Chapter Text
Another exasperating day was about to be wasted on self-satisfied coven heads who were beginning to get on his last nerve.
As the Abomination Coven Head, Darius was in a very esteemed position, one that would have made him hold his head up high if it didn’t mean licking the boots of the suspiciously secretive Emperor and leading something he didn’t believe in. Did he excel at abomination magic? Obviously. More so than anyone else. Did that mean he wanted to serve a tyrant who insisted that sealing away other magic was the will of the long-dead Titan? Not even sort of.
Darius knew that his position was vital to gaining information about the ever looming Day of Unity, but if he had to spend one more coven head meeting surrounded by leaders only looking out for themselves, he was going to jump into the Boiling Sea.
Somehow, things had only gotten worse after Lillith Clawthorne, esteemed leader of the Emperor’s Coven, chose her family over the will of an evil ruler and abandoned her post. Though he had never been a fan of Lillith herself, Darius did admire the women’s ability to keep the coven heads on track with her rigorous and obsessive schedule keeping. More importantly, he admired her willingness to go against the Emperor’s orders to save someone she loved. She may have been a pain in the neck, but if someone as dignified as her could see through the lies of Belos, then the rebellion may stay on track. Besides, Lilith’s abilities were much more useful to the rebel cause, but Darius would never admit that.
No, things in the Emperor’s Coven had been worse because of the change in leadership. Emperor Belos was far more concerned with traitors in his midst, and as a result, he entrusted the Emperor’s Coven to someone who would never betray him.
Or so everyone thought.
The Golden Guard was quite the enigma. When the Emperor's scrawny nephew had been elevated to the position at a mere twelve years old, there was immediate shock and outrage among scouts and coven heads. None were more upset than Kikimora, then a glorified assistant to Head Witch Clawthorne.
Darius was upset for other reasons. He was aware that the title of the Golden Guard was as ancient as it was esteemed. There were many in the past that had taken on the mantle, but very little details about their dismissal were offered. The previous Golden Guard was one of the most powerful and clever witches Darius had ever known, mentoring the then young abomination witch and teaching him many valuable skills.
Under the man’s tutelage, Darius had become Head Witch of the Abomination Coven and was without question one of the strongest witches of his age. He was also terribly fond of his mentor.
It was a huge blow to learn that the Golden Guard had gone missing without so much as a trace. His and Darius’ previous conversation did not allude to anything being amiss, but his mentor was rather secretive, and Darius feared the worst. When he confronted the Emperor, Darius was informed that the Golden Guard had been declared missing in action during his most recent mission and given no more details than that.
Overcome with hurt and confusion, Darius nearly couldn’t go on. He didn’t believe that such a strong witch could just vanish into thin air and he deeply resented the Emperor for not putting more resources into finding him. It was then that Darius took it upon himself to look closer at the empire and everything it stood for.
Once that door was open Darius realized the evils lurking in the shadows, thus began his dissension. He was prepared to stop the Day of Unity and gain justice for his fallen mentor.
Imagine his surprise when not two years later, a new Golden Guard had been appointed. Up until that point, Darius had rarely seen the boy, aware the Emperor had a nephew roaming these halls, one who began scout training at a young age, but nothing more than that. He didn’t even know the boy’s name.
Over the years, Darius would find that the new Golden Guard was undoubtedly loyal to the Emperor, oozing cockiness and smug immaturity whenever he was doing anything in the service of his precious Emperor. The boy flashed his title anywhere he could, demanding respect from those who saw him as a worthless galderslug.
It was unwise to let himself near Belos’ charge, and Darius wasn’t a fan of the boy’s need to please. Unable to see another in the uniform of the Golden Guard, and not wanting to be caught conspiring against his beloved uncle, Darius avoided the boy whenever he could. He didn’t even see the face under the mask until the boy was sixteen years old.
