Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hunter needed to leave, everything hurt and he was bleeding everywhere! He felt slightly angry and scared. He shoulsnt feel this way. Uncle punished him all the time why was this different? Maybe it was the yelling, maybe it is how deep the cut is maybe its because he learned things he shouldnt of. He does not know. But what he does know is that he’s running and now he isn’t in the castle. He’s in the woods now and he trips. He looks back and notices the door like structure he tripped on. He pulled it out and it looked like the portal his uncle was making. Just slightly different. He decides to see where it leads.

Hunter picks it up from the ground. He don’t know if someone is chasing after him after fleeing. But he rather be safe than sorry so he opens the door to the portal. 

He sees that it’s raining outside and the leaves are green. It looks like the human realm from what his uncle told him story’s about. It wasn’t the human realm based off the different protal door but maybe it was similar enough to wear the rain didn’t boil. The rain here never affected him much but it was hot. Hunter heard what sounded like chrunced leaves and without a secound thought jumps through the portal.

The rain didn’t boil it was cold very cold. Hunter turns back to the portal and grabs it turning it into a portable form like that of a suitcase. 

Hunter let out a very heavy sigh the burning in his lungs subsiding a bit as he sat down on the wet floor. The cold rain bit his injuries, the gash on his face and the cuts on his arms. 

he pushed himself up against a nearby tree and brought his knees up to his chest. Once the adrenaline went away he was left hurting and ashamed. Titan how stupid was he? Running away from a punishment like a coward. He knew belos was going to kill him. He deserves that fate after all he was the golden guard. A soilder. He should have been honared to die for this land. By the hands of the emporer no less.

”I was hoping I didn’t have to do this so soon, it’s such a shame really. Out of all the grimwalkers you looked the most like him”

Hunter shook that memory out of his head. It was the last thing he heard belos’s voice say before he ran like a coward. He didn’t know what to think with him being a grim walker. He barely even knew what that was or ment. He was forbidden from learning about them. All he knew was that they were created from wild magic. The very thing he was made to hate was exactly what he made by. He felt like he was going to vomit.

The worst part is that hunter had no idea where he was or what this place was like. He had came here just to get away and he didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to be captured just to die. Perhaps if he looked around he could find a place to stay. Just for tonight so he can heal his injuries so they wouldn’t get affected. They weren’t so bad anymore the large gash on his cheek was still bleeding, badly. He put his hand over it for some pressure the lesser cuts will be okay for now.

He stands up and shakey legs and grabs the portal as he starts to walk. He’s unsure where he’s going but if he walks far enough there has to be civilization. He hopes.

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It was around midnight and Abaddon was out for a walk. Find some birds to torment a squirrel to eat. Katharine was still awake so Abaddon had to sneak by her. He hated when the women stayed up in hope for ‘late night guests’ like anyone would come there. It also made it difficult for Abaddon to have his usual fun at night.

Abaddon was just about to climb a tree when he heard footsteps. He looked over to see what looked like glowing eyes in the distance. Was this another demon? Didn’t they know this was Abaddons territory. He had to assert dominance.

He approached the other person expecting something scary but instead he got what looked to be a strange looking man. He was tall with pointed ears and odd clothes.

“Human!” Hunter gasped taking a step back. Abaddon growled, “I am no human! I am Abaddon! King cobra and ruler of the abyss! I am a demon!” He clarifies huffing.

Hunter looks him up and down. He didn’t look like a demon he looked like a human. But that didn’t matter right now he would figure it out later. 

“Okay…” He took a sharp intake of air whistling through the gap in his teeth. his injuries starting to sting more because of the cold rain. He was also soaking wet. “Okay… So Abaddon do you know where I can find a place to stay?” The demon looks like a child but hunter doesn’t want to assume. Many people on the boiling isles were short or shorter than Abaddon and were grown adults.

Abaddon wanted to send Hunter away but Katharine kept talking about how ‘instead of scaring the quest try to invite some in’ and if he bought him it was sure to earn him a sticker. Damn that women and her bribes.

”yes I suppose I do. Come with me mortal” He waves his hand and begins walking with Hunter following closely behind.

They walk in silence to the undervale hotel. “Matriarch! I have acquired a guest” Abaddons says proudly as hunter walks through the door.

It felt warm inside the hotel, hunter was thankful for that. The blood from his cheek was seeping through the gaps in his fingers and getting small droplets on the floor.

Katharine looks up from her phone and stands up straight from leaning against the front desk. “Oh hello!” She smiled at the strange boy. He had magenta eyes and white clothes with cold accents and a cape. His ears were also pointed. But who was she to judge? Businesses is business and she has seen weirder. He was bleeding so at least he wasn’t a ghost. 

“Hello” He says hating how his voice crakes slightly.

Katharine was not expecting for his voice to sound like that. At first She thought he was a grown man but now that she looked closer she did see the soft features of a teenager. She chooses to ignore it.

”welcome to the undervale! How can I help you” Katharine said as hunter walked over to her with shakey legs. 

Hunter clears his throat before speaking again he doesn’t remove his hand from the gash he doenst want to ruin the carpet with his blood. “I am Hunter, a-and I was wondering if I-i could stay here. Just-Just for tonight!” Titian why was he stuttering so much? He needs to pull himself together.

”A room for tonight? Okay that will be-“ Hunter cuts her off before Katharine can say the price. “I-I have no money but I can work” Hunter was worthless if he couldn’t work.

Of course. Of course the guest couldn’t pay what was she expecting really. Nathan walks from into the room from the wall. “Hey Kathy what’s going on?” He asks with a cheerful smile.

”He wants to stay here but can’t pay” Katharine says with a sigh. “I can work! Please I will do anything just one night I will work to make up for my time here” he begs. He really was pathetic wasn’t he? 

“Oh Kathy let the boy stay! He’s clearly injured plus we do need more workers” Nathan was optimistic about everything. But he was right they did need more workers but Katharine wasn’t just gonna let anyone work around her children and Abaddon.

“I would like my sticker please” Abaddon butts in climbing ontop of the counter. “I have brought you a quest like you asked I want a sticker”

Katharine looks over at the demon. “Yes yes I will give you your sticker in a moment” she than turns back to hunter. “Okay I will let you stay here for tonight and just tonight but first I have a few questions. One, how old are you”

”15” he muttered he hated that he was young it made people not take him seriously. 

Katherine was expecting a bit more than 15. Hunter looked both young and old at the same time. “Okay… why are you bleeding?”

Hunter looked away and bit the inside of his cheek. “Do you have a healers kit I could use ma’am?” She didn’t want to tell her the truth so he deflected. 

Katharine sighed. Looking at this boy put her maternal instincts into high gear like it did with Abaddon. Even though she try’s to ignore it. “Yes I do come with me”

The walks him were the bathroom is. She walks to the cabinet and retrieves the first aid kit. She looks over and sees Hunter standing by the door. “Do you need help?” That was a lot of blood seeping through his hands he may need stitches.

”N-no ma’am thank you” He was cable of taking care of himself just fine. He took a tentative step into the bathroom and lightly took the kit from her hands. He removes his bloodied hand from his face.

Katharines eyes widened in horror at how deep the cut was. You could faintly see the teeth through the cheek. “Oh my god…” she mumers.

Hunter looks up at her than back down. He knows the cut is bad but he’s had worse. He goes to the disinfectant wipes but puases. This is another dimension what if words mean different things.

”ma’am?” He holds out the ‘alcohol wipes’ “is this disinfectant?” He asks quietly. Once Katharine nods at him he works on cleaning the wound. He only slightly winces he’s in company he can not be seen as weak.

”I’m Katharine” She says noting how she didn’t introduce herself. She revives a nod from hunter. 

He makes quick work of matching up the wound. He knows people don’t like to be kept waiting. 

“I will talk to the co-owner about you staying here. Where are your parents?” She asked if the boy was a run away she would have to call his parents. She just hoped it wasn’t like Abaddon who was a demon in a persons body.

”I do not have any ma’am” he clicks the first aid kit closed. He now has bandages adoring one of his arms and a thick bandage on his face.

”okay… I will talk to the co-owner about you staying here for now I will show you to your room.” 

Katharine walks to the least haunted room and turns on the light. “Thank you ma’am” he gives a half bow before walking in.

___________________________________

Katharine walks back to the parlor. Making sure to add Abaddons sticker least she forget and have the demon remind her every five seconds.

She falls into the lounge chair. “So how did it go?” Asked Nathan. “Fine? I don’t know it’s concerning a teenager shows up bloody and doenst have parents and it weirdly formal. He has reddish eyes like Abaddon has when he’s mad but it seems different than Abaddon. I didn’t ask about it today, I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. I really don’t feel right just throwing him out tomorrow” Katherine explains.

___________________________________

Hunter removes his cloak but leaves the rest of his wet clothes on. He didn’t have anything to change into anyway. He sets down the portal by the bed and lays down on top of the covers. And stares up at the ceiling.

Chapter Text

Hunter woke up from a dreamless sleep. As he sat up in the bed it took him a while to come back to his senses. Right he had foolishly ran away. He runs his hands over his face as he thinks. Now he’s in debt to a women he doesn’t know. How much will he be made to work? Surely not too much for only one night? How much would be considered a lot for them? 

He shook of his thoughts as he stood up from the bed. She was nice enough to let him stay perhaps she would be kind enough to answer a few of his questions.

He made his way out of the room and down the stairs. Now he just needed to find Katharine. As he wondered around the hotel he realized the sun was up. He hoped he didn’t sleep in too late. He didn’t want to make anyone angry with him. 

As he walked he spotted a man walking down the same hallway as him. “Excuse me sir” Hunter started waiting for the man to pay attention to him. “I was wondering if you could tell me where Katharine is” he asks hoping for a location. “Oh her? In the kitchen I think” the man than walked away after that.

That was helpful, kind of. He did not know where the kitchen was but he would find it. After some trial and error he does. He peaks in and sees Katharine, Abaddon and the man in the blue sweater from yesterday along with two others who look like Katharine. 

He knocks on the door frame which makes them look over to him. Thinking it’s safe he walks over to Katharine and bows to her awaiting instructions.

Katharine looked down at him. How odd, why was this boy bowing to her? Before she can speak Esther does "Who is that?" She says jumping up from her chair. "Why is he bowing to you?" Ben asks.

Katharine looks to her children than back at hunter. "Kids this is Hunter, Hunter these are my kids Esther and Ben. And than there's Abaddon and Nathan that you met yesterday" She explained. "Also to go with what ben said why are you bowing to me?"

