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Philip rushed around the house in a panic. He had looked under the beds, in every closet and even went downstairs to the forbidden basement where Hunter wasn’t allowed to go.
‘’Hunter!’’ Philip shouted and then rushed at the front door.
He hadn’t been feeling well. His curse had gotten the best of him yesterday and he had been exhausted ever since.
Philip had only taken a little nap, which had stretched to three hours. He could tell that it had been raining, which only made him more worried.
‘’Hunter!’’ Philip shouted as he pressed his mask on his face.
Hunter was seven years old. He was a magicless witch without a staff to speak of. And sure, he could get bored, but…
He wouldn’t go outside on his own, would he?
‘’Hunter!’’ Philip shouted at the top of his lungs as he rushed in the woods.
‘’Uncle!’’
Philip gasped and turned to the sound of the grimwalker that he had called his nephew for seven years now. He saw the boy running at him through the trees, unharmed and with something tiny and red following him.
‘’Hunter…’’ Philip kneeled and opened his arms to welcome the boy into a tight embrace. Hunter wrapped his tiny arms around Philip’s neck. ‘’Oh, thank Titan…’’
‘’I’m sorry, uncle…’’ Hunter mumbled.
Philip groaned and lifted Hunter off the ground to carry him back inside the house.
‘’I didn’t know it would rain. I just wanted to go see what was out there. I’m sorry.’’ Hunter explained.
Philip was about to close the door, but then he heard something hissing. He turned to see the little red ball fly around in a panic as the black trees around their house started to swing their branches at it.
‘’What the…?’’ Philip blinked as the little red ball flied inside, and he closed the door quickly. ‘’What is…? Hunter?’’
Hunter leaned back. ‘’What’s wrong, uncle?’’
Philip looked at the little red ball as it landed on the table and jumped around. His eyes widen at the sight of a familiar bird.
‘’I dunno what that is. It wouldn’t stop following me.’’ Hunter said when he stared at the bird with his uncle.
Philip took a careful step forward and tried to reach for the bird, but it chirped loudly and puffed its chest. It was glaring at Philip.
‘’Hey! Stop that!’’ Hunter hissed and got off from Philip’s arms. ‘’That’s my uncle!’’
Philip blinked as the bird chirped angerly.
‘’I don’t know what you’re saying, but it better not be insults!’’ Hunter huffed.
‘’Hunter, where did this bird come from?’’ Philip asked.
‘’It was with the Bat Queen. She let me be in her cave while the rain was happening. There were other little creatures too, but this one came with me for some reason.’’ Hunter explained.
‘’The Bat Queen, you say…’’ Philip blinked and hummed. ‘’Hunter, I want you to check something for me.’’
‘’What?’’
‘’Since the bird seemed to like you, can you hold onto it?’’
Hunter hesitated before he reached for the bird.
The red rascal looked at Hunter’s hand, hopped around a bit before letting Hunter catch it.
‘’Gently, Hunter.’’ Philip advised and watched Hunter holding the bird as gently but firmly as his little hands could. ‘’Now, rotate the bird so that we can see the bottom of its foot.’’
‘’Why?’’ Hunter asked but did as Philip told him. ‘’Hm? What’s that?’’
‘’An interlock.’’ Philip said and looked at the little hole the bird had on the bottom of its foot. ‘’Palismen have those to connect to their staffs.’’
‘’Palis… Oh! Is this bird a palisman? Like Ranry?’’ Hunter asked.
‘’Yes, it seems that way.’’ Philip said.
‘’But why did it come with me? I… I can’t do magic. I’m… not a witch…’’ Hunter sounded sad.
‘’Hunter, just because you cannot do magic doesn’t make you any less of a witch than me and Lilith.’’ Philip said kindly and looked at the palisman.
This bird… It was identical to the one that had stolen Caleb’s heart. Evelyn, wasn’t she?
Philip had a bad feeling, but at the same time…
Hunter looked at Philip. ‘’Why did it come with me?’’
Philip hummed. ‘’I don’t know, sweetheart. Lilith is more familiar with palismen and how they work, so… How about we wait until she comes to visit tomorrow?’’
‘’Hm… Okay. That seems smart.’’ Hunter said and looked at the bird. ‘’I wish I could understand what it’s trying to say.’’
‘’You… do not understand it either?’’ Philip asked.
‘’No. It was being loud in the cave, too. I think it was trying to say something, but… I didn’t know what.’’
Philip thought about it. ‘’No matter. Just let it fly around. If its here to find its witch and you are it, then it should get to know its new home.’’
Hunter looked up at Philip. ‘’You’ll let him keep it?’’
