t think I was going to hurt them… right?” That whole episode on Erich’s birthday. “They’re not scared of ME, are they?” He questioned, grasping his backpack’s straps like his life depended on it.

That doubt refused to halt even as they started down the road. Something wasn’t right. But, what was that something?“This is stupid. They love me. They’re not scared of me. They’re not! THEY’RE NOT!” Harrison mentally screamed, hitting his own forehead to make the thoughts stop. But the fear was back and it wasn’t leaving any time soon.

it wouldn’t… be the worst idea to just ask… right?

They’d tell him he was being silly. They’d surely put such silly thoughts to rest.

“Mom… Dad…” Harrison quietly croaked out, with his hands tightly clenched on his knees. He kept his eyes glued to the dusty, grey mat below his feet. Both anxiety and eagerness gnawed at the magician’s chest. He could feel magic brimming beneath his skin, ready to pounce at a moment’s command. At his command.

“Y-Yes… Harrison…? S-Son…” His Mother replied with her ever-present stutter. He wondered how they fared without him at home, surrounded by memories of their children. Or were they memories of child and… devil?

Harrison opened his mouth but found his tongue uncooperative. The car’s tension built with each second of screaming silence.

…

…

…

“Are you… scared of me?” He broke it and watched the pieces fall. Harrison’s parents twitched like frightened animals. His Father’s hands trembled on the wheel while his eyes remained chained to the gravel road.

They paused…

They paused…

They paused…

The magician felt the pause twist and shatter his heart.

“… O-Of course we d-don’t, H-Harrison!” His Mother scrambled to reply. The boy’s heart pounded in his chest like an elephant’s stampede. Loud, loud, and LOUDER. Soon, the sound of the car driving across the country roads faded along with the wind rushing through them. The quiet wrapped around his throat and strangled him. Yet Harrison somehow found the nerve to speak.

“You didn’t ask me how I was or that you missed me! You haven’t told me that for months! You never replied to any of my letters! You haven’t told me that you loved me, or given me a real smile ever since Erich-“ Harrison desperately shouted, hitting the sides of his seat.

“Don’t bring him up!” His Father joined the quarrel, a venomous bite in his voice that was foreign to Harrison’s ears. However, the return of his parents’ emotions other than fear or despair only served to incense him further.

“You know I’d never hurt you on purpose, right?!” Harrison demanded, a sob escaping his control. “You know I didn’t want to make Erich disappear?” He cried, leaning forward. “You can’t even look at me! Please, LOOK AT ME!” The magician begged his parents to turn around and see his earnest grief. It was as if a bomb had been set off within his body. Sorrow coursed through his veins. The world felt tilted.

“H-Harrison. Harrison, that’s enough.” His Mother finally stressed with a fresh iron steel. The boy’s parents shared a fearful glance and protectively gripped the car. For the first time in his life, Harrison knew why…

His magic gripped the swirling memories and feelings inside his shattered heart and surged.

And Harrison. Forced. It. Down.

“… I would never hurt our family on purpose…” Harrison whispered in a deathly quiet voice. The pulsing rage abandoned him and left the boy exhausted. His eyes were wide, and salty tears silently rained down his cheeks. The pitter-patter of his life bending. “… Erich is my baby brother… “ He painfully mumbled, loud as thunder. And crossed his arms across his chest as shadows fell over the car.

The little magician missed how his parents shared another look, softer, a tinge more guilty than the last.

Harrison missed the water that slid down his Mother’s cheek, as she glanced at him in the sideview mirror.

———

He had never felt more awake than at that moment, despite avoiding sleep like the plague during their drive home. Harrison stood in the living room, in the exact same spot he and Erich had performed those years ago. The boy felt his parents’ cowed eyes behind him, watching, worrying, wary. But, he was stone-faced to them.

“It’s time to come home, Erich…” The older brother thought, draping a curtain overhead. Meanwhile, the sun set behind him, embracing the walls with golden hues. Amazing. Just, amazing…

Harrison had never felt more confident in himself. “And now return…”

Chapter Text

Isn’t magic just wonderful?