Hunter looked up slightly. He had always done it to belos and other superiors as it was considered poliet. He didn't consider that may be different here. What if he just offend them and now there mad at him?! He quickly straightens up. "My apologies ma'am where I come from it is considered poliet."

"And where do you come from?" Esther says. Judging by the boys appearance he probably is a monster of some kind, possibly a demon judging by his eyes. She would have to do more research.

Hunter didint know if he should tell them the truth but it's not like he had a good lie. He was never a good lair. So he doesn't have any other choice. "I.. come from the demon realm the boiling isles to be exact." Looking around he sees faces of disbelief.

"Your a demon? I have never heard of this boiling of iles in Hell" Abaddon raises an eyebrow.

Hunters brows furr slightly at the mention of Hell. "It’s not in hell…” its voice trails off slightly. “It’s uhm it’s another realm I came here through a portal” he sounded insane!

Katharine simply looks at him, she is very skeptical but she was living in a hotel with a literal demon so anything was possible and they boy didn’t look the most human.

A portal intrigued Esther she’s never went to another realm before! “Why did you leave? Do you still have the portal? Can I go to the boiling isles?” A whole other realm with new experiences sounded amazing! 

“No! You can’t go” is the only question hunter answers. He doenst want to talk about the reason he left. 

How interesting, Esther thought. Perhaps this boy was an outlaw of some kind maybe he’s a criminal and that’s how he got that injury on his face. She would be investigating this.

“You’re not a demon right?” Katharine already had one and one was more than enough.

”Oh no I’m a witch” The lie comes so naturally. He wasn’t a witch he wasn’t anything he was just a tool for belos to use. But he wasn’t about to tell them that besides it’s what he’s known for years.

”that’s a new one” Nathan said, “demons ghosts monsters but never a witch before so what magic do you do? The black magic kind like Esther?” 

‘Black magic’ was not a coven hunter was aware of. “No, I am unaware what that is” he didn’t explain what magic he did. Because he could not do magic without his staff.

Hunter looks back over to Katharine. He just wants to know what to do to make up for his time staying here. But instead of that he gets asked. “Are you hungry?” By Nathan.

“No” he says quickly. He did not want to owe these people more than the night he stayed. “What would you like me to do ma’am to repay you for my stay?” 

“You can do the laundry, Nathan will show you where it is” Katharine said. It didn’t seem like hunter was hostile, he seemed nervous like he was afraid his existence was wrong.

”Yes ma’am” he see’s Nathan get up and leave and follows after him taking it as his sign to do so.

The laundry couldn’t be that hard, right? Surely not.

__________________________________

Hunter followed Nathan into a room with two machines and a basket of clothes. Hunter was not well versed in cleaning. The only thing he’s ever had to clean was his room and the occasional blood from the throne room floor. But never clothes.

Hunter swallowed as his gaze went from the machines to the basket back to the machines than to Nathan. He did not know what to do. A part of him was compelled to figure it out himself it didn’t look to difficult. But more logically he knew he should ask how to do it. It would be worse if he did it wrong than just asking how to do it. Truthfully he was hoping that if he did a well enough job they might let him stay there longer.

”My apologies sir but I do not know how to work these machines. I am a fast learner” He tenses as he speaks. He doesn't want to be seen as incompetent.

Nathan did not seem angry like Hunter expected. Nathan even smiled. “Well it seems like school is back in session our student hunter and the lesson how to do laundry” Nathan chuckles.

True to his word Hunter was a fast learner. Nathan showed him all the buttons to push and how to put in the detergents. 

“Good job! Now you just gotta wait till it’s done and than you can put it in the dryer!” He said as hunter stepped back from the washer.

”What do I do until than?” Hunter wished he had a list of things so he wouldn’t have to ask.

”Oh you would need to talk to Kathy about that” he shrugs “she’s the boss since she can actually touch things” Nathan explains.

Hunter nods and walks out the door. It was good to know who the authority is. Hunter liked authority and rules!

Chapter Text

Hunter was waiting for Katharine at the door of the hotel. Katharine was not expecting to see him when she came home after dropping off her children at school. “Oh, Hunter, hi,” she says as she walks in. 

“I have finished the first part of the task. What would you like me to do in the time before I can complete the rest of it?” In the castle, Hunter was given a schedule of things to do. Then the hunter could even it out and would be kept busy throughout the day. He wasn't used to having nothing to do.

“Oh, uhm.” Their hotel was pretty clean for its standards. Half of the hotel was alive and kept itself pretty clean. Kathrine knew the agreements of the deal from the other night, but she didn't want to just cast the boy out in a world he didn't know. Nathan would never let her live it down, and free labor was free labor. It was a little concerning how much the boy wanted to work now. “You don’t have to do anything; it’s okay.” She goes to walk away.

Hunter blinks as he sees her walk away. What? Just do nothing? Surely not, so he followed her. He didn't speak; he didn't want to question her, but still. Nothing? 

Katharine felt hunters present behind her. She paused and looked back, and he looked up at her with his big magenta eyes. Hunter's behavior was a tad concerning. “Are you okay?” She tilts her head at him.

“Yes, ma’am.” He says, looking down to the floor. He puts his hands at his sides and balls his hands into fists. He dipped his head to look even further away from Katharine. He felt shameful and sad; he’s been feeling that a lot lately. Well, he always did, just more than usual. 

Katharine frowned; maybe he needed a job like the one he had back home. Like Abaddon did, only this time there would be no kidnapping. She hoped. She looked at the clothes Hunter was wearing, still not fully dried from the rain. They looked kind of like a uniform. “Did you have a job in the, uhm, ‘demon realm’?” That question makes Hunter’s head snap back up.

“Yes, ma’am.” He said with a nod. “I was the golden guard, the youngest person to do so.” He speaks with a small smile. He had always been proud of that accomplishment. Even if nearly everyone thought it was only because Belos was his uncle, but he wasn’t, Hunter didn’t have a family.

“Oh, and what’s that?” Katharine asked, noting how Hunter seemed proud of his job. 

“I was the right hand of the emperor himself! A prized soldier.” He puts his right hand over his chest. The hand where his sigil was. “I started training when I was five and did my scout trails at six and was a regular scout for two years after that while doing golden guard training! And by the time I was 10, I was promoted to golden guard!” He explains, puffing out his chest. 

That explains his need to work. Katharine guessed. Training to be a soldier at 5? Dear God. No wonder the poor kid ran away; he was only 15. She wasn't sure what to say at the moment. How was she meant to put that into a hotel job? Maybe she would just stick to having him clean. “Well that’s … nice!” Is what she finally says.

The washer beeps, taking the hunter's attention away from her. “I am going to go finish my mission.” He says it as a fact, but he still stands there until Kaharine nods at him. He makes his way back to the laundry room and takes out the wet clothes and puts them in the dryer. He thinks back to what the man, ‘Nathan,’ told him about how to do it. He nods to himself as it starts to tumble.

Hunter sighs; now that his mission was over, he would have to leave. He looks around before taking out a flapjack. He had been hiding him away; he wanted to make sure it was safe. The bird chirps at him for having him away for so long. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, Flap. Do you think they’ll let me stay if I keep working?” He asks the red bird. Flapjack flutters around and tweets in agreement. Hunter runs his hands over his face and breathes through his nose. He looks down at the timer on the washing machine.

“You would be nothing without me, boy. I do this because I care. No one else would want a magicless half-a-witch.”

He shook his head. He would ask to stay a few more days if not enough time to figure out what he wants to do with himself. Flapjack wouldn't let him leave anyway without attempting to ask. “What if she says no? What if she says yes and finds you and kicks us out?!” Hunter could always just hide the bird like he did at the castle. But this wasn't the castle.

“Ask! Lady, nice! Ask!” Flapjack chirped. Flapjack's opinions on things were normally right. So Hunter agreed. He went to walk out of the laundry room but remembered how Nathan walked through the wall. Is that something you could do here? It was not, and now his nose hurts from running into the wall. 

Hunter finds Katharine and Nathan in what he thinks is the office room. It looked like an office. Hunter walks and kneels down in front of Katharine; he wasn't told it was rude, so he figured it would be fitting here. “I have a proposition, ma’am, if you will hear me.” 

Katharine looked down at him. This kid was definitely not okay. Why was he kneeling? “Yes? “Also, you don’t have to kneel,” Katharine thought; she would like being bowed to. But getting that treatment by a 15-year-old freaked her out. 

Hunter did not stand. “I was wondering if it would be alright if I stayed here over the day I originally requested. I will do whatever you want to repay you for my lack of currency to pay you for my keep.” Hunter spent his life earning his keep. It was not a big deal if he had to do it again. He did feel bad, however, that he was working for someone other than Belos. The man has taken him in, and this is how he repays him? 

Before Katharine can say anything, Hunter stands. “I have also been a liar…” It’s better to take off the band-aid now than to get caught. “I am not the only one who came here.” He pulls out a small red cardinal and looks at Katharine like he just committed the most horrific sin.

“Oh my, who is this cute little guy?” Nathan chuckled, petting the bird to the best of his ability. “His name is Flapjack,” Hunter said; he still didn’t know what that was. “He is very well behaved and normally stays around me all day; he will not bother you.” He knew that the thing was made from evil, sinful wild magic. However he had it anyway; they were the same. The hunter was made from wild magic. A dirty, sinful grimwalker.

“Oh, he’s just so cute,” Nathan said at the bird who hopped around in the hunter’s gloved hand. “You just have to let them stay!” Nathan says, looking over at his sister with large brown eyes. Hunter also looks over at him, his eye bags somehowworse than Abaddon's.

“Sure.” Katharine says with a sigh that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she did cast the boy away. He was only 15 and seemed to be well-behaved. She did need to get him some new clothes. The ones he had were wet and slightly stained with blood. “You and Flapjack can stay here.” 

_____________________________________________

Esther had a few books on different types of monsters sprawled out on the lunch table. “What are you doing?” Heather asked as she sat down, setting her lunch tray in front of her. “There’s this strange boy that’s come to the hotel! “His name’s Hunter, and he claims to come from another realm, called ‘The Boiling Isles,’ and he says he’s a witch,” Esther says.

Heather taps her chin, thinking, “Well, I’ve never heard of that place before, and one of my honors classes is geography…” She says with a shrug of her shoulders.

“He also acts super weird! He bowed to my mom and then apologized in case he was ‘being rude.’ Like, that’s crazy!” She waves her arms. “So I’m trying to find out more about him, but I can’t find anything!” She groans. “I’m going to have to do a full-fledged investigation.” She slams the table.