‘’The moment a witch and a palisman make a connection, there is no separating them. And since this little one is following you around, it might mean that it has chosen you.’’ Philip said and patted Hunter’s shoulder. ‘’But we won’t know until it turns into a staff. That much I know.’’
Hunter looked at the bird as he let go and it flied around.
The palisman seemed to glare at Philip, as if it was blaming him for something, but it tried to stay very close to Hunter.
When the night arrived and it was time to go to sleep, Philip read a bedtime story for Hunter and let the boy hold his hand until he was fast asleep.
Philip leaned to caress Hunter’s face and whispered him a goodnight before getting up. He was just about to go to bed, but then he heard a chirp and looked over at the door.
The palisman was standing in front of the closed door and glared at Philip.
‘’What? You wish to leave the room?’’ Philip asked and walked over to the door. He was careful about his steps as he opened the door and looked down. ‘’Go on.’’
The palisman chirped and kept glaring at Philip.
‘’What’s wrong?’’ Philip asked.
The palisman suddenly flied to Philip’s hair and started to pull it. It managed to pull Philip all the way out of the bedroom and then it flied in the room and glared at Philip.
‘’What is wrong with you, palisman? You don’t just pull someone’s hair like…’’ Philip almost lost his temper, but then his eyes landed on a sleeping Hunter. He inhaled to calm down and looked down at the palisman again. ‘’Evelyn.’’
The palisman’s eyes widened in shock, but then it looked more insulted.
‘’That was your witch’s name, wasn’t it?’’ Philip asked gently.
The palisman puffed its chest up and took a stance that would have been intimidating if it wasn’t for its small size.
‘’I see you remember me too.’’ Philip said sadly and sighed. ‘’No wonder you’ve been glaring me all day.’’
The palisman jumped up and down.
‘’Look, I get it. What happened back then… I get why you’re mad.’’ Philip said and kneeled to be closer to the palisman. ‘’But no matter how you feel about me, it seems… you choose my Hunter.’’
The palisman calmed down and flipped its wings. Philip watched as it bend its legs and looked down.
‘’I don’t know if you know what Hunter is, and right now, I don’t think it matters. What does matter right now is that if you really chose Hunter as your witch… then you and I must live under the same roof.’’
The palisman looked up at Philip.
‘’Hunter is my nephew. I am his family. And I know… I know he looks like the man Evelyn loved. Hunter doesn’t know what happened back then, and I think he doesn’t need to know. Right now, he cannot understand anything you’re saying, but I know once that connection is finally made, you will spill the beans.’’
The palisman glanced down.
Philip sighed. ‘’If Hunter believes you, that would be a miracle.’’ he stood up and walked around. ‘’I know I cannot get rid of you. Even if I tossed you out right now, you would find a way back in.’’
The palisman narrowed its eyes and flied up to meet Philip’s face. It chirped and tilted its head around.
‘’I don’t understand you.’’ Philip said and groaned. ‘’Palismen have always been a mystery to me. I was aware that your kind was mostly made of wild magic.’’
The palisman wiggled its feet.
‘’Hm?’’ Philip blinked and held out his hand. The palisman landed on his fingers and seemed a bit scared. ‘’What? You thought I would hurt you? Why would I? Palismen are tools and loyal pets. Your kind serves a purpose. And if you can make Hunter happy, then why should I hurt you?’’
The palisman seemed to calm down again and then it let out a chirp.
‘’Again, I do not understand you.’’ Philip said.
The palisman started to fly again and it landed on the table. It started to tap its beak on the table.
‘’What are you trying to tell me?’’ Philip asked.
The palisman walked around in a seemingly random direction, until Philip realized that it was trying to make a shape on the table. Philip walked over and traced the shape.
‘’Uh… Gravestone?’’ Philip asked and the palisman nodded. ‘’Who’s?’’
The palisman pointed at Philip and then itself. It chirped twice and hopped.
‘’Hm… I really don’t…’’ Philip explained, but the palisman pointed at him and at itself. ‘’Someone we both know? Uh… Evelyn’s?’’
The palisman nodded.
‘’You… would like us to visit her grave?’’ Philip asked, and the palisman nodded. It chirped and hopped twice. ‘’Right now?’’
Maybe five minutes later, Philip teleported himself and the palisman to a graveyard where he knew Evelyn and Caleb were buried.
Philip casted a Light Spell, looked around and walked slowly amongst the graves. It had been so long since he had been here.
The last time Philip had visited this place was when he buried his portal to the Human Realm outside of the graveyard. He had wondered if it was still in the ground, but he didn’t dare to look.