That chance encounter set the ball rolling for everything moving forward. When the Golden Guard came storming into the throne room while Darius was discreetly attempting to plan a secret meeting with Eberwolf, Darius reacted badly. He didn’t need the Emperor's stuck up nephew poking his nose where it didn’t belong. The farther he was from the castle, the less chance there was for that happening.
Though now he felt slight remorse for how he handled the situation, at the time Darius felt nothing when he ridiculed the boy and sent him on a wild swamp goose chase. He just needed him out of the way, but was dragged on some unwelcome field trip when the boy was clearly trying to impress him.
But it wasn’t the rigid soldier and confident Golden Guard that impressed him - it was Hunter. Hunter had gone against Darius and the Emperor’s wishes to not only befriend other teenage witches, but he crashed an airship, defied and endangered a coven head, and put his life at risk to protect those same witches that he had only known for a few hours.
To make matters even more absurd, Hunter was harboring a secret Palisman.
Everyone in the castle knew that Emperor Belos collected Palisman, and Darius knew that he would destroy them, that’s why the Coven Head had safely stashed away his Palisman companion years ago. Palisman were the most valuable resource to the Emperor of the Boiling Isles, and yet his own right hand man was keeping a secret Palisman.
Darius was not sure where Hunter had discovered the little bird, but he was rather pleased with it either way. He saw how the Palisman stayed by the boy’s side, fighting alongside him and sticking with him in the face of danger.
Not only was Darius impressed, he was rather glad. It occurred to him in that pivotal moment when he raised his abomination scythe and Hunter braced himself for punishment, that Hunter was just a boy. He was a boy who was raised in a harsh and cruel environment, his only family being a harsh and cruel man - one that was not known for being merciful. Scouts and Coven Heads alike looked down on him and the poor kid was harassed at every turn. It must have cost Hunter a great deal to protect his friends and Darius admired that.
It was one of the reasons Darius had given Hunter an illegal scroll. He meant what he said, it was high time that Hunter connected with other witches his age - ones that weren’t affiliated with the Emperor’s Coven. He needed people in his life that would actually care about him and give him the time of day. Titan knows that Uncle Belos didn’t.
It also meant that maybe, when the time came to dismantle the Emperor’s rule, Hunter could be swayed to doing the right thing. He already believed with all his heart in doing right, fighting for those you love, and giving 100% to everything you do. Hunter firmly believed that his work for the Emperor was something good - something important - because he didn’t know any better. Darius knew that with proper motivation and guidance, Hunter could put those good intentions toward something actually good. He wanted Hunter to be able to discover the truth for himself, rather than force him to flee the Emperor’s Coven. He’d rather not have to kidnap a child with everything else on his plate.
Not that he was considering kidnapping Hunter to save him from his dismal life.
Because he wasn’t.
Baby steps.
For now, Darius had the whole Day of Unity fiasco to deal with and he could not afford to focus all his energy on the Golden Guard. He had to pretend to focus all his energy on this necessary and “extremely fulfilling” coven meeting.
Darius was always the first Coven Head to arrive at the meeting site. Punctuality was essential and professional, it wasn’t just a front to his cover. He didn’t seem to appreciate punctuality and efficiency as much as the Golden Guard though, because he never seemed to manage to beat the boy to the meetings.
Today, however, he was quite surprised to see that it wasn’t the Golden Guard at the head of the table, but rather Kikimora.
That was odd. The little gremlin always attended coven meetings to somehow earn favor with Belos, but she would usually just observe. The fact that she was sitting in the seat usually reserved for the Golden Guard was as obnoxious as it was surprising. No doubt Kikimora would make this meeting even worse than their regular dreariness.
Darius might not have found anything amiss if the Golden Guard wasn’t present and Kikimora was just filling in for him, but the Guard was present. Shunted off to the side, the boy was leaning against the wall near the back of the room in his full golden regalia.
Curious, Darius thought. Why would the Golden Guard be present but not lead the meeting? The boy was wearing his mask so it was impossible to glean how he was feeling from facial expressions, but he held himself with an air of misery.