“Is he like scary or something?” Heather inquires. Esther shakes her head, “Psh nah, he just looks a little funky though. He has red eyes and pointy ears and, like this, looks like he’s afraid of everything. Kinda like Ben a little bit,” she explains. 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure out what he is … “Maybe I could help, uhm, with what you want.” Heather fiddles with her thumbs nervously. “Yes! Well, it’s not like I NEED your help! Gosh, Heather! However, your big nerd brain will be very useful.”

The bell rang, and lunch was over. Esther gathers her books and walks with Heather to their next and last class, biology.

______________________________________

“Hey kids, how was school?” Katharine asks as her kids get in the car.

“It was fine.” Ben does not like talking about school, or going to school, or just anything involving other kids. He was not well liked.

“Same as always,” Esther says with a slight calculating grin. Katharine chooses to ignore that for now.

“Oh, by the way, I have decided to let Hunter stay for a little while longer since he has nowhere else to go. He will be doing the cleaning and helping with the front desk. Oh, and Ben, I let him borrow your clothes.” Katharine was going to let Hunter borrow Nathan’s since they would fit Hunter better. But when Katharine went to go get something for Hunter to wear, Katharine couldn’t find any of Nathan’s old clothes. So instead she just let him borrow Ben’s. Hunter didn’t seem to mind that the clothes were slightly too small. “Oh, uhm, alright.” Ben looks out the window.

Once back at the hotel, they went inside to see Hunter standing behind the front desk. He was wearing a T-shirt Ben didn’t wear much anymore and a pair of shorts; they were slightly small on him. But it wasn’t noticeable. “Welcome to the underval; how may I help you?” he says quickly. Katharine had told him to say that when someone entered. He didn’t think it applied to her and her family, but he said it anyway. In case it was a test.

“Family!” Nathan said, throwing up his hands. His arm was phasing through the table. Hunter still doesn't know why he was able to do that. 

Esther eyes Hunter warily. She grabbed her notebook out of her backpack and looked at her lists of texts to see what his weakness was. Test number one, salt.

She went into her emergency pouch and grabbed a bag of salt and got some out and threw it at him. It hit his chest.

Hunter flinched slightly when the salt hit him. He blinks at her; he doesn’t speak but is very obviously confused.

Katharine just sighs, “Esther, he isn’t a demon! Don’t throw salt at him!”

Esther would have to investigate more.

Chapter Text

So salt didnt work on him huh? Well that’s fine she will find something else. Esther was writing down notes on what she knew of him. Hunter seemed to follow around Katharine like a lost little puppy dog. Only leaving when told to do something. He didn’t seem like a werewolf either, no fur sightings. 

“What are you doing?” Abaddon asked, walking into her room. He crawls onto her bed across from Esther.

“I’m trying to find stuff about Hunters to determine what he is!” She says looking up from her notes.

“He’s a witch, like he said” Abaddon says looking at Esther confused.

“Yes but coming through portals? The boiling isles? It’s gotta be more than that!” She shows Abaddon her notes even though the demon can’t read them. “I think he might be a vampire!”

“A… vampire?” Abaddon tilts his head.

“Yes! I mean look, he's very pale, has pointed ears and sharp teeth. I also haven’t seen him go outside in the sun!” Esther grabs a book on vampires and shoves a page in Abaddon's face.

“Perhaps, I will see what I can find out from watching him.” Abaddon nods his head, turning to the door as it creaked open.

Hunter peeked through the door before walking into the room. “Katharine wanted me to let you know that it is time for dinner, and for you to come to the kitchen.” He says with a slight bow of his upper body. Then he leaves. 

“I just need more evidence! I’m right this time I know it!”

________________________________________

Hunter finishes telling Etsher, Abaddon and Ben before making his way to the kitchen himself. He was hungry himself. But he wouldn’t ask for food, he didn’t want to take up more space than he had to. He knew how to get his own food. He had to find many meals in the wilderness during missions. 

He walks into the kitchen and stands by the door, flapjack perches on his shoulder.

“Come on, sit down and eat!” Nathan says gesturing to an empty chair that was next to Ben.

“No it’s ok-“ Flapjack pulls at Hunter's hair. Hunter hasn’t eaten in days. “Ok! Ok!” He pulls flapjack from his cowlick and puts him back on his shoulder.

Hunter looks at Nathan, then the chair and then to Katharine. He doesn't move until she looks at him. He sits down and folds his hands in his lap. “Thank you.” 

Katharine dishes out the food, It was chicken and mashed potatoes. She gives everyone the same amount of food except Nathan who only got a little since he couldn’t actually eat it.

Hunter looks down at his food. He’s normally only eaten rations and the occasional meal with his uncle. He didn’t spend a lot of time eating during those meals however. 

He watches the others start to eat. Hunter picks up one of the pieces of chicken fingers and looks over to flapjack. “Eat! Eat!” The bird chirps at him earring Hunter glances from the others. He tentatively takes a bite. It's good.

“So how are you adjusting?” Katharine asks, looking over at him.

“Fine ma’am” he was still really confused about everything but he spent most of his life confused.

“Man, I wish I could eat” Nathan sighs looking down at the food.

“Why can’t you eat?” Hunter inquires, wait, that's rude, why did he ask that?

“Oh im a ghost, can’t eat sadly” Nathan shakes his head. 

Oh, well that was made since Hunter supposed. He went back to eating. Happy that no one was talking to him. The conversation drifted from Ben to Esther and Abaddon a few times.

“This vessel requires yogurt!” Abaddon kicks his chair. 

“After you eat all of your food bud” Nathan says, Abaddon really needed to gain weight so getting him to eat any actual food is good.

Abaddon huffs and hits the table. “Fine!” He huffs.

Hunter looks over, remembering when he was little and he had a similar outburst. Belos took away his food for two days to teach him to be grateful. Hunter chucked at the memory. He really was a dumb kid.

Esther looks over Hunter noticing his pale skin, perhaps he could be a vampire. “So Hunter… What do you think about sunlight?” 

“It’s fine?” Hunter answers. He’s never really thought about the sun that much. Except when it was burning the back of the neck during drills.

“Mhm… then how come I haven’t seen you in the sun?” Esther accuses. 

“Well I just haven’t gone outside…” Hunter replies. This is a weird line of questioning. He wishes he didn’t look so nervous right now. His mask was the favorite thing about his uniform.

Esther looked Hunter up and down. That could be possible, but she did have garlic powder at the ready for such an occasion where her questions wouldn’t be enough. She takes it out and holds it in front of Hunter's face. Expecting him to freak out.

He does not. “Garlic powder…” Hunter reads on the container label. He moves his head out of the way to look at Esther confused.

“Why aren't you freaking out?! This could kill you!” Esther shakes the bottle. “You're a vampire!” She accuses me.

“No I'm not, I'm a witch. Vampires live on a different island” He shrugs. He’s only seen vampires in photos. But Hunter doesn't look like them, vampires have much thinner ears and sharp claws and fangs that poke out of their mouths. They don’t look like witches at all. 

Esther slumps down in her seat. “But I was so sure! I mean you look just like the ones in my book!” She sighs. “Besdies if your a witch why don’t you do magic” She asks.

There's a lot of ways Hunter could answer that question. Because he has no bile sac, because he's a half-a-witch, because he's a grimwalker.  “My powers don’t work here” is what he says instead. He doesn't want to be seen as weak, people always look at him differently when they find out he can’t do magic.

“I feel your grief, my powers do not work the same in this wretched domain” Abaddon says. At least they believe him Hunter supposes.

“I can teach you how to do black magic!” Esther says, lighting up again.

Black magic? That sounds like something belos would forbid him from doing. It sounded sinful, wild. “Well I…” would he just reject her? That would be rude if she's offering to teach him something. She is offering to do something nice for him! “Okay” 

After the meal Hunter gathers the plates and places them in the sink while Katharine goes to put her kids to bed,Abaddon crawls into one of the vents, and Nathan goes to watch TV leaving Hunter alone in the kitchen. Hunter has only had to wash dishes a few times in the castle. When Belos needed to teach Hunter how to be grateful. Hunter did not like washing dishes especially when he had to scrape the uneaten food off of the plates. 

_________________________________________

It has been 3 days since he first arrived at the undervalue and Hunter thinks he is doing a good job. His work here is much easier than his work as the golden guard. But even so he finds himself missing the hard training and missions. He misses his uncle most of all. 

As he lays on top of the covers of his brewer bed he thinks of the portal underneath his bed. He thinks of opening it and walking back to the castle to see his uncle. And his uncle will yell at him for running away and maybe hit him a few times. But then afterwards he would bandage up his wounds like he would do when Hunter was little. And then his uncle would hug him and run his fingers through his hair. Hunter would wake up the next day in his bed with his books and uncle's room would only be a few doors down. He would see Darius as he walked the halls and Darius would say something snarky to rile Hunter up and it would work because it always worked. Maybe he could even see Lilith and they would bicker over some history fact. And his uncle will love him again.

He turns his head to see flapjack sleeping on the nightstand. Reminding him of why he can’t go back. 

He carefully sat up so as to not creek the bed. Flapjack was a lightsleeper much like Hunter himself. It wouldn't hurt to patrol the area a bit. Just to make sure nothing was out there and no other reason. 

He stepped over the floor breads that didn't creak as much, he tried to memorize which ones didn't creak at all but it kept changing. He climbed down the stairs and scanned the area. He walks over to the two front doors. He looked out the window that was on the door. It was pitch black outside; he could barely make out the trees out front. He goes from the door to the windows. He locks them so nothing can come in through them. It was a hotel so he couldn't lock the front door in case someone came in looking for a room. But Hunter could lock all the windows. So he did, and checked them over three times to make sure they were actually locked.

As Hunter made his way to check the locks on the windows again he heard the faintest rustle. He swiftly turned around and scanned over the area. His ear twitched and he heard ratting. He made his way over to the cause of the sound as the sound kept going. He could see a small shadow of a figure and a clank like metal hitting the floor. He lunged forward and grabbed the maker of the noise before it could scamper away. It made a loud yelping sound as Hunter yanked it from the vent space. He held the possible intruder in front of his face to see Abaddon.

“Oh it's just you,” Hunter said with a sigh of relief. 

“Unhand me!” Abaddon said his words muffled from the squirrel in his mouth. He thrashed his arms and kicked Hunter until he was dropped but before he could make his great escape Hunter was already putting the grate to the vent back.

Hunter sat the demon down and went to work putting the grate back on. He looked back at Abaddon eyeing the dead squirrel in his mouth. “You really shouldn't eat that raw” Hunter has had to eat his fair share of animals in the wilderness for missions. But even he knew better than to eat it raw.