If you asked Harrison when he was young, he would have responded with bittersweet passion. He would have smiled a soft smile before giving a short - harmless - demonstration. Perhaps you would have borne witness to some impressive card tricks. Or, maybe he’d pull a rope of rainbow-coloured scarves from his top hat. If you were very, very lucky, you’d be bedazzled by one of his premium tricks. The boy would make the impossible happen. Far away from your seat.

“What a talented little magician you are,” you’d fondly compliment the boy.

“Thank you so much! The next show will be even better!” He’d respond with nervous glee that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Most days, the little magician performed alone. But, every now and again he’d receive an eager spirit who wanted to be his assistant. Of course, the boy was far too kind to say no.

Harrison was older now.

He knew more things about the world in which he lived. Magic. The arcane. Gods and monsters. There was enough to fill an entire library with knowledge. The older magician was wiser too. He was aware of the dangers that accompanied the splendours of his craft. Magic can do anything and everything and more beyond your wildest dreams. Both ethereal good and nightmarish bad. Still… Harrison wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yes, magic is just wonderful.

———

*Three years later*

It was an idyllic afternoon. The sun shone brightly. The sky was a perfect light blue. And there was only a gentle breeze to tickle their chins and knees. Summer was off to a fantastic start. Except if you were a certain old man driving a bunch of kids to their Summer camp.

A bus honked its horn as it sped down the highways, blatantly ignoring the law. Inside, a gaggle of children - there were teenagers too, but they were still children - gossiped and screamed. The bus’s driver loudly sighed at the noise. “The dark days are upon us…” He flatly despaired, closing his eyes in search of a respite. They almost reared off the road. But, that was fine.

“Fucking finally…” The elder grumbled as they were swarmed by evergreens and wild beasts. He hit the brakes as soon as he could, causing his passengers to be flung forward. Heh, funny. “Kids are here.” Quartermaster deadpanned, casually opening the bus’s door so that the kids could scramble off.

David stood in front of the camp’s entrance with a wide, bright smile. “Why, HELLO, campers-“ He didn’t even get to finish his sentence before the children stormed past him as a singular, chaotic stampede. “Oh hooey, not again! Gwen! Mr. Campbell!” David shouted in a panic as he chased the kids.

Fortunately, not every camper wanted to make the first day of camp hell for the counsellors.

“No! I failed my constitution check…” Nerris wobbled off the bus, face turning green as she covered her mouth.

After the girl with elf ears came Preston. “I love a good action sequence, but THIS I cannot do anymore! I demand to speak to the manager and unjustly vent my complaints onto them!” The theatre kid screamed, clutching his stomach.

“It is not that bad, guys.” Harrison sighed, fondly rolling his eyes at the pair. He emerged from the bus just dandy, having grown used to Quartermaster’s anarchic driving during their nightly escapades. The magician had grown quite a few inches over the last three years. Thus, when wearing his improved top hat that covered his entire head, he was the tallest amongst their friend group.

However, that wasn’t the only change in his appearance. Harrison had brushed his fluffier hair so that there was more in the front. And he’d bought extra pieces for his magician’s apparel. A stark white bowtie rested under his chin whilst he wore a black jacket suit as a makeshift cape.

Erich thought he looked cool at least. Speaking of… “Come on, if you don’t get out soon Quartermaster’s going to drive back with you still aboard. He’s not going to turn around.” Harrison called, turning toward the bus’s doors.

Slowly, a young boy who couldn’t be anyone else other than his brother stepped out. “So, that was the Eternal Custodian.” Erich thoughtfully stated, rubbing his chin before snapping his fingers. “Mr. Octopus had him pegged right, that’s for sure.”

The magician barked out a laugh, grabbing his brother’s shoulder before herding him forward. “Mr. Octopus said a lot of things. Do not judge him that badly yet.”

In response, Erich childishly stuck out his tongue at him. Man, Harrison really did not want to spend another week scrubbing away Mr. Octopus’s influence. It took long enough to get his brother to drop his idea of ending the world in a screaming ball of flames. Any more and their parents might have spontaneously combusted on their own. 

“This place is a lot bigger than what you showed me, Harry! Oh, oh, oh, is that the lake?!” How deep is it? Do you think Mom would be mad mad if I- Erich rambled, bouncing from side to side. 