What Darius thought was a casual and indifferent lean against the wall, was actually more of bracing for support. The boy’s shoulders hunched forward and his arms were folded tight across his chest. He was breathing rather heavily and loudly - it sounded like he was having difficulty pulling air into his lungs. His head was hung low, but he was still attempting to hold himself up with some amount of dignity.
Something was wrong with him.
Darius had just seen Hunter mere days ago, and he had been fine - perhaps a little down but fine. What had changed?
“Are you just going to stand there and gawk at that fool Golden Guard or are you ready to participate in this meeting, Head Witch?”
Darius cringed at the sound of Kikimora’s grating voice. She was glaring at him, tapping her claws methodically on the table. She looked about as smug as she could get. Darius resisted rolling his eyes. He couldn’t allow this power hungry demon get the best of him, and he certainly couldn’t let the other Heads know that he was secretly worried about the boy behind the gold mask.
Resisting the urge to look back at Hunter, Darius elegantly strode to his seat and was seated. His eyes did not stray over to the Golden Guard once while the rest of the Coven Heads entered and the meeting began.
Like Darius expected, the meeting was full of nothing but pointless drabble. Kikimora was blathering about the Day of Unity and living in a world of paradise under the will of the Titan. What that was supposed to mean, Darius would like to know.
Eventually Kikimora’s voice became just an annoying buzz in his ears. All he could really hear was how loud and laboriously the Golden Guard was breathing.
He was trying to remain inconspicuous in his little corner, but it was obvious the boy was struggling to breathe in and out. His near gasping and wheezing was concerning to say the least. His posture was even more slumped than when Darius first entered the room and his breaths were becoming shallow. Determined to keep his air of masked indifference, the Guard remained upright, but his knees appeared to be wobbling.
What had happened to him? Was he hurt?
Unmoved by a teenager clearly in distress, Terra Snapdragon cleared her throat.
“Kikimora, dear, how can we possibly discuss important matters when the Golden Guard is insistent on disrupting our efforts?”
All heads turned toward the source of her rude comment, and the Guard’s shoulders tensed. He said nothing, and continued pointedly staring at the floor.
Kikimora let out a rather dramatic sigh. “I would love to remove the brat - preferably to a nice dark hole in the Conformatorium - but alas, Emperor Belos requested that he be present.” The demon’s hand…hair flared slightly and her eyes glittered with evil glee. “So he can get out of his ‘time out’.”
Her mockery resulted in a few snickers around the table, but once again the Guard said nothing. His gaze briefly flickered over, but immediately returned to the floor. Regardless, Darius could feel the humiliation radiating off of him.
Kikimora’s words concerned Darius. ‘Time out’ could mean a number of things, but something that it meant for sure was that Hunter had gotten into trouble with Emperor Belos.
And by the way he was learning on the wall for support, he must be in a lot of trouble.
Had Belos hurt him?
Darius felt a pit in his stomach at the implications behind Kikimora’s jab. He resolved to go to Hunter after the meeting to make sure he was alright. Not before, it would look rather strange if Darius was showing concern for the Golden Guard. Raine Whispers and Eberwolf at least didn’t look as wicked as the other coven heads, but they both masked their concern as well.
After all, they had a part to play.
Foregoing the interruption, the meeting continued with little fanfare, but it seemed that Adrian Gray was not done picking on someone smaller than him. The Illusion witch lazily swept his pen off the table and groaned with excessive fervor. “Oh dear, it seems as though I have dropped my pen by accident. Golden Guard, be a sport and fetch it for me, would you?”
Once again, all eyes turned to the golden clad boy in the corner. His fists were clenched in annoyance, and Darius figured the boy would snap back with a sarcastic remark, but Hunter still remained silent. He held Adrian’s gaze for a moment more before slowly slinking out of his corner. He walked forward with purpose and as much dignity as he could muster, but his breathing was still shallow and wheezy.