“And why shouldn't I?” He probably took the squirrel out of his mouth to talk. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting normally people yell in horror and disgust.

“You could get sick, also there is other food in the house. Or are you not allowed?” Hunter normally gave tissues when he was so hungry but wasn't actually allowed to eat actual food. Never animals though. He hated doing that even when he was forced to by circumstances.

“I'm allowed?” What kind of question was that? Of course he was allowed no one to deny Abaddon the great king of shrimp from food. “No one can deny me food! I just chose to eat it because I want to”

Hunter stands up after fixing the grate, “Okay then.” He shrugged. Abaddon was a demon so maybe he liked that kind of stuff. 

“What are you doing?” Abaddon asks Hunter as the boy starts to walk away.

“Im patrolling making sure nothing can get in, im keeping everyone safe” He reasons. 

“This undervalue is my domain. I keep the feelings safe! But perhaps we could make an alliance” Abaddon says, " Hunter would be good to make allies with. He seemed strong and they are similar in grievances with their loss of powers.

“An alliance?” Hunter paused in his walking looking down at the small demon. His uncle did teach him that it was good to have more allies than enemies. And he was in a realm he barely knew about so an ally could help. “Okay… that sounds nice” Hunter agrees.

Chapter Text

Katharine was sipping coffee in the early hours of the moring. She looked over at hunter who was standing beside her and staring at her, like she would disappear if he looked away for a moment. It creeped her out if she was being honest with herself. “Can you go wake up my kids for school?” It was a bit earlier than when they normally wake up but only by a few minutes so it was fine.

“Yes ma’am” Hunter nods and swiftly makes his way up the stairs and away from the front desk.

Katharine tried to tell hunter that just Katharine was fine but she never got it to stick. Wasnt too weird though the kid just wanted to be polite. Nothing wrong with that.

________________________________________

Hunter went first to esthers room since it was the closest in the hallway. He opens the door and walks over to the sleeping child. “Esther, your mother is requesting you.”

No response.

“Esther! Your mother demands your presence!” Hunter said louder this time, but Esther was still sleeping. Hunter grabbed a hold of the blanket covering up the girl and swiftly yanked it off of her. He than grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her.

Esther woke up startled “hey- Hey!” she yelled shaking him of. “What the heck man?!” she said glaring at him for waking her up.

“Your mother wants you up for work, hurry now” Hunters brain switches school to work since he’s so used to saying the other. He doesn’t even realize his slip up until he’s already out the door. Esther will understand, he doesn’t need to go back and corrcert himself.

Next is ben who is just a door away. He goes to enter but the door is locked. He bangs louder, “Ben! Your mother needs you ready for school!” Hunter yells through the door. He only waits for a second for a response before he goes back to banging on the door. “Ben!”

“Okay!” Ben yells back.

Hunter nods satisfied with himself before walking away. One more child left, Abaddon. The demon was a hard one to find but he was no match for hunter. He scanned the halls over and over again. Hunter learned that sometimes Abaddon would hide in the vents or small spaces so he checked there too. Luckily today Abaddon wasnt hiding in some abstract area but idea simply riding his tricycle around the halls. Hunter walked uo behind him and grabbed him from the collar of his shirt and raised him up.

Abaddon yelped and thrashed, “unhand me! You said we had an alliance!” Abaddon hisses.

“We do, but I also have a job to do and that is getting you to the lobby.” Hunter explains still holding the demon child. He knew if he let Abaddon down he would just run away and he did not want to chase him.

Abaddon huffs but stops struggled, it seems his new allay wasnt betraying him after all. “Fine.” He crosses his arms.

Hunter walks to the lobby and see’s katharine and ben and nathan down there. Esther hasnt arrived yet. Hunter sets Abaddon down infront of katharine. “I have woken everyone, Esther isnt down here yet but I can-”

“Its fine hunter, esther always lingers” Katharine reasscures. Something he has notcided is that hunter will get antsy if he thinks he hasnt fully completed something he’s been asked to do. So its good to reassure him. “Thank you” she doenst tell Hunter that Abaddon isn’t her kid. Because at this point Abaddon is her kid.

“Your welcome” Hunter says bowing his head swiftly.

Esther comes down stairs with her backpack that looks fuller than normal. “Esther. Take whatever it is out of your backpack.” Katharine said eyeing down her daughter. Esther groans and takes out bones and baggies of blood.

“Why. Just-just why do you have this?!” Katharine asks pinching the bridge of her nose. It reminds Hunter of Darius a little.

“I was gonna teach Esther a spell!” Esther explains like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Abaddon grabs the blood and bones from where Esther put them on the floor and scurry’s into the vents. “Hey! Those are mine!” Esther wines going to chase after him but Katharine stops her.

“No! You are not showing Esther a spell that invokes blood and bones at school you can do it after school at home. Now go before you miss the bus!” Katharine says ushering Esther out the door.

Ben looks over at hunter but quickly looks away when he gets glared at in return. He follows behind his sister.

Once they are out Katherine turns to Hunter who kneels in front of her. She hates it when he does it but even tho she says it’s alright the kid still does it. It creeps her out, what life did he have to learn to kneel. “You can stand”

Hunter quickly stands but still keeps his head to the ground. “What is needed of me ma’am” he asks his voice small.

Katharine thinks for a moment before spotting a room she’s been meaning the clean. “Go clean up that room over there” she points to a room across the hall.

“Yes ma’am” he says nodding before walking over. He’s been getting pretty good at the cleaning stuff he thinks.

He enters the room, it’s pretty empty besides a china cabinet that looked pretty dusty. It will be an easy task.

He grabs a duster and a broom from the supply closet. He starts to sweep and as he’s making his rounds he runs over a vent grate. He puts his foot on it not thinking much of it.

A large tentacle burst from the grate and grabs him. Luckily hunter has trained for this. Well not this exact situation but similar enough. As the tentacle is thrashing him he kicks and works his knife out of his belt.

Hunter always keeps this knife on him for good luck and just incase he might need it. His uncle gave it to him a few years ago as a birthday gift since he forgot the one he had last year. It has proved useful many times, like today.

he wiggled his arm out of firce grasp of the monster and steps it once, twice, three times. The monster raises hunter up and throws him. Right into the chain cabinet.

It smashes upon impact. The glass windows on the doors of it shatters and so do the cups and the plates. The glass shards pierce his skin. A large peice gets loged in the back of his neck. His face gets up and small glass shards stick into his arms. Some of the wood that was holding up the china crack from the force of the blow.

Hunter slid down to the bottom, more class and a few plates that made it land on top of him. His head is thropping slightly and the wind has gotten knocked out of his lungs. He sits up dusting off the glass that has fallen on him. When he looks back his heart stops.

It’s broken, all the cups, plates and bowls are broken. They looked expensive to. His hands start to shake as a million thoughts rush through his head at once. Katharine was gonna kick him out for this surely. He was gonna get kicked out and have no place to go and he has going to die sad and alone outside like the pathetic creature he was. Maybe he could beg forgiveness, beg for Katharine to be merciful and just beat him instead of kicking him out. He can take a beating.

His hands are shaking at this point and he doenst even think he’s breathing. He looks down at the glass. He could fix it, he could put the peices back together and no one will notice.

He pulls out the sharp from his neck with a wince than did his arms. Some of the peices were so small that he couldn’t dig them out with his fingers. He hoped he wouldn’t need those.

Once every peice he could gather has been removed from his skin he runs over to the drawer in the hallway were he remembers ‘super glue’ is and shuts the door behind him locking himself in. He just needed enough time to fix this!

He kneels down in front of the mess as he gathers peices that look the same. He try’s to put the peices together but the glass knicks his skin and his hands are shaking the glue doenst go on properly.

“Is this how I raised you? So pathetic that you can’t even clean the messes you made?”

Hunter bites down on his lip trying to shake belos voice out of his skull. He will not cry. He will not freak out. He will clean up his mess and pray that Katharine does not notice the change.

Blood smears on the white paint but hunter could clean that later. He’s smashing to slices together trying to get it to stay.

A different vent from above gets caved in and Abaddon falls out of it. Blood covering his mouth. “I smell more blood! Did you kill some…thing…” Abaddon says growing and titling his head as he sees hunter distress.

Hunter turns to look at him. Right Abaddon was his alley he could help! “Abaddon. Listen to me.” He pressed a hand on Abaddons shoulder smearing a tad bit of blood on the woolen shirt. “I need you to distract Katharine. I know it’s wrong and bad but please just please do this for me okay? Do not let her come in until I’m done or I’ve figured something out”

Abaddon nods, “I understand I will help you” he says clenching his fist to his chest.

Hunter nods and watches Abaddon leave the room as he goes back to his glass trying to fit it.

________________________

Katharine hears glass shattering, that wasn’t good. She should go check everything is okay, she doenst want hunter to be hurt or anything. She sets down the bills she was looking over and started to go towards the room.

Abaddon jumps out infront of her. “Matriarch! I forbid you from going this way!”

Kathrine looks down at him. “Oh and why is that? Something you don’t want me to see?”

“I demand yogurt!” He says stomping his foot.

“Abaddon you can get your own yogurt, now move I need to make sure Hunter is okay” Katharine goes to move past him.

Abaddon pushes at her “No stop!” He try’s to push her back but he does not have the strength for it. “You can’t go!”

“Abaddon I don’t have time for your games!” Katharine was growing frustrated. She picks up Abaddon and sets him out of her way before counting to walk down the hall. Something was definitely amiss, Abaddon was acting werid and whenever Abaddon didn’t want Katharine to see something it ment he had done something wrong.

Abaddon scampers to a vent to get back Into the room where Hunter was. He couldn’t stop Katharine but he could warn Hunter that she was coming.

He crawled faster than Katharine could walk and dropped down from the vent. Hunter was still hunched over the glass he had fixed what is seemingly a cup but anyone with eyes could see that it was recently broken and put back together. There was also a deep stain of red, dried blood.

“Hunter!” Abaddon shouted getting his attention, his hands were bleeding badly. “The matriarch is coming! I could not stop her no matter how much I tired” Abaddon exclaimed.

Hunter didn’t say anything, he just nods in understanding. Hunters throat was so closed up that if he spoke tears would spill. Hunter refueled to cry. He was already going to be in trouble he did not want to be eeen as pathetic by crying like a child for something that was his own fault:

_________________________

Katharine brushes off the incident with Abaddon. Katharine hasn’t actually been in this room yet, she has been meaning to go in and clean up but never got it to.

She has however not expecting to see hunter bloody, hunched over in front of a broken china cabinet. She didn’t even know they had a china cabinet.