“Yup. Very. Yes.” Harrison laughed, giving him a light shove forward. “But, you can explore later, Erich. We should head to the Mess Hall and wait for everyone else.” He guided like the mature older brother that he was. 

“Boo.” His brother pouted but followed nonetheless. 

As they walked, the three teenagers eagerly caught up with each other’s lives. It’s not like they didn’t talk often. If anything, the opposite was true. But, phone calls and video meetings could only offer so much. The last time they’d seen each other in person was Nerris’ birthday all the way back in April!

“Did you get into that high school you wanted, Preston?” Nerris amiably asked, rolling a multi-sided dice in her palms. 

Stars filled the theatre kid’s eyes.“I did, INDEED! Hunter C. High School has been dying for someone as spectacular as Preston Goodplay to grace its decrepit halls!” 

“How did you even have time to study to get into that school…?” Harrison shook his head in disbelief. Every now and again, the older brother made sure to check up on how Erich was doing. However, the younger boy had suddenly fallen silent. And he had a sullen mien. Wincing, the magician subtly elbowed Preston and gestured toward his brother. Nodding, his friends silently picked up the pace to give them some room. “Hey, Erich. What is freaking your mind?” Harrison gently prodded.

“Um…” The younger boy hesitated, studying a tiny pebble on the ground. 

“I will not judge. And that’s a promise from The Amazing Harrison.” The magician grinned encouragingly. 

“Harry… Do I have to share a tent with someone else? Like, what if they are mean or scary? I want to bunk with you…” Erich eventually explained, playing with the hem of his yellow shirt. 

“Ah…” Harrison mouthed, understanding flooding his being. “So, he is still worried about that then, huh?” Well, it was an easy fix. “Hey, we have been over this. You are going to make a lot of good and… unique friends here. That is how I met Preston. And, it will be harder to do that if you stick with me the entire Summer.” The older brother spelled out with a comforting smile. “Also, if I don’t bunk with Preston, then someone else will. And that is just not nice.” 

“But-” Erich still didn’t appear convinced. 

“If your tent mate is mean or scary, then just come to me. I will take care of it. Tada…” Harrison wiggled his fingers with a menacing chuckle. 

“Oh, okay!” It instantly soothed his brother’s fears. Remember kids, VIOLENCE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER! With that minor issue resolved, the brothers continued toward the Mess Hall. “Wait. What if my tent mate is a science person?” Erich chillingly pondered. 

Harrison froze. “Oh, fuck. That would be bad.” He realized, blinking. “If that happens I will take care of it.” The magician repeated, much more firmly. 

———

After helping Erich find his bunk, Harrison jogged over to his and Preston’s tent. He found both the theatre kid and Nerris lightly chatting nearby. “Hey, guys! What did I miss?” The magician called, playfully tipping his hat.

“Greetings, Harrison the Dwarf. The Good Lady was taking stock of our supplies for our coming trials.” Nerris mock-bowed in a haughty voice. “Oh, and Preston was telling me about his last school play.” She smugly added, breaking character. Apparently, Preston managed to worm his way into his middle school’s drama production as the lead role. It was five months ago. He would not shut up about it.

“YES!” Preston interjected, finger raised to the heavens. “I was retelling the LEGENDARY tale of when one of the technicians dared to vociferate to me!” The theatre kid launched into another tangent.

“Vociferate…?” Harrison mouthed.

Nerris shrugged. “I don’t know…”

Suddenly, the magician got a brilliant idea to joke around while Preston ranted. It wasn’t that the story wasn’t interesting! But, they’d already heard it like five times already. And from experience, it’d be a whole hour until the theatre kid concluded. “Hey, Nerris…” He slyly began, bumping her shoulder. She turned, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Want to see a magic trick?” Harrison asked, a Cheshire-like grin on his face.

Understanding flittered through her irises. A knowing laugh escaped Nerris while she crossed her arms. “Sure, whatever…”

“Abracadabra!” The magician cast before waiting a beat. His friend suspiciously lifted her own hat to feel around her curls. Nothing. He feigned confusion as she replanted her attire.

“I think your trick failed, Harrison,” Nerris smirked.