As he got closer to the table, Darius sat up straighter. He could sense something around Hunter - no, something on Hunter - but before he could determine what he was feeling, Hunter suddenly lurched forward, falling to the ground with a painful sounding thud. He let out a muffled cry as he fell down but quickly stifled it back.
Darius almost jumped up, thinking that the boy was more injured than he was letting on, but then he saw a green vine snake its way back into the opening it sprung out of.
He shot a sideways glance toward Terra Snapdragon, but she was busy giggling with Head Witch Gray. They must have felt very proud of themselves for tormenting a teenager.
Eberwolf hissed at them and their antics while the Golden Guard slowly pulled himself to his feet. Darius could swear he saw a splash of purple on an uncovered spot on his neck. The Golden Guard said nothing as he slapped Gray’s pen down on the table and retreated to his corner, folding his arms across his chest yet again.
It was not like the boy to be so calm and level headed, especially when being antagonized by the Coven Heads, and Darius was surprised that despite the embarrassing display, Hunter chose not to retaliate.
He doesn’t want to get into any more trouble with Belos.
No Coven Head was particularly thrilled about a scrawny kid getting promoted to the status of the coveted Golden Guard, right hand of the Emperor himself. Members of the castle staff - mainly Kikimora - did their best to make the boy’s life miserable. There was no doubt in Darius’s mind that if Hunter were to act out during a meeting, it would be reported to Belos and his situation could be worse.
But what was his situation?
Finally, blessedly, the meeting ended and the Coven Heads began to clear the room. Kikimora whispered words of hate to the Golden Guard before she exited. All that remained were Darius and Hunter.
The boy swept a few specks of dust off of his pristine white cloak before making his move towards the door.
“Golden Guard,” Darius called, not quite harsh, but not kindly either. “I need to speak to you about an important matter.”
Never one to turn down a request, Darius was surprised when the Guard did not turn around and simply shook his head. Darius had to get him to stay - get him to move closer.
“That wasn’t a request,” Darius said a little louder than before. “Come here.”
Hunter’s shoulders tensed at the demand, but he quickly turned on his heel and stalked over to Darius, his mask turned upward expectantly.
There it was. When Hunter was close enough, Darius could sense something clinging to the boy’s body. Something magical. It was not obvious, but Darius remembered that little purple splotch on Hunter’s neck. Abomination magic was radiating from Hunter’s body, Darius could feel the slime’s power.
The Golden Guard remained silent still, but he thrust his hands forward angrily as if to say “Well?” He was still breathing rather heavy, but doing his best to stifle it.
Wary of Hunter’s attitude, Darius sighed. “Something is obviously troubling you. I know we may not have always seen eye to eye, but will you tell me what your problem is?”
Darius cringed at his words. He didn’t want to embarrass Hunter and alienate him even further, and yet he just asked him what was wrong with him.
Real smooth, Head Witch Deammone .
He was not able to get Hunter’s full reaction to the insulting request with his face being covered and all, but he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head adamantly. He looked rather childish, but Darius did not comment on it. It would do Hunter well to act more like the young teenager he was.
And as far as teenagers go, this one should be demanding respect or angrily insisting that he was fine. Why was he so quiet today?
No, not just quiet - silent.
A spot of purple on his neck…
“Take off your mask.”
This time, he did not frame it as a question. Hunter’s strange behavior, the condescending comments from Kikimora, and the Emperor’s temper were all connected, and Darius was determined to get to the bottom of it, no matter how stubborn the Golden Guard was.
Hunter jolted at the order, looking up at Darius, then to the door, then back at Darius. He shook his head again, but slower, more hesitant.
Darius was becoming sick of this back and forth, but Hunter was at least right to be nervous about getting caught. To get anywhere, they needed to be away from prying eyes.