“Hunter?” She approaches him, she eyes Abaddon who is helping Hunter look for the similar glass peices. She also sees the cup Hunter had glued back together.

Hunter looks up at her, his eyes wide and scared. “I’m sorry, im so sorry I didn’t mean to and and I was sweeping and this thing came out and it-“ he stammers before he stops himself. Katharine had simply said his name not ask for an explanation
.

“Do not speak out of turn boy! Did I not teach you better than that?”

Katharine frowned, “keep going what happened” she says. She doenst approach him further, he looked like a frightened, abused kitten.

“I was sweeping” he swallowed “I was sweeping and than this tentacle thing came out of a vent and grabbed me, I stapped it and it threw me at the cabinet. I didn’t mean to break anything I promise!” He picked up the cup he had mange to finish “I can fix them! I fixed it and it’s usable again!” He felt hot tears splash against his eyes and he quickly wiped them. “You don’t gotta kick me out! I can fix all of them you just- just gotta give me time please!”

Katharine was taken aback. She had never seen a kid so frightened of her. And Katharine could be pretty scary when angry but she wasn’t angry at all. She was concerned and slightly confused.

“I’m not going to kick you out hunter” Katharine said and Hunter looked visibly relieved.

Hunter was so happy, so so happy right now. Katharine didn’t look to angry. So his punishment would be light, he was good at reading faces and when his uncle didn’t look to mad it was a light punishment. “Thank you, thank you so much I’ll fix everything.” He kneels down awaiting for further information on his punishment.

Katharine looked at hunter and the gash on the back of neck. She could see the glisting of glass stuck into the flesh on his arms.

Instead of telling hunter to stand Katharine kneels softening her voice to not startle him. “Hunter. It’s okay your not in trouble. I’m not going to pick you out or punish you. I didn’t even know this china cabinet existed and I’m not upset that there broken you don’t have to fix them.”

Hunter slowly looks up at her. “But I was ment to clean and I made a mess.” He reasons. If this was the castle Belos would be furious. But this wasn’t the castle and this wasn’t Belos. Things are different.

“I know and it’s fine! Esther and Abaddon make messes every day. It’s alright” She smiles at him.

“We make rituals not messes!” Abaddon clarifies.

Katharine rolls her eyes at the demon. Kathrine helps Hunter stand up. “Your bleeding pretty bad how much does it hurt?” She had noticed the scars on his arms and legs but she belived it was just from him being a soilder. She know believes that there may be more to the story.

“It stings but nothing I can’t handle, just a stretch really” it hurt way more than just a sting. Hunter will never tell anyone that.

________________________

Katharine walks Hunter to the bathroom and takes out the first aid kit from a few nights ago. She had to restock it the other day because it’s been running out supplies faster than normal. She blamed it on Esther and her mischief.

“It’s okay ma’am I am fully capable of patching myself up” Hunter says going to grab the healers kit with his bloodied hands.

“Hunter your hands are far too cut up to do this properly, I’ve been a mom to 2 and a half kids I know what I’m doing” Kathrine opens the first aid kid and grabbed the alcohol wipe.

“I wasn’t saying you didn’t know how, I didn’t mean and disrespect ma’am” Hunter says looking down at his feet holding his arms to his chest but not on his chest. He did not want to get blood in his shirt or the floor. There was already stains on his borrowed shorts.

“I know” She gives him a sad smile as she turns hunter around to dab at the back of his neck.

“A half? What do you mean if you don’t mind me asking” He asked winching slightly at the disinfect.

“Abaddon, Nathan took him in a few years ago and when he died I took over taking care of him. He’s a demon trapped in the body of the body of a little boy form the 18th century” She explains setting down the bloodied wipe.

“Oh, so if your not a demon you are-?” Hunter asks tensing as Katharine does the bandage.

“A human” Katharine wraps gauze around hunters neck and places a large baindaid onto where the cut is.

Hunter nods, that made since. As Kathrine turned him around and grabbed a pair of tweezers to pick out the remaing peices of glass piercing his arms hunter felt a pang in his chest. Not because of the pain to come but for something else.

“This is gonna hurt a little okay?” Katharine warns. She takes hold of hunters arm and tilts it up. It’s hard to see were exactly the glass shards are since there so small.

Hunter lets out a small whine as the tweezers dig into the wound to remove the glass.

“Stop moving so much, your making this difficult lamb”

Hunter remembers how belos used to clean and dress his wounds when he was younger. He had always been so kind. Hunter wishes he never became older so his uncle wouldn’t have deemed him too old for help on his wounds.

Katharine picks out each glass shard. She sets the glass on the rim of the sink. “There we go no more glass”

“The last time I had this much glass in my skin I was little, my uncle patched me up” he had gotten pushed out of a window by acidnet when he snuck into a training session. He was so small that his uncle was scared he might of died. He muttered something about ‘having to start over’ but hunter ignored it like he’s going to ignore it now.

Katharine heard Hunter talk about his uncle form time to time mostly to his bird friend. Nathan spends most of time now petting the bird once he learned he could. Hunter explained that it was probably because flapjack is what is known as a palisman. He looked uncomfortable talking about it though. Speaking of the bird it was here know sitting on the sink.

Hunter had told the bird to hide after he got thrown into the china case. He didn’t want flapjack to get hurt.

“Oh? What happened” Katharine asked, Turing over to the first aid kit to grab the pack of band-aids with bones on it that Abaddon picked out.

“Knocked out a window on the third floor of the castle, uncle got so scared he thought I died since I was so small” Hunter chuckles at the memory. “My fualt for sneaking into training.”

Katharine forced a chuckle back, She placed the baindaids on the cuts on his arms and face. “When was the last time you changed that bandage?” She asked pointing to the bandage on his face where the cut was on his first day.

“Oh the other day” Hunter found out from Esther that he can say the other day and actually mean a few days ago.

Flapjack chirps at him, the cardinal knew Hunter should change it but the bird also knew that Hunter was arms length away from a full blown panic attack so if Hunter didn’t want to change his bandage right now flapjack wouldn’t force him like he does other things.

Kathairne adds one last band-aid to his nose. “There we go, also that tentacle thing was Jessica she’s constantly taking hold of Ben”

Hunter looks in the mirror for a second his hair was getting longer. He didn’t like looking in the mirror for too long so he looked back at Katharine instead. “Thank you for not kicking me out, or punishing me”

“Hunter I will never punish you for something that isn’t your fault.” Kathrine reassures.

Hunter just nods. Belos said that to but than he did, he didn’t apologize when he learned that it was Kikimora and not Hunter that let the wild witches free with her lack of care.

“Thank you Katharine.” Hunter looks her in her eyes so she knows he means it. Flapjack flys over to his shoulder.

Chapter Text

Ben lay sprawled out across the couch. He had recently gotten into a fight with Annabell. Again. He just didn't know what to do. Being in a relationship was more difficult than it seems. He turned his head to see Hunter sitting down in the recliner; he was so quiet that he didn't even notice him. Hunter seemed like a cool guy; he probably had a girlfriend before. Maybe he can give Ben some advice. 

“Hey Hunter,” Ben says, shifting to sit up.

Hunter sets the book that he had been reading down. The library here was good; it had many books. The best part was he could just grab whatever he wanted; nothing was forbidden like it was in the castle. “Yes?”

“Have you ever had a girlfriend before?” “What? No, that sounds wrong. I was just asking because me and my girlfriend were having an argument,” he clarifies.

“No, I’ve never had a girlfriend. Why would I have one of those?” Hunter replies as if it were a dumb thing to ask. He was far too busy with his work to even consider that. 

“Oh well, uhm, I don’t know.” This is exactly why he doesn't feel comfortable being vulnerable around men.

“Why do you have a girlfriend anyway? You’re like 10.” Hunter thinks back to when he was 10; that was a good year for him. 

“I am 13,” Ben said; he knew he was scrawnier than a lot of kids his age. But it's not like Hunter was that much bigger than him anyway. “This isn’t the point; I and Annabell had an argument, and now she won’t talk to me.” 

“What was the argument about?” Hunter asked as he sat the book he was reading down on the side table.

“Annabell wanted me to turn the TV to a movie we’ve already watched like 100 times. I told her no because I wanted to watch something else; it was a whole thing.” He should have just changed the channel; it wasn't a big deal.

Hunter nods and thinks for a moment. “Just give it a day or two; whenever my uncle didn’t talk to me for a while, I just had to wait a few days for his anger to cool off.” Hunter explains.

Ben didn't want to wait, but what more can he do? He's already apologized a thousand times. He sighs, leaning back against the couch. He fiddles with the strings of his hoodie.

Esther runs into the room, “Ben! Get in the car; we’re going shopping!” She yells even though Ben is right in front of her. She then turns to Hunter. “And you too.” She doesn’t yell.

“Me?” He hasn't really left the hotel since he arrived. He’s been cycling through his golden guard uniform, which he's currently wearing now, and a few of Ben's clothes. He also hasn't washed his hair; he was not fit to go outside.

“Yes, Mom is taking all of us.” Esther says, “Now come on, get in the car!” She’s already leaving the room as she speaks.

Hunter walks with Ben outside to the car. Hunters has never been in a car before. He went into the backseat on the far side, Esther was in the middle, and Abaddon was on the left in the car seat. Ben was in the front, and Katharine, of course, was the driver.

“Okay, so we need a new pencil case for Esther and new clothes for Hunter,” Katharine said, starting the car. 

“I don’t need new clothes, ma’am.” Hunter has only ever had two outfits in his life. He had his uniform, of course, and sleep clothes that he barely wore because he rarely slept. And if he was going to sleep, he wouldn't have time to change clothes.

Katharine had a few books on child abuse from when she thought Abaddon was an actual child; when Hunter came along and she learned about the fact that he was a soldier, she started reading them again. She learned that self-expression was important. “You can’t keep borrowing pens; you need new ones.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He wasn't going to argue. There wasn't anything to argue about really.

“Why must I attend?” Abaddon huffs, kicking Ben's seat.

“Because I want you to.” Katharine says, adjusting the rearview mirror to look at him, “Don’t kick Ben’s seat, or any seat; just stay still.” She did not want any demon antics today.

Hunter fiddles with the buckle of his cape as he looks out the window. He liked his cape; he earned it with his title of golden guard. It had the old sigil on it and everything. He was glad that he was wearing it when he came here. Hunter normally wore a spare so he wouldn't get this one dirty. He saw when they arrived close to what looked like a playground. 