“Darn, maybe…” Harrison fake-frowned. “Or did it…?” He continued, pasting a dazzling grin as he reached behind her ear. The boy failed to notice as she instantly froze at his movement. Or, the faint blush that adorned her cheeks. “Tada!” The magician victoriously declared, pulling a plump, cherry-red rose from the corner of Nerris’ ear.

“Eh?!” The girl yelped, taking it from his outstretched hand. However, the sweet flower sprung to life and shot a stream of water at her face. “Hey!” Nerris snapped, flinging the rose away from her person. “Harrison!”

“What?” He innocently inquired, tilting his head. A moment passed before they broke out into small giggles.

Loud wheezing caused them to stop. “OH. MY. GOD.” Preston blanched, wildly staring at the two teenagers with a mixture of unrivalled joy and irritation. “You two-I cannot with-AHHHHHHH!” The theatre kid screamed, stomping into their tent.

“… What was that about?” Nerris asked aloud. Although, Harrison had not a single clue either. The screaming intensified at her words. “Hmm, the Good Lady shall leave you to this task. I have other matters to attend to.” She eventually excused, cheerfully walking toward her own tent.

———

He only spent a few minutes outside until Preston ended his tirade. The magician still lacked a notion of what exactly had set their shared friend off. But, the theatre kid had waved his concerns off, muttering something about cliched tropes and drama. Typical Preston shenanigans. Harrison supposed he’d have to ask again later. Anyway, they decided to start setting up their own tent.

“So… how’d you convince your parents to let Erich come this year?” Preston piqued after a few minutes.

“Err…” Harrison grimaced, fidgeting with his bowtie. Ever since he’d brought Erich home, the younger boy had begged and pleaded non-stop to join him at Camp Campbell. Furthermore, with every Summer Harrison wasn’t home it got worse. “I think… he just wore them down…? I mean, I promised to look after him and make sure he would not get hurt. But…”

It probably helped that Erich was the favourite child. And it wasn’t even a competition.

“I see.” Preston carefully answered, raising a finger to his chin. “How… are things between you and… them…?” He unsurely continued, mindlessly flipping through a binder full of scripts.

The magician sighed, turning to face his friend. If he were speaking to anyone else - except perhaps Nerris - then the boy would’ve shut his mouth a while ago. However, Preston was more than that. He knew more than that. First impressions gave the theatre kid’s intelligence a great disservice. After all, he was Harrison’s best friend for a reason. 

“Well…” The magician awkwardly started, arms shoved behind his back. “It’s gotten a little better… I guess…”

His parents were trying. Harrison would be blind not to see that. Yet, there was no forgetting those two, unbearably long years in their family. But, they were trying. The boy would give them that. At least they all mutually agreed to keep a smiling facade for Erich’s sake when he was around.

He shook his head, lips turning upwards. “My Mom helped me pack yesterday. And Dad taught me how to drive.” The magician shrugged. “But, enough about me. How is your Grandma?”

They were trying. It wasn’t nothing.

———

Night fell over the forests in tranquil waves. Trees stood guard while the animals slept. And Camp Campbell was silent, with only the sound of snores and the occasional muttering emerging… All except for two souls.

Quartermaster leaned against the Mess Hall, fake prosthetics removed so the wind could meet his flesh. He coughed, glancing up at the twinkling stars with a serene expression. But, as the seconds ticked by and a certain boy failed to appear, the old man started to grumble. Looking at his wrist, he checked a non-existent watch for the time.

“Hey!” Harrison ran up to his mentor, panting. Finally. “Sorry, Quartermaster. I wanted to check on my brother first. It is his first year of camp, you know?” The magician sheepishly explained, scratching the back of his head.

“More kids…” The elder scowled, making a crude hand gesture.

“You never know. The Octopus liked him.” Harrison airily defended as they started walking into the forest’s depths. In response, Quartermaster grumbled unintelligibly. Although, the boy had expected that.

“The squirrels have been moving. We’ll need to remind them of their place before all is ready.” The elder caught him up on the signs he’d missed while in the city.

“Again?!” The magician exclaimed. Yet his steps never once slowed. “Oh well. At least it will be quick.” He fixed his hat and jacket suit. “So, Quartermaster! What have you been up to since last Summer…?”