Purple abomination goo surged upward at Darius’ command and swallowed both him and Hunter, translocating them to Darius’ private study. There was almost no chance of being overheard, Darius had made sure that any trace of rebellion couldn’t be linked back to him. Tonight it would serve as a quiet and unassuming area to confirm if Darius’ suspicion was correct.
When the abomination fell away, Hunter’s fists raised, wound up and ready for a fight. Under the mask his eyes surveyed the room with military precision, but widened when he saw the cozy and immaculate study, awash with pale purple light. The room smelled like the homemade vegetable and crowsmary soup that was bubbling on the stove in the little kitchenette. Whenever Darius was working late - which was far too often these days - he was grateful for his study kitchen to have a meal in peace and quiet.
Right now he was thankful that he had a meal to offer Hunter. If he had to guess, the Golden Guard had not eaten very recently. He needed to be as inviting as possible for this to work. Darius prided himself on a comfortable and neatly organized work space, and he hoped that Hunter might feel comfortable enough in this space to let his guard down.
Fat chance. Hunter was coiled as tight as a wire, a fireball spell waiting to be cast. His shoulders were tight, spine locked in perfect posture, and his breathing had somehow increased in labor and duration.
“Hunter,” Darius said uncharacteristically quietly to get the boy’s attention. Hunter’s gaze snapped to him. “Whatever is making you hesitate, whatever you’re hiding, you have my word that this is a safe place. My study is completely private and has never once been compromised. Should you choose to confide in me, nothing you say or do will leave this room.”
He waited patiently, hoping that his words could penetrate that wall Hunter had put up around him. The boy was motionless for a moment, but his shoulders eventually sagged in defeat. He was wringing his hands nervously, unsure what to do with his pent up energy.
“If I might make a suggestion,” Darius offered, “I can sense the abomination magic that is surrounding you. I don’t know the extent of what is happening, but I do have my suspicions. I recommend removing your mask. If I am to be helpful, I need to know what is going on.”
Thankfully, Hunter obliged. His body language openly displayed his embarrassment as he slowly took his mask off.
When he looked up, Darius sucked in a breath.
Abomination slime was fused to the lower half of Hunter’s face, from the bridge of his nose and snaking partly down his neck. The goo was not as solid as plaster, but decidedly stiff against Hunter’s skin.
Darius could only see a microscopic opening near his nose, and he was relieved that Hunter could breathe, but only just. Hunter had been breathing so laboriously all throughout the Coven Head meeting because he
couldn’t breathe.
He was desperately working to get air into his lungs through such a small funnel and it must have been agony.
Darius’ heart twinged painfully.
“What… who…” Darius couldn’t quite coerce his thoughts. What he was seeing was something he was not prepared to deal with. “What happened to you?”
The Guard was quiet and he looked up at Darius in exasperation.
Darius could have slapped himself. Of course Hunter didn’t respond to his question, he couldn’t. The slimy substance fused to his face prevented him from being able to speak, and from what Darius knew of Hunter, he loved to speak. How incredibly uncomfortable. Hunter probably couldn’t sleep, he probably couldn’t…
“Have you eaten recently?” Darius cried out, forgetting once again that Hunter could not answer his question. All he could think about was Hunter’s horrible predicament. How long had he been stuck like this? Had he been able to eat at all in that time?
The tears welling in Hunter’s eyes and his gaunt cheeks gave Darius all the answers he needed.
Anger and astonishment swelled in Darius’ chest. Without waiting for permission, he did what he should have done as soon as Hunter took his mask off. He drew a spell circle, concentrating on the sluggish goo on Hunter’s face and carefully removed it, making the offending slimed disappear into nothing.
The instant the slime was gone, Hunter took in a huge breath, suddenly gasping for air now that he was able to. He leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees and deeply inhaling. The sudden influx of fresh air sent him into a coughing fit.
He spluttered and hacked for a moment, but the relief on his face and the relaxing of his tense body was almost immediate, and Darius smiled a little at the bittersweet moment.