They exited the car, and Abaddon was going to run to the playground to wreak havoc, but Katharine stopped him. “Nuh-uh, no, you can’t go there without supervision anymore; we will take you afterwards.” Katharine picks him up so he can’t run away. 

They walk into the store, and Katharine sets Abaddon in the seat of the cart. Hunter walked close to Katharine, not beside her but behind her. They walked to the clothes section. “What type of clothes do you like?” All of her kids, especially Abaddon, only liked the way certain clothes felt and hated the way other textures felt. 

“Anything is fine, ma’am; I mostly just wore this.” Hunter didn't care about clothes that much; he never thought about it. 

They scan the racks. Now that Hunter is actually paying attention and is able to choose what he wants to wear, it's hard. He could just wear white and gold; they were the colors of the castle after all. Hunter didn't have to wear those colors, though. He stumbles upon a red shirt; the color reminds him of flapjack, and he likes it. He touched the fabric, and it was soft. “Could I get this?” he said, holding up the shirt. 

“Of course that will look good.” Katharine puts it in the cart.

With the help of Ben, the person closest to Hunter’s age, he helped Hunter pick out what is ‘cool’ for him to wear. He gets two t-shirts, one long-sleeve shirt, and a few pairs of shirts and pants. They each have a similar color scheme and material. After he picks something out, he will ask, ‘Is this okay?’ before putting it into the cart.

“Those all look good, Hunter,” Kathariner speaks. Once they’re done getting the clothes, they turn the aisle to get Esther’s pencil case. The last one she had, she lost. 

___________________________________________________

“I want to go to the park now!” Abaddon demands as Katharine checks out. 

“We will; I just need to pay.” Katharine pulls out his card and swipes it into the machine.

Katharine places the bags in the trunk and looks at her kids. “Ben, Hunter, make sure those two don’t cause any trouble, okay? And you will all get a sticker as long as I don’t hear any screams.”  Katharine had set up the sticker chart mostly for Abaddon; the little demon loved to be rewarded, and the sticker chart was an inexpensive way to go about it.

Katharine sits on a bench, and Hunter follows her. “Oh, it’s okay; you don’t have to sit next to me.” The boy was constantly near here unless he was told to be somewhere else; it worried her.

“Oh sorry, I’ve never been on a playground before.” When he was little, he would see other kids his age on it and want to go. But he was too busy with training and everything else. He sees them pushing Esther and Abaddon on a swing and walks over to them. “What are you doing?”

“He’s pushing us so we can swing high!” Esther explains, chuckling. 

Hunter takes Ben's spot with Esther and pushes her so hard that the girl nearly falls out of the seat. “Not so hard, man,” Ben says with a worried smile. 

Abaddon and Esther got bored of that after a while and went to go mess around on the equipment, leaving Hunter and Ben. Well, it was just them until a few people from Ben's school walked up. Hunter looked back at them, and Ben sighed. “Do you know them?” Hunter asked with his eyes but not his head, looking over at Ben. 

“Sort of.” He kicks a walk as they approach. Ben was already not having a good day because of the thing with Annabell; he did not want them to be here right now.

“Bro, look at this, the weirdo has a new addition to his weird family. What is he, your boyfriend?” One of the guys mocked, laughing.

Hunter looked over at them and saw Ben looking very uncomfortable. “I’m not dating him,” Hunter says.

The guys just laughed; Hunter didn’t know what was funny, but it was clearly bothering Ben. Hunter was used to getting laughed at. The coven heads would do it all the time; he learned to ignore it.

“Rejected by a dude who wears a cape around!” A different boy says, mocking a swish of a cape with his arms.

“Can you leave me alone?” Ben asks, his voice quiet.

“Awh, what’s wrong? Mad that we found out you’re dating this freak.” They laugh. 

“We’re not dating!” Ben clarifies, crossing his arms, that he was glad Abaddon and Esther weren’t around him. He doesn't like getting bullied in front of other people. Or getting bullied at all.

Hunter just shrugged it off and went to walk away. He was planning to walk away, but one of the guys grabbed his arm. Hunter punched him, hard too. He didn’t mean to do it, really; it was just reflexes. He hadn’t even fully realized what happened until the kid was screaming and clutching his nose.

“Hunter!” Ben says his mom was going to be furious; their family already has a bed rep.

“He was being an ass.” Hunter brushes it off as if he meant to do it on purpose. He doesn't feel bad about what he did anyway.

______________________________________

At the sound of the scream, Katharine rushes over, thinking Abaddon must have done something. But instead he finds Ben and Hunter and Esther and Abaddon are over on the playground equipment looking over.

“What happened?!” Katharine asked, looking at the boy clutching his nose that she hoped wasn’t broken.

Hunter knew he had to explain himself, so he did. “He grabbed me, and I punched him.” He doesn't mention the bullying.

“Kids, get in the car; let’s go.” She will discuss it with everyone in the car; she needed to leave quickly before that boy's mom or something showed up.

______________________________________

“That was awesome, Hunter! He was making fun of you guys, and you punched him!” Esther says, making a punching motion in the air.

“We are not encouraging this! Hunter I know you were a soldier, but you cannot hit people!” Katharine grips the wheel so tightly that her knuckles turn white.

“I apologize for making you look bad.” Hunter tilted his head even though Katharine couldn’t see it.

“It’s not about making me look bad! It’s about the fact that you could have hurt him!” Katharine has to stop herself from shouting.

“Well, they were bullying me and him, so he was kind of like defending himself,” Ben said, shifting in his seat to look at his mom.

Katharine sighs heavily. “It’s fine; just don’t do it again, please.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Hunter agrees he will never hit that boy again.

Chapter Text

Hunter was washing dishes when he noticed a presence next to him. He looked down to see Abaddon. “Hi,” he says before going to look back at the dishes.

“I demand to know the contents of this book!” Abaddon says, holding up the book ‘The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.’ 

“I’m kind of busy at the moment; can you ask someone else?” Hunter says, putting a dish on the drying rack.

“Esther is at school, and Katharine is doing something with Nathan!” Abbadon climbs onto the counter with the book.

“Then why don’t you read it?” Hunter's eyes briefly go to Abaddon before back to the sink to pick up a plate.

“Reading is far too unimportant to learn for the likes of me,” Abaddon states, but in reality he really just found it too difficult to learn, so he always gave up.

Hunter scoffs; he didn’t have time to read a story to Abaddon. “Just wait until I’m done with this.” 

“No! You will read to me now, or I will break all the dishes!” He’s already reaching for one.

Hunter grabs Abaddon's arm before he can touch it. “Okay, just don’t touch anything.” He wipes his hands on a washcloth before following Abaddon to the library.

Hunter sits on a chair with Abaddon perched on the arm of it. “Okay, here we go, the hungry, hungry caterpillar.” What a caterpillar was, Hunter had no idea.

He reads the first page and then the second. “And on the next day he was still hungry.” Hunter reads, his eyes narrow. This was not a good book for anyone to read, let alone the children it was advertised to. It promoted gluttony, and Hunter didn’t want Abaddon to hear this and think it was okay to eat too much, or else he would be sinning. Hunter thought of his uncle and what he would do. His uncle would fix the book to make sure it didn’t promote anything like that. Hunter had tons of books when he was little that Belos had to fix.

“Wait a moment,” Hunter stands up and goes to a table and grabs a pen; he fixes all the parts that promote gluttony.

He sat back down and continued to read. “But then the caterpillar stopped eating and denounced his gluttonous ways.” He turns the page. “The titan rewarded him with turning him into a beautiful butterfly.”

Abaddon scowled. “I did not enjoy this book; the caterpillar should have eaten more and more till he exploded!” Abaddon laughs at the thought

Chapter Text

Belos was growing impatient. How hard was it to find a 15-year-old boy? The island wasn't that large. He had nearly every scout looking, and all of them came up empty-handed. If this were any other case, he would have waved it off. He could always make another one. But this wasn't a normal case. Hunter was different; he looked so much like Caleb.

It would be a shame to start over, 15 years wasted. Belos was nearly sure that he could convince Hunter to join him again and make up a few lies about the fact he's a grimwalker. The boy was so naive, believing everything Belos tells him. 

Even if Belos's attempt failed, he still needed Hunter to make a new grimwalker. The materials needed were rare, but if he had Hunter, he could reuse the materials he used for Hunter.

__________________________________

Hunter has not slept in a while. Every time he tries, he just ends up closing his eyes to his thoughts. He did not like his thoughts. 

Flapjack chirps and nuzzles against him to soothe him. Hunter appreciated it, but it didn't help. He pats Flapjack away so he can sit up. "I'm going to go patrol; you have to be quiet," he whispered to Flapjack.

He stands up and leaves the room. He scans the halls; he walks past the area with the "telo-vision," as it was called. He saw the faint glow of it; it was playing some movie he didn't care about. He walked a bit closer, rubbing one of his eyes. Lack of sleep was starting to affect him.

"Hunter!" Nathan said happily, "Shouldn't you be in bed? Or do you not need sleep like Abaddon?"

Hunter jumps, a bit startled. He looks down; Nathan didn't worry about Hunter much, much like Katharine did. The man never seemed mad. "My apologies, sir, I do need sleep, but I can't tonight... I thought I might do something useful if I can't sleep," he explains.

"No need to apologize; I understand," Nathan says. "Is it nightmares?" 

Hunter paused for a moment; he thought back to his uncle. When he was little, his uncle would comfort him when he had nightmares. 

"You're too old to be coming to me over a bad dream, Hunter. Be a man." 

"I am having trouble falling asleep before I even get to the dreams," he said, fiddling with his fingers, picking at the skin.

Nathan nods. "Well, you're welcome to watch Con Air with me." He gestures to the TV.

"I don't know... I don't want to be lazy." If you can't sleep, do something useful. Don't be lazy, hunter. But he sits down on the couch next to Nathan's chair anyway because he doesn't want to be rude. 

"Nonsense." Nathan readjusted his position on the couch; he looked over to Hunter, who was sitting stiffly. 

"You remind me of Raine," Hunter said it without thinking. He had barely known Raine; they only came in a month before Hunter had run away. They had only interacted a few times, but they were kind. Kinder than any of the coven heads had ever been to him. They gave Hunter medicine when he was sick and let him stay in his dorm when it was raining out. The boiling didn't affect him, but he could still catch mold. 

"Who's that?" Nathan was always curious to learn more about Hunter. 

"Oh, raine was one of the coven heads I worked with. I didn't know them that long." He picks at his hands, rubbing at the bite marks littered from his mindless biting. "They were nice, though."