The Eternal Custodian cleared his throat, and Harrison smiled.

He really, truly loved magic.

Chapter Text

*Deleted Scene* What if Nerris caught Harrison coming back from one of his jobs?

Harrison yawned as he trudged back toward the tents. How did grocery shopping take longer than saving the world? However, it definitely would have gone faster had Quartermaster decided not to… do certain things he was not thinking about. Nonetheless, the magician was more than happy to forget and collapse into blissful sleep-

“AHA!” Someone shouted, causing him to yelp and fall onto his bum.

“Wha…?” He went, scanning the forests and around the different tents for people. Yet found no one. “Oh no. Have I started to go crazy?” Harrison fretted, grabbing his own head in fear.

“Well, you’re not crazy. But, you are dumb.” The voice returned, and the boy finally turned his gaze upwards to find… Nerris. Ugh. The girl stood atop a tree - how did she even get up there - while looking smug. In response to his annoyed expression, Nerris leaped down to his position on the ground. “So, what were you doing in the forest this late? Trying to impress the trees with your party tricks since no one else is?”

He scrambled to his feet with a glare. “I…” Harrison was quick to retort and just as quick to come short. “I…” The magician stalled, racing for a dignified response. “I… What are you doing out this late?” He replied very maturely.

It was Nerris’ turn to hurry for the right words. “I-I was on a noble quest! Something someone like you couldn’t possibly understand!” She finally answered, cheeks totally not flushing the teensiest of tads.

So it was utterly irrelevant for her and pointedly not a good thing that Harrison was the most oblivious person on the planet when he wanted to be! “I understand… that you go on stupid quests since you cannot do real magic… which I was doing, practising real magic!” The boy confidently countered, albeit with a slight drop of sweat.

“Hmph, I’m going to bed. Looking at your dumb face is sapping all of my spell points…” Nerris grumbled before shuffling away.

“Whatever! I am also going to sleep too! Because doing real magic actually takes work!” Harrison angrily shot back, conveniently forgetting the card pack hidden in his pocket.

*End Scene*

———

Nerris stood on an overturned rock, with a gaggle of campers surrounding her. She cleared her throat before speaking in a Preston-like voice. “Okay! So, in the first-ever finals of the first-ever official Camp of Campbell Arcane: The Gathering Tournament of Wizards-“

“That name is still very unnecessarily long.” Harrison neutrally commented, cutting her off.

“Shut up, Harrison!” Nerris barked back before continuing. “As I was saying, the two combatants in the finals are… drumroll please!” She ordered a nearby Quartermaster, who halfheartedly kicked a damaged, cheap toy drum. “Nerris the Cute…! And Neil.” The girl smugly unveiled, hands on her lips as she smirked at the competitor in question.

In turn, Neil hardened his gaze like a warrior preparing for battle. But, the effect was ruined when Max sauntered beside him. “What are you nerds even playing for? Money? Favours? An overblown sense of self-worth or gratification that is ultimately meaningless in our society?” The cynical camper deadpanned.

“Asserting my superiority as the supreme sorceress!” Nerris shouted.

Neil rolled his eyes.”You’re missing a self-aware cloak and an elder wand for that.” He retorted. “I, on the other hand… have nothing else to do. I’m bored, man.” The science camper shrugged.

“Enough talking. Start the match already!” Harrison complained before Max could speak. The magician had summoned a lawn chair for himself while the others quarrelled. He’d also somehow retrieved a yogurt drink from without anyone noticing.

Preston side-eyed him oddly. “HMMM, I was under the impression this turn of events rather narked you! After all, you were QUITE displeased when Nerris defeated you!” His friend remarked. However, Harrison simply lifted his drink as if toasting. Actually, the boy appeared rather content with his tournament standings. Except his eye twitched a smidge. Details.

“Either Neil or Nerris will lose. No matter who wins, I can make fun of the loser’s stupid face.” Harrison explained didactically. He snapped his fingers and a megaphone appeared in his hand with a flourish. “Tada!” A pleased hum escaped him. 

“Screw you, Harrison!” Two voices angrily yelled back.