There was some relief in knowing that Hunter could breathe properly now, but how long would the Emperor allow it?
Darius wanted to be surprised that Emperor Belos would do something that terrible, but he just wasn’t. Belos was an evil tyrant, and not even his own kin was spared from his cruelty.
He probably suffered from it the most, if this evening was any indication.
Darius had always thought of Hunter as a spoiled little imp, rising through the ranks out of nothing but pure nepotism. But after seeing Hunter in action, seeing him loyally stand by his new friends, and seeing his dedication, Darius realized that Hunter was a product of a corrupt system. He put up walls around himself and acted like a brat because that’s what his environment demanded of him.
But Hunter was so much more than that. He was more than just a “Little Prince.” He wasn’t treated like a prince at all.
Once Hunter had stopped coughing and wheezing, he sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, taking smooth and deep breaths. The expression of calm on his face was one Darius had never seen him wear. In looking at his face, however, Darius also saw the effects of the abomination goop.
Across Hunter’s face and etching down his neck was pink and irritated skin, with a few peeling patches on his cheeks. A very small mercy was that there were no open lesions on the boy’s face, but there wasn’t much else to be grateful for. Hunter’s reddened and shiny skin looked painful and itchy and Darius’ own cheeks twitched with discomfort.
If Hunter’s face was chafed and inflamed like this, the abomination goo must have been plastered there for a quite a while.
“How long have you been like this?”
Even with the newly granted ability to speak, Hunter still hesitated, keeping his eyes on the floor. Whatever he was thinking, Darius knew it wasn’t good. He was still feeling awkward, not knowing how to get through to Hunter - get him to let his guard down enough to trust him.
“I’m not sure what’s going through that head of yours, but I would reiterate that you are free to say or do anything that you want while you are here. If you are not comfortable, I understand, but I would like to help you. You did not appear to be well during the coven meeting and I would like to know if you are injured anywhere else.”
Seeming defeated, Hunter slumped forward. “I’m not injured,” he said slowly, and Darius let out a breath, “I just couldn’t breathe during the meeting and I was feeling a little dizzy.”
Darius recalled how hard Hunter was breathing. It was a wonder he could even breathe at all. He was immensely relieved that Hunter was not hurt, but the abomination gag was already bad enough.
“How long?” Darius asked again.
“Three days.” Hunter whispered.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the bubbling of soup on the stove, but that little ripple of noise was roaring in Darius’ ears.
Three days. The admission was spoken in a broken voice, eyes looking even more broken.
Hunter had been forced to live this way for three days. He had been struggling to breathe for days , never having a moment of reprieve. He’d been effectively silenced. The poor boy was currently starving . All with a little abomination magic. Darius was sick that his magical specialty could be used for something so cruel - especially on a teenager.
And he was sick that Emperor Belos would subject his own nephew to such treatment. What mistake could Hunter make that would warrant gagging him, starving him, going out of your way to ensure he couldn’t even breathe? No one deserved that, but Belos was not a merciful man.
Darius abruptly stood up, partly to release his pent up vengeful energy, and stormed into the kitchen. He couldn’t bear to see Hunter’s scarred and pitiful face. The boy’s circumstance was far worse than he could have imagined.
Without delay, Darius scooped out two bowls of his simmering soup and carried the steaming bowls back into the study space. Hunter hadn’t moved but he now looked at Darius with wide and confused eyes. He looked even more confused when Darius shoved a bowl of soup into his gloved hands.
“Eat,” Darius commanded, “and take small, slow bites, your stomach is not going to be prepared for a sudden influx of food.”
Though he was doing his best to contain his anger, Darius couldn’t help but silently fume at Hunter’s inhumane treatment. He took a breath and carefully schooled his expression. Hunter was already anxious enough and Darius did not want to become another source of anger and violence in his life.
He took a bite of soup - the homemade recipe as delicious as always - but Hunter did not follow suit. Darius refused to let out an exasperated sigh.