Nathan nods; at least he's being compared to someone nice. "Oh okay”

They watch the movie in silence; Hunter tries not to fall asleep. He doesn't know why he's struggling; he can go way longer than a few days without rest.

He falls asleep anyway.

__________________________________

Hunter wakes up a few hours later, and to his surprise, no one is angry with him. He stands up from the couch to see Katharine and Esther talking about some outfit. “I apologize for oversleeping, ma’am. What is needed for me to do?” He asks, interrupting their conversation.

Katharine looks up at him, “Oh, nothing right now.” She waved him off.

”But I need the gore for my costume to be accurate!” Esther says she doesn’t understand why her mom didn’t want her to have a 100% accurate costume.

“Esther, why can’t you just spray some fake blood on it? I don’t even know where to get fake intestines from.” Katherine runs a hand through her hair.

Hunter didn’t know what they were talking about. Why would she need a costume? “Is something going on?” He asks.

”Do you not know what Halloween is?!” She asks, shocked, “Halloween is like the best holiday ever!” 

“We don’t have that in the boiling aisles.” He wasn’t too up-to-date on the holidays they did have unless it was centered around the emperor.

”Oh my god! This is going to be your first Halloween! Mom, we have to get him the coolest outfit.” Esther loved Halloween; it was her favorite holiday. 

“Oh no, it’s okay; holidays are just excuses to be lazy.” He doesn’t understand why they look so shocked when he says that, “That’s what my uncle told me.” Hunter attended a few parades where he was needed. But he would much rather be useful and do whatever this holiday was.

“Well, I guess this year you’re being lazy because you’re going trick-or-treating with us! Oh, this is perfect since we’re getting Ben and Abaddon’s costumes today!” Esther never thought she would have to explain what Halloween was. 

“Why do I need a costume?” Hunter did not want to be lazy, and trick-or-treating did not sound good.

”On the 31st of October everyone dresses up and goes door to door and gets candy! And it’s also a time to scare people!” Esther explains, “There are haunted houses, horror movies, and like a million other things! It’s so fun,” Esther beamed.

“Okay…” Hunter was still confused, but Katherine seemed on board, so he supposed it was fine.

________________________________

“I think I might be too old for trick-or-treating this year, Mom,” Ben said; he doesn’t think anyone at his school goes trick-or-treating. He doesn't want to seem lamer than people think he is.

”Is there an age limit?” Hunter asked from the back seat; he was older than Ben was, so that meant that he wouldn’t be able to go if there was an age limit.

“No, there’s not an age limit, and Ben, you love trick-or-treating!” Katharine said, “You’re going; it’ll be fun. It’s Hunter’s first ever Halloween and Abaddon’s first time trick-or-treating.”

“I love All Hallows’ Eve, the candy, the frights, and I get to cause chaos and no one yells at me,” Abaddon reminisces; he’s spent many Halloweens robbing candy buckets from children.

They stop at ‘Spirit Halloween’ to get Ben and Abaddon’s costumes, including hunters now that he was going. Hunter felt kind of bad about it; he could just stay home. Surely there was something he could do at the hotel. Even as he stepped inside and looked at the costumes, he felt a tad bit excited even though he knew he shouldn’t.

Abaddon looks and sees the ‘Demon.’

costumes and immediately grabs whatever he can reach. “Yes, this! I want this!” He gets devil horns, a tie-on tail, some face paint, and fake blood.

Ben isn’t feeling the Halloween spirit; he doesn’t even want to dress up. “I don’t see anything here I like,” he mutters. He will probably just wear a t-shirt or something.

“Ben! “Come on, you are dressing up,” Esher said, hitting his arm as she picks out a bunch of fake scars and injuries.

Ben sighs and picks something random from the shelves, a police officer for sure. He didn’t really care; he just didn’t want anyone to see him ‘care’ about Halloween. Even though he loved Halloween and loved dressing up, he was scared that a classmate might be there. 

“A cop, really? That’s so lame.” Eather scoffs, putting her things in the basket.

“It’s a simple costume!” Ben says to add it also to the cart. 

Now there was Hunter, who has yet to pick out a costume. He scanned the racks but just couldn’t decide. Belos never liked the idea of him wearing a costume of any kind; he said it was unnecessary deception. He would be something simple that didn’t disguise his true self too much. 

He picks out a simple pair of animal ears and a tail to match; it reminded him of wolves. He liked the animals. He saw a documentary on it when he was doing one of his patrols through the hotel, and it was on the TV. They also had a few books in the library about them that he read. 

“Is this okay for a costume?” He holds it up for the feelings' approval.

“Since it’s your first time, I’ll cut you some slack on your basic costume,” Esther says, nodding as she speaks.

Hunter sets it in the basket, and Katherine checks them out.

__________________________________

It was October 31st, and everyone was in their costumes. Ben was in his cop attire, Abaddon was a small devil with blood leaking from his eyes, Esther was a recently bitten zombie, and lastly Hunter was a wolf. Esther insisted on putting fake blood on his mouth to make him look scarier.

”Oh look! “Everyone gather around for the picture, man. I miss Halloween.” Nathan sighs. Halloween used to be such a fun time for Nathan. He would always scare people when he could.

Ben holds Abaddon close, who is squirming. “You will not capture me in your tiny box!” He says, trying to get out of Ben’s grasp.

“Abaddon, for the last time, that isn’t what a photo is! Just smile, okay?” She says, snapping a photo of them, she never thought that she would have more than two kids in a Halloween photo, but here she is.

“There we go; that looks perfect,” she says, looking at the photo. Abaddon wasn’t smiling, and Hunter’s smile looked painful, but it was the best she was probably going to get.

“Does everyone have their bucket?” She asked before letting them leave the hotel. Once everything was accounted for, they made their way to town.

_________________________________

“Trick or treat!” The four kids said in unison at the door. The women gave them each a few pieces of candy.

Hunter was enjoying Halloween. It was fun, and it felt nice to enjoy a holiday that he didn’t have to work through. 

They go through each house and get candy and a few things like bibles, which Abadon threw out. And healthy things, but it was mostly candy.

“You kids enjoy it out there?” Katherine asks as they get back into the car, done trick-or-treating?

Abaddon had by far the most candy, but that’s because he stole out of other people’s buckets who were walking beside them. “I have won Halloween.”

Hunter has never actually had candy; he had cake for a birthday party once, but he never really liked sweet things. He looks through his candy bucket; it looks good, he thinks.

Back at the hotel they all dumped their candy into piles. Abaddon quickly tore into his, eating handfuls. 

Hunter picked up a fun-sized Snickers bar and popped it into his mouth. “Wow, this is really good actually.”

“Oh yeah, Snickers are the best; I prefer Milky Ways though,” Ben said, looking through the candy he got. He didn’t get a lot this year.

He tries that much; he liked candy. It did hurt his teeth to eat some of it, though. 

Chapter Text

“Hey Ben” Hunter says looking down at Ben who was laying on the couch.

”Yea?” Ben replies looking over at him.

”You can’t have a peanut without life, you know why?” Hunters already chuckling at the joke he’s gonna make

“why?” He asks, confused by what hunter was talking about

“Because you’re dead!” Hunter laughs, he told this joke to Darius once but he never got it. He likes this joke because of that.

”What?” Now Ben was even more confused. He thought it might be something with the words but he couldn’t find anything.

“You can’t eat a peanut without life! Because without life you’re dead!” This was very funny to Hunter even though the only person who got it was Abaddon who was chuckling from the vents.

Chapter Text

“Hunter!” Abaddon said, opening the door to the hunters' room.

Hunter looked up at him. He was currently feeding Flapjack a few pieces of an apple. They don’t bleed like in the demon realm. “Yes?” He knew it was Abaddon coming before he even opened the door. He’s been staying at the undervalue for a month or so now. He knows everyone’s footstep patterns, except the ghost because they don’t have footsteps. 

“Tell me more about the demons from your realm!” Abandon had been curious about them from the first time Hunter had mentioned where he came from.

“Oh well, the demons there are more animistic; there are three kinds. Bug, biped, and beast.” Hunter enjoyed learning about the different kinds of demons. He read a lot about them.

Abaddon nods, “Yes, enlighten me more.” Abaddon climbs onto the hunter's bed. 

“Oh well,” He sits next to him. “Bug types communicate through dance and are often small. They have magic, but it's limited. Bipeds are like witches in a way; they walk on two legs and have a sac connected to their heart for magic. Beasts are the most animal-like. They vary in magical ability,” Hunter explains. 

“That is very different from hell; we had powers, but depending on your job is how much ability you had.” Abaddon, despite what he said, wasn’t the strongest demon. 

“Hunter! Come here!” Katharine called from downstairs. 

“Yes, ma’am!” Hunter calls back quickly, standing and walking downstairs. With Flapjack flying close behind him. Once downstairs, he stands in front of Katharine stiffly.

“I think it’s time we remove your bandage,” Katharine states. It’s been about a month since Hunter arrived here; it’s time to take it off. It should be healed by now.

“Oh yes, ma’am.” If Hunter was honest with himself, he didn't want to see the scar. It was ridiculous; the hunter got scars all the time. This felt different, however. He didn’t know why.

They walked to the bathroom. Hunter leaned against the sink, and Katharine carefully removed the bandage on his cheek. And lo and behold, there was a scar from the bottom of his jaw to his upper cheekbone. He didn’t look at it for long. Looking at the faucet instead.

“There we go.” Katharine dumps the bandage into the trashcan in the bathroom. It was completely healed, but Hunter didn’t seem happy about it. She doesn't know why, but Hunter concerns her a lot. 

“Do you miss him? Your uncle?” Katharine has heard him speak of his uncle every now and then. 

“Oh, uhm.” Hunter fiddles with his sleeves; he looks up at Katharine for a brief moment. He doesn't know how to answer that. “Yes,” of course he missed the man who raised him. However, he seems to be less stressed here; some would say happier even. He shouldn’t be; this was meant to be a temporary solution.

“I hear you talk about him from time to time. Did he raise you?” Katharine already knew the answer. She’s never heard Hunter talk about a mom or a dad. 

“Yes, ma’am.” He replies, “My parents were killed by wild magic.” He wasn’t sure if that was true anymore. Because Hunter wasn’t even his nephew; he was a grimwalker masquerading as a witch. He wishes he had read more on the page before he was caught. Maybe he would understand himself better.

Katharine frowns. “I’m so sorry.” She places a hand on Hunter’s shoulder lightly. She knows Hunter isn’t fond of most physical touch.

“It’s fine; it’s their fault anyway.” Hunter doesn’t back away from the touch; it doesn’t feel bad but not comforting either. If they weren’t sinning and doing something that the Titian forbade. They wouldn’t have died; that’s what his uncle told him. 