That portal… How much had Philip sacrificed in order to make it? And how painful it had been for him to walk through it to see his old home?
No, it was best to keep it in the ground.
Philip looked at the unfamiliar graves. The last time he had stepped in here, there had been less graves. Back then he had come here to steal his brother’s body to make a grimwalker. Back then, the night had been warm and calm.
Philip remembered the way he had looked up at the moon when he had taken a breather from digging. He remembered how much he had been sweating that night. He remembered the strings of apologies he had given to his brother when he had finally seen his face again.
Philip followed the palisman as it flied to a grave right beside Caleb’s.
A gravestone that was similar to Caleb’s…
Philip kneeled to wipe the stone from all the dirt and plants that had grown on it.
‘’Evelyn Clawthorne…’’ Philip bowed his head.
The palisman seated itself down on the stone and snuggled its head on its cold surface.
Philip noticed and smiled. ‘’You must have loved her, huh?’’
The palisman blinked slowly.
‘’Caleb loved her too. They were… happy… until I came along.’’ Philip allowed the shame to fill his heart.
The palisman looked at Philip.
‘’I should have been more open-minded back then. Maybe I would have loved her too. Perhaps, I would have been a part of their family.’’ Philip sighed.
The palisman chirped and got up. Philip watched as it flied to another grave. The palisman tapped its beak on the stone and looked at Philip as if expecting him to come closer.
Philip walked over and wiped the stone until he found the name…
‘’Angel Clawthorne? Who was this?’’ Philip blinked.
The palisman waved at Evelyn’s and Caleb’s gravestones.
‘’Their… child? This is their child?’’ Philip looked at the stone. ‘’The little one that… I nor Caleb ever knew in life.’’
The palisman flied behind the grave and hopped from behind it with a thin stick in its mouth. Philip watched as it started to tap the stick around as if it was searching for something.
Philip wiped the stone some more. He wanted to know about this person. This was the nephew or niece that he never knew. Now that he was there, he wanted to know more.
‘’Oh…’’ Philip let out a sad sigh. ‘’You were seventy-eight when you passed on to see your parents. A loving parent of three… A caring partner…’’
The palisman seemed to finally find what it was looking for, and it stuck the stick in the ground. It hopped over to Philip and chirped loudly.
‘’What?’’ Philip blinked and looked at the stick on the ground. ‘’You… You want me to dig there?’’
The palisman nodded.
Philip sighed and started to dig. It didn’t take him long to find an old wooden box that was carved with the name ‘Angel’. Something about the letters made Philip feel a sense of nostalgia, but he swallowed it down in favor of opening the box to see what was inside.
There was a folded letter, a picture and a little stuffed animal.
Philip looked at the palisman unsurely, but he was given a short nod by the little bird. So, he reached in to study the stuffed animal first.
It was barely the size of Philip’s hand, dusty and worn out. It was probably meant to be bird of some kind, but Philip wasn’t sure.
Then Philip picked up the picture, and he almost let out a cry.
It was a picture of Caleb, his older brother. Philip had almost forgotten how close of a copy Hunter was to him, but now it was all flooding back to him.
Philip set the picture aside and took the letter to his hands. He carefully opened it while feeling the palisman hop on his knee.
To my uncle, Philip Wittebane
Hi, uncle! It’s me, Angel. Your... Well, you don’t know me, but I am your brother’s child.
My mom has told me some things about you, including the reason why you haven’t come and visit. I know that there’s a change that we won’t see each other, ever. But I’m writing this in hopes that one day, you might come and visit my grave and find this.
I know you probably don’t want anything to do with me. Mom told me that you’re a witch hunter, and that you don’t like beings like me. But dad was also a witch hunter, and he changed. So, there is a chance that you have too.
If that is the case, then I wanted you to know that I know about you and dad. I know that you loved dad and that you didn’t want him to get hurt. I just want you to know that I don’t hold any bad feelings towards you.
I know all these years must have been hard on you, and you have regrets. And I forgive you.
I forgive you for not wanting to face us again.
I forgive you for staying away.
I understand, and I forgive you.
And for that reason, I decided to give you this box. This is something dad made for me when I wasn’t born yet. The picture was a gift from mom, the only picture I have of dad. And the stuffed toy was also made by dad.
Everything in this box are the only proofs I have that my dad was real and that he was a human. That my uncle is a human.
I know you might not care about me, but you will care about dad. And since mom said that you weren’t there for his funeral, I’ll give you my treasure of memories.
You have done something horrible, but you still deserve a chance to say goodbye.
And I hope that you’re okay, I really do.
Angel Clawthorne
Philip let out a sob as he read the letter and pressed it against his chest.