“Is something wrong?”
Hunter cautiously rubbed a hand over his face, wincing at the irritated skin. “I… I appreciate your concern, Darius, but I am being punished. Emperor Belos has ordered this and if I endure my punishment well, then he will release me when he sees fit.’
Darius felt his eye twitch. That despicable good for nothing lousy excuse of an Emperor.
Knowing Hunter, the boy was probably grateful that the Emperor was being so lenient with him. Something had to give - Hunter needed to realize that this treatment was not okay. But Darius couldn’t push too hard.
“Hunter,” he sighed, refraining from calling him Little Prince. The name had originally been a condescending slur from Darius’ knowledge of Hunter and the Emperor’s relationship, but he could see more in him now. “I do not wish to undermine the Emperor’s plans, but you will not be able to attend to your duties if you are not eating or sleeping properly. You at least need one warm meal and some salve for your cheeks. Abomination slime is not meant to be in close contact with skin for this long.”
At the notion of not being able to complete his tasks, Hunter shriveled. He was desperate to prove himself and Darius felt bad for using that against him, but Hunter needed to eat.
Hunter looked down at the bowl of soup in his lap. Darius could tell that he wanted to eat it, wanted to fill that empty, nauseous void in his stomach, and he hoped that he would.
“If I eat this,” Hunter began haltingly, a spark of hope igniting in Darius’ chest, “You need to bind me again.”
The hope was immediately snuffed out. “Pardon?”
“You’re an abomination witch and you released me. I will eat your meal, but only if you agree to use your magic to recreate the spell. Please, Emperor Belos cannot know that I disobeyed him again.”
Darius should have known that Hunter would strike that kind of deal. Not only would it be dangerous for Hunter should Belos discover this interaction, but Hunter had a deep seated need to obey the man he served. The boy’s devotion made Darius gag, but he understood where Hunter was coming from.
And what did he expect? That he would offer Hunter reprieve from such nightmarish treatment and the boy would just merrily skip back to the Emperor with no explanation for how a powerless witch had managed to remove the abomination from his face? That was out of the question.
What he was going to do was get Hunter taken care of right now and worry about slugging that self righteous Emperor after the Day of Unity.
He would never agree to subject the boy to that kind of cruelty, but he wanted him to eat something. “First, I would like to get your soup eaten and then some healing salves on your face.” He was aware that he was being obtuse, but he refused to meet the Guard’s terms.
Hunter looked at him somewhat skeptically, but Draius could see the faint relief in the pull of his eyebrows. Heeding Darius’ order, Hunter slowly sipped at his soup.
Darius watched as Hunter took the first bite, his eyes slipping shut, and sighed. The soup definitely was one of Darius’ best batches, but Hunter’s eyes burning with delight and eagerness made him realize just how hungry this boy was.
The two ate in silence for sometime before Darius touched back on something Hunter said.
“What did you mean, when you said you couldn’t disobey the Emperor again? Why did he hex you in the first place?”
It may have been personal, but Darius just had to know.
Already pink cheeks darkened even more, Hunter turning his eyes down in shame. “I spoke out of turn. Really, I should have known that I would be punished, I have been speaking out far too often. I guess… all you need to know is that I offered my opinion when it was unwelcome and Emperor Belos deemed it necessary to teach me a lesson about only speaking when spoken to.”
So this was it. This was how the rebellion ended. With Darius letting all of his carefully cultivated coolness melt away to tumultuous and unchecked fury.
Darius did not think he would ever feel so passionate about anything after his friend and mentor was killed, but sitting here, listening to Hunter talk about the abuse he endured, his heart ignited.
Emperor Belos’ right hand man, the esteemed Golden Guard, the man’s own nephew should have been the most spoiled and well taken care of member of the coven. That’s what everybody thought, even Darius himself at one point. But Hunter was treated like dirt by everyone around him, including the man who should have been taking care of him. And that man was teaching him that children should be seen and not heard. Not only that, he severely punished Hunter when the hopelessly chatty boy would make the mistake of talking to his uncle.