———

*Deleted Scene* A random conversation between Harrison and Neil…

“Hey, Neil?” Harrison opted, ducking under a low branch as they hiked through the forest. He really shouldn’t investigate the matter himself. But, Neil was Jewish. And the boy’s curiosity was killing him! “Do you know anything about magic rituals?” The magician casually questioned, arms behind his back.

Predictably, the science camper scowled. “Obviously not. Why would I waste any of my precious time learning about something as flimsy as magic?!”

“Oh, okay.” Harrison nodded along to placate him. “Just wondering.”

*End Scene*

———

“Remember, do not tell Mom or Dad.” The magician repeated for the hundredth time that day as they entered the aquarium.

Next to him, Erich rolled his eyes before impatiently jogging ahead. “I know, Harry! Now, let’s go! Let’s go!” The boy beckoned him forward, making wide, bombastic movements that caught the attention of those around him. Many traces of his time in the octopus’ realm remained. Some were more useful than others. His brother had somehow learned to swim while he was away. His brother had also forgotten what personal boundaries meant.

“I am coming, I am coming!” Harrison chuckled nonetheless, eyes never leaving his brother’s position as he sprinted from here to there. Erich had certainly gained a fantastical love with the ocean after returning. Perhaps… too much so.

“Harry, look!” Erich practically squealed, incessantly pointing at one of the large open tanks with an octopus inside. “Do you think they know Mr. Octopus?! I want to ask-“ The younger boy babbled, leaning over the railing.

“No! Do not jump into the tank!” He shot down, dragging him back by the torso. Taking a breath to steady his racing heart, Harrison shook his head. “Working with Quartermaster was less stressful than this…” The magician realized with a wince.

Meanwhile, Erich was already pouting. “Why not? You said today was all about me, Harry!”

“That does not mean you can just jump into tanks with octopus…” Harrison tiredly explained. It was not something he had expected to become the norm with his brother. Yet here they were...

“Why not?!” The boy repeated, tilting his head.

“You could get hurt, Erich.” He stated, regaining a modicum of his composure.

His brother gave him a dumb look. “But, if I was in trouble, you would help me. So, I would not get hurt.” Erich said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And he wasn’t wrong. Harrison would absolutely be there to help his brother out of whatever trouble he somehow found himself in. Well, the magician would prefer avoiding the whole ‘getting into trouble’ part of that statement. But, he digressed. Anyway, things were getting off-topic.

“This was now. I just helped you, by stopping you.” Harrison sagely nodded, crossing his arms to signal his decision was final. “We can still have fun without jumping into octopus tanks. After all, I got us inside.” The magician smirked, tapping the large backpack which was slung over his shoulder. Inside, the sound of clicking coins could be heard.

If the town mayor was freaking out over one of the city hall’s nickel statues disappearing… Well, that was not Harrison’s problem!

Erich huffed. “Fine… Can we get food? I’m hungry!” As if on cue, his stomach loudly grumbled.

Harrison grinned, leading his brother off toward a nearby cafe. “Of course! You can get whatever you want, Erich.” The magician brightly noted. His spirits rose as the younger boy visibly perked up. “I have to make up for those birthdays…”

———

Erich sadistically giggled, holding a flamethrower comically larger than his body. He sneaked under his neighbour’s white picket fence and raised the weapon to her house. Oh boy, he couldn’t wait to see what it looked like on fire! “Hehe, this is what you get for making fun of Mom, you rotten-“

“Erich!” Harrison popped out of nowhere. The older brother proceeded to freeze the flamethrower and smash it. Afterwards, Harrison quickly steered them back under the fence whilst shushing Erich’s protests. “No! Fire bad!” He scolded, exasperated. “Where did you even find a flamethrower?!”

“You use fire in your shows, though.” His little brother argued, tilting his head.

The magician rolled his eyes. “Fine. Flamethrowers are bad.”

“Harry, Mrs Thompson made fun of Mom!” The boy protested with a huff. “And Mr. Octopus always said-“

“Mr. Octopus said a lot of things. And I am not saying Mrs Thompson is not a mean idiot. And I am also not saying she kind of deserves it. But, that does not mean you can just burn her house down! You would get in trouble!” Harrison explained, keeping a lookout for any pesky neighbours who just happened to be ‘enjoying the fresh air and got concerned about your boys’ activities’.