He had not deserved anything so beautiful. His heart was shattering as he pictured the person who had written this, years and years ago.
Philip didn’t know what Angel had looked like, he didn’t even know if Angel had been a boy or a girl. But it didn’t matter.
These words had come from their heart. A kind soul had given Philip something beautiful, and he didn’t deserve any of it.
The palisman chirped.
‘’I don’t deserve this…’’ Philip mumbled.
The palisman flied to Philip’s shoulder and rubbed against his cheek.
Philip hesitated before he reached for the bird and gently rubbed his finger against the soft feathers.
‘’Thank you.’’ Philip whispered gently. ‘’I don’t deserve this… but thank you.’’
Few minutes later, Philip found himself at the top of the Titan’s Knee.
He was holding the box of memories that Angel had gifted him, and held it up towards the sky.
‘’Angel Clawthorne, if you can hear this… Thank you. What a wonderful gift you’ve given me.’’ Philip said and smiled. ‘’Caleb… My brother… I am so sorry for everything. Thank you for all the years you looked after me. I miss you every day, and I hope… When I’m ready to finally let go of this life, that you’d come to me at least one last time… before the Gates of Hell open for me and I will answer for my sins.’’
Philip set the box on fire and held onto it for as long as he dared before setting it down on the snow. He and the palisman watched it burn.
On their way back home, the palisman flied in front of Philip and chirped.
‘’Oh, hey. You actually stuck with me the whole time.’’ Philip offered his hand for the bird to land. ‘’I guess you’re not so bad. Hunter is a lucky witch to have you, palisman.’’
The palisman chirped, and Philip’s eyes widened in shock.
‘’I… think I understood that.’’ Philip blinked and smiled to the bird. ‘’Is that your name? Can you say it again?’’
The palisman chirped, and Philip couldn’t help but to laugh.
‘’Strange. This is the first time I’ve ever understood your kind.’’ Philip admitted and let the palisman land on his shoulder. ‘’I guess we can finally talk about everything, now that we understand each other.’’
The palisman chirped and they talked the whole way back to the lonely house in the middle of the woods. They were both actually enjoying each other’s company.
When nearing the black trees, Philip hid the palisman under his cloak and put on his mask. He walked to the house while gently holding the little red bird. As he stepped inside, he shut the door behind himself and let the bird fly away.
Philip put away his cloak and mask. He walked to the bedroom to see Hunter still asleep in his bed.
The palisman flied to Hunter and settled right beside him.
Philip smiled and gently brushed Hunter’s cheek.
Hunter hummed and smiled in his sleep, and Philip could see his brother’s face.
Philip gave the palisman a gentle pat on the head and whispered: ‘’Goodnight, Flapjack.’’
--------------------------
A week later, Philip and Lilith were ready to collect some of the killer tree’s roots. It was always an operation, even with masks and Lilith’s surgical magic work.
They had seen Hunter in the bedroom reading a spell book and they could hear him talking with his palisman.
Philip and Flapjack had come to an agreement that neither of them would tell Hunter about the night in the graveyard, or about Angel.
Hunter was too young, and explaining all of it would have been too difficult for both of them.
It also meant that Philip hadn’t revealed Flapjack’s name to Hunter. He wanted Hunter to discover it all by himself, like he should.
Lilith was just about to put on her mask, when Hunter suddenly rushed out of the room.
‘’UNCLE! LILY! LOOK!’’ Hunter screamed in excitement.
‘’Hey, don’t shout so…’’ Lilith froze.
Philip looked over at seven-year-old Hunter that was holding a witch’s staff. The red bird was on its end, frozen like a statue.
‘’I did it! I finally connected with him!’’ Hunter cheered.
‘’How did…? After all this time…’’ Lilith hesitated.
‘’You got your witch staff?’’ Philip sounded happy, and he rushed to pick Hunter up and lifted him up towards the ceiling. ‘’Oh, Hunter! You got your staff!’’
Hunter laughed as Philip pulled him into a tight embrace.
‘’I didn’t think I could be any more proud of you, Hunter. Oh, I’m so happy for you!’’ Philip smiled.
Lilith smiled too and walked over to hug Hunter and Philip. ‘’Congratulation, Hunter.’’ she smiled and looked at the staff Hunter was holding. ‘’And I assume we finally have a name for the little rascal?’’
Hunter nodded and let go of the staff so that the palisman could fly freely.
‘’His name is Flapjack. His a red cardinal, and now he’s my palisman.’’ Hunter reached his hand for Flapjack to land and the bird chirped happily. ‘’I promise to take good care of you, Flap!’’
And Philip praised their luck for finding Flapjack and bringing him home.