This kid…
Hunter continued to sip his soup, relishing in the warmth and satiety it provided, unaware of the concern building up in his companion. Taking a breath, Darius squished down his dread and remained outwardly stoic, something he was rather good at. All that mattered right now was getting Hunter fed and taking care of his wounds.
The boy could use an evening of normalcy.
With his stomach full and the dishes cleared away, Darius sat on the couch near Hunter, a jar of healing salve in his hand.
“Do you… need any assistance with this, or would you like to do this on your own?” Titan when did Darius get so awkward?
Hunter blushed, refusing to meet Darius’ eye. “I c-can do it myself, thank you,” he said quickly, flinching at his brief stutter. Darius guessed that Emperor Belos was not very tolerant of stuttering.
When the salve came in contact with Hunter’s skin, he winced at the slimy texture, but continued to rub it in, seeming to find the coolness soothing. Upon careful soldier-like evaluation, Hunter decided that he had gotten his fill.
“How are you feeling?” Darius asked.
He would never admit how glad he was to see Hunter smile, a real genuine smile. “I feel much better, thank you Darius.”
Just as quickly as it appeared, Hunter’s smile disappeared. “I really need to be going, the Emperor is expecting me soon.”
Darius did not want to let Hunter anywhere near the Emperor ever again, but it would not do well to keep the tyrant waiting. The two climbed to their feet and Darius ushered Hunter to the door.
Hunter paused before crossing the threshold. He looked sad, yet resigned, his shoulders weighed down. “Could you… uh… do you think you could-” He gestured weakly to his face.
Darius sighed. He was hoping Hunter forgot about his previous request, but the boy was nothing if not obedient.
“About that,” Darius began, knowing how Hunter would react to what he was going to say. “I will not be binding you.”
Hunter’s gaze snapped up to meet his. “What? But you said-”
“I didn’t say anything about that. I told you that I wanted you fed and healed, that is all.”
Once Darius would have mocked the Golden Guard’s pouting and spluttering, but now he found it rather endearing. The boy stammered a moment, tongue working in his mouth, before he huffed in annoyance.
“You have to,” he demanded, “I can’t do it myself and I can’t go to the Emperor like this. It was weak of me to let you spoil me, but I have to continue my punishment.”
Darius’ heart softened ever so slightly.
“Hunter, I understand this is what you need to do, but I refuse to be part of this. I will not allow myself to subject you to such treatment. If you are determined to be bound in abomination magic, you are going to have to find someone else to do it for you. I’m sure some coven scout will gladly take up the task.”
Hunter just stared at him, magenta eyes popping out of their sockets. A myriad of emotions flitted across his features - confusion, frustration, sadness, and maybe Darius imagined it, but Darius thought he saw a hint of relief.
“I don’t understand,” he said eventually, searching Darius’ face. “Why are you doing all of this?”
For Hunter’s sake, Darius allowed a smidge of vulnerability to enter his facade. “Believe it or not, I genuinely want to help you. What’s being done to you is not right and I will not participate in causing you pain. Not anymore.”
Once again, Hunter looked appalled. Darius was careful not to insult the Emperor directly, as Hunter would react poorly to that, but he did want to convey to Hunter his sincerity that he was there for him. From now on, Hunter needed someone in his corner.
“So you’re really not going to do it?”
“Not even for 1000 snails.”
Looking overwhelmed and uncomfortable, Hunter stepped out the door. “I guess I’ll figure something out. Um, thank you. For everything. I’m very grateful for your hospitality.”
Before Hunter could scurry away, back to his cruel uncle, Darius called out to him.
“Should you ever find yourself in any trouble or in need of assistance, you know where to find me.”
Hunter said nothing as he raced down the hall, but Darius saw the boy smile, and that was enough.