“But, Harry!” Erich looked distressed, waving his arms around as if it made his point any clearer.

Immediately, Harrison coughed, standing up a tad straighter. “We are still getting her back… because she is mean and stupid. Just not doing something that would make her call the police.” He whispered with a mischievous wink.

“Ohhhh…” His little brother realized, nodding vigorously. “We need to kill her stereotypically ugly cat-“

“No!” The magician shot down.

Later - as Mrs Thompson wailed about devil children and evil curses and all that was sinful in the world - the brothers sat in the living room watching Erich’s favourite television show. Mindlessly, Harrison wiped some dirt on his pants. Who knew cursing an entire garden to wilt was so much work?

———

“I only have enough money to buy one. And you know a lot more about this than me.” Harrison awkwardly explained to the camera, which Erich was happily holding for him. In his hands were two ties: one white and one red. On the screen were a contemplative Preston and an amused Nerris. The magician was directing his question to the former.

“HMMM, well, both would blend in quite succinctly with a standard black suit. However, the red tie would stand out.” Preston taught with a high tone, moving his finger in front of his face. And wait, were those reading glasses?

“Okay. So, I will get the red tie then. Thanks-“ Harrison was rudely cut off by the theatre kid.

“NO! Do not purchase the tie of rubies!” Preston made clear, slamming a table. Fortunately, Erich had ‘accidentally’ dropped in on enough of their meetings to have the foresight to lower his volume. “You cannot make such a bold choice so hastily, HARRISON! Clothes are an-no, THE essential component of presentation, of IDENTITY! They are what an audience first sees…” The theatre kid droned on and on.

“Maybe it was not the best idea to ask Preston.” The magician quietly pondered as Erich silently cackled behind the screen.

Eventually, Nerris grew impatient. “Just roll a dice and get it over with!” She snapped, leaning into her camera.

“I don’t have any dice!” Harrison glumly protested.

“What happened to the enchanted dice I traded you last Christmas?!” Nerris shrieked as if he’d committed the gravest of sins possible. If she wasn’t a plethora of cities away, the girl would definitely be shaking the lights out of him.

The magician winced. “I may have… lost them…?” It came out as more of a question.

His ears were bombarded with the shrieks of a crazy banshee. “Wow, Harry.” Erich shook his head, disappointed. As if the younger boy hadn’t stolen those same dice weeks ago and then lost them himself. At least, Mr. Octopus would enjoy them. They were shiny.

———

“Tada! So, what do you think?” The thirteen-year-old magician asked, rising from his finishing pose. He wore a star-dazzling smile on his face as Preston and Nerris hummed in thought. “I am not sure if I made that last trick, exciting enough.”

“WELL, I for one do say-“ Preston was interrupted by an ear-shattering screech.

Nerris cupped her fake elf ears and squinted. “That came from the lake!” She soon exclaimed, dramatically pointing toward said landmark.

In turn, Harrison dragged a palm down his face. “Not again…” He tiredly stated, already marching toward the lake with his friends in tow. They arrived to see a frantic David fishing a sheepish Erich from the waters. Truly, the magician loved him. Yet why, just why was his brother such an idiot sometimes? Personally, Harrison blamed the octopus.

“Hi, Harry!” Erich half-grinned upon spotting him amongst the campers. “Can you… not tell Mom or Dad I jumped in the lake to see the octopus…?” The younger boy requested, twiddling his thumbs hopefully.

You could have stacked cards on Harrison’s face at that moment. It was that flat. Of course, Erich would not be able to decipher his stare. “I won’t.” The magician wearily reassured, crossing his arms. “They would blame me over you anyway.” He added in his head.

———

“Why am I driving?” Harrison deadpanned, staring at the bus wheel in front of him after having been shoved in the seat. It was supposed to be their weekly grocery trip. And the magician had been looking forward to getting Erich something. His brother had quickly deciphered the camp’s… lacking qualities and complained non-stop to Harrison.

Hey, he’d tried to warn him! The boy could only blame himself for not listening for literal years!

“Put that damn driver’s licence to good use and hit it, boy!” Quartermaster ordered.

The magician sighed, grabbing the wheel. “Okay…” He relented. “At least I can buy Erich something this time around…”