That was troubling. “What do you mean?” Katharine asks, tilting her head.

“They were using wild magic; that’s using magic that goes outside of the coven system. The Titian hates wild magic, and he punished them for using that.” Hunter explains, Will the Titan punish Hunter some day too for being made of wild magic?

“Oh,” Katharine swallows, “and who is this Titian?” She assumed it was some godly figure.

“The Titian is the creator of everyone and everything.” Hunter felt bad for the people of this realm, as they did not know of the Titan. 

Katharine nods. “Okay,” she drags out the word a bit. She knew this kid needed help; she just didn’t know how to help him. 

____________________________________

“So hunter,” Esther taps her fingers together; she’s been curious about the portal lately, so she might as well ask, “Why can’t we go to your home realm through your portal?”

Hunter was doing his daily chores even though it seems like his list has gotten smaller for some reason. “Because it’s not safe.” It’s not safe for him, but he’s not sure if it’ll be safe for the feelings either.

“Oh, come on! You used to live there; how can it be unsafe? Just protect us with your soldier stuff!” Hunter couldn’t have been that unsafe, especially for Hunter; she wanted to go so bad.

“It’s still unsafe,” Hunter says sharply, dumping the dust and debris from the dustpan into the trash.

Esther grunts; she will find a way herself. “Can you at least help me with my math homework?”

“Yeah, In a minute.” Hunter replies.

____________________________________

Hunter stares in the mirror, at his scar, at his eyes, at his ears. He looked at his hair; it was longer now. It touched his neck in a way he didn’t like; that strand of hair was now flatter instead of bouncing, and it was more annoying. 

Every night he thinks about going back, imagining his death over and over again. But he doesn't want to die, he doesn't. There are things he hasn’t done yet. Like going to the carnival, it always looked so fun when it came around. He wanted friends too; he was the youngest in the coven, so it was hard to make them. It seems like everyone knew something he didn’t when it came to friends; Esther seemed to understand, though. He got along well with her and Abaddon, and even Ben too.

A sinner doesn’t deserve those things; they don’t deserve happiness. They will repent until they earn the worthiness of such things. Can someone made from the essence of sin ever repent enough? Or are they doomed to internal damnation?

Maybe if he punishes himself enough, he can be good again. That’s all he can think about—repenting and making the titan love him again—as he feels the sting on his arm. And maybe the Titian can tell his uncle that he’s good again, and he can go home. 

Chapter Text

They were in a store called ‘Costco.’ Hunter did not like it. It was large and cold, and the aisles were different from the other stores.

He was walking next to Katharine, her other children fighting over what cereal to get, but Hunter didn’t care, when a strange man behind a booth spoke to him.

“Want to try a brownie sample?” The man asked with a smile, holding out the treat.

Hunter didn’t know what a brownie was, but it did not look appealing. Apparently he was the only one who thought that.

“Woah! “Free samples!” shouted Esther, who was running back to the cart with a box of “Fruit Loop Marshmallows” clutched in her arms. Ben and Abaddon were following behind her. She dumps the box in the cart.

As Esther’s hand reached out to grab one of the free samples, Hunter smacked her hand away. More harshly than he meant to.

“Ow, man—what the heck?!” Esther says, glaring at him. “It’s just a brownie!”

“Yeah, a free one! You don’t know what’s in that!” Hunter explained he did not trust this man or his brownies or his booth one bit. “You’re going to eat that, and then the next thing you know, you wake up in an alleyway with your shoes missing. And two of your teeth!”

The man who was working the booth looked visibly uncomfortable. “Nothing bad is in these brownies, promise.” His smile falters a bit.

“Shut up, salesmen!” Hunter hisses, his eyes snapping over to him.

Katharine sighed heavily. Could she really not take anyone anywhere?! “Kids, come on—just leave it alone.”

“But I want a brownie,” Esther complained.

“I would also like one of the treats,” Abaddon said.

“No! You don’t know him!” Hunter didn’t understand why no one was listening to him. He knew what he was talking about. Men in booths giving out free food couldn’t be trusted. He knew from firsthandexperience.

Katharine had had enough of this and just wanted to get out of the store. “Hunter, nothing is wrong with it; Esther and Abaddon can get one.”

“But ma’am—“ He started but quickly stopped talking. Why no one was heeding his warning, he had no idea. He’s just trying to help.

__________________________________________

Katharine was pushing the cart of the store with their groceries. As always, Hunter was the main one putting groceries into the car.

“Hunter, I know you’re not used to how things work around here yet, but you can’t just accuse people of trying to hurt someone,” Katharine explains and hands the boy another bag.

“But he could have been!” He said he learned that he was wrong about that particular salesperson, but he could have been right. And it’s better to be safe than sorry in everything!

“Yes, it could have been, but that man was a worker; it wasn’t going to be.” Katharine ran a hand through her hair. “I know you were a soldier and probably had to be prepared for those things, but here you’re just an odd 15-year-old—”

”16, I’m 16 years old.” Hunter corrects.

“16—when did you turn 16?” Asks Katharine, she knew Hunter must have a birthday. He wasn’t immortal like Abaddon was or an ageless being. 

“Last week,” Hunter says. He never talked much about his birthday, or at all. He didn’t know the actual date he was born. Or the day he was created, so to speak. Since he wasn’t born.

////////////////

“Uncle, can I ask you something?” Hunter was little at the time, 5 or so.

“Of course,” Belos replied, not looking over at him. He was too busy working on construction outlines for the portal.

”When is my birthday?” Hunter asks; he recently saw Steve to celebrate his birthday. Steve was so nice he let him have a very small piece of cake even though he wasn’t allowed to have sweet things.

“Your birthday?” Belos repeated, scoffing. “You have no need to know such a thing.” It’s not like Hunter had an actual birthday. Sure, Belos could tell Hunter the day he came out of the ground, but he didn’t want Hunter growing self-centered. The boy didn’t need a whole day to celebrate himself.

“Please, Uncle, tell me! I want to know!” Hunter cried; everyone else got to know their birthdays.

”Hunter I told you that you have no need for that information. Now stop your whining and go do something other than bothering me.” Belos pushed Hunter back from his chair. 

////////////////

Hunter still wanted a birthday, just to say he had one. He decided to make it on the day he was off. November 17th. He saw the date pass by and didn’t think anything of it. He never celebrated anyway, and no one asked. So it didn’t matter to him. But apparently it mattered to other people.

”We missed your birthday?! Hunter, why didn’t you say something?” Esther put half her body out the window to look at Hunter and Katharine, who were by the trunk.

“It wasn’t important,” Hunter simply said, shrugging. 
___________________________________

”Mom! We have to make Hunter a birthday party like we did for Abaddon!” Esther said they once threw a birthday party for Abaddon after learning they never had one.

Katharine wasn’t sure that was the best idea. She didn’t know how Hunter might like the idea of a surprise party. But she knew Esther wouldn’t listen to reason either. So a surprise party it was.

Katharine was in charge of getting everything needed—the cake, the decorations, and the presents—since she had the money. 

Esther was head of preparations, where everything went and how everything would go. As well as giving everyone jobs.

Nathan was in charge of distracting Hunter until the party was ready.

And Ben and Abaddon were the spies to see what Hunter wanted, what cake he liked, etc…

”So Hunter… If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?” Asks Ben.

Hunter was reorganizing the CDS next to the TV; he didn’t know why Nathan wanted him to do this, but it was needed.

“I don’t know.” Anything in the whole world was a lot to think about. Too big of a discussion.

“Well, like, if you were to get a gift or something, what would you want?” Ben tries again.

Hunter shrugged. He never really got gifts. His cape was a gift, his staff was a gift, and his life was a gift. But he needed those things to do his job. So he doesn't know if they count. “If someone was getting me something, I wouldn’t care; I would just be grateful that they gave me something.”

Ben groans. Of course Hunter would say that. While it’s a very hunter answer, it’s not helpful.

”Book on birds or book on wolves?” Abaddon asks a more simplistic question.

“Book on wolves? I already have a lot of books on birds from the library,” Hunter responds. 

Ben catches onto Abaddon's approach, and the two take turns asking questions like that.

“Okay, vanilla or chocolate cake?” Ben asks. Surprised that Hunter asked why they were asking him so many questions.

“I’m not sure; I’ve never had those flavors. I had a strawberry cake once.” Strawberry was the flavor of the cake Steve had at his birthday party. Hunter doesn't remember what it tasted like, but he remembers him liking it. 

___________________________________

Katharine has set up a big ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’ banner. And wrapped presents and put them on the coffee table around the strawberry cake with white frosting. With 16 candles.

Nathan had sent Hunter to run around the hotel a few times so when he comes back in, he’ll see the surprise. Everyone was hiding behind coaches with a popper in their hands. 

When Hunter finally made his third lap around the hotel, he was tired. He hasn’t run like that in a few weeks, so he was pretty tired. He wiped his face and toddled his now long hair that was down to his shoulders. 

He opens the door and notices that no one is in the main entrance. That was bad. What if a guest came in? He should go tell Katharine.

He went into the living room and saw the banner and thought about whose birthday it was for a split second before he heard a loud pop and a loud yelling of ‘surprise.’

Everyone popped out from behind their coaches and let out their poppers while yelling surprise. Nathan’s idea. 

Hunter tenses, looking around. He did not like this; he felt uncomfortable. Why was everyone looking at him? “What?”

”Happy birthday!” Esther says, blowing a kazoo into his face.

”It’s not my birthday; my birthday was last week.” He crosses his arms.

“We know it’s late, but we’re doing this because we missed the actual date. Come on, sit down.” Says Katharine.

Hunter did as told despite every fiber of his being telling him it was wrong. He didn’t want to celebrate his birthday. The one thing his uncle did tell him about birthdays is that only selfish people celebrated them. No one needed a whole day centered around them. That it had roots in wild magic and that by celebrating it you were disrespecting the Titian.

Hunter dug his fingernailsinto his palms. Katharine had gotten him fingerless gloves in replacement for his leather ones that he had on for a whole week. He looked around the room, and everyone was smiling at him.

”We got you strawberry cake!” Said Nathan, wishing he could eat it.

Katharine lit the candles and then started singing the traditional happy birthday song.

Hunter felt like he was going to pass out and cry at the same time. He did not want to disrespect the titan. He couldn’t breathe.

“Are you well?” Abaddon asks not to sing with the rest of the freelings.

Hunter didn’t know; he knew they were trying to do something nice for him, but it didn’t feel nice. “No! This is bad,” he whispers to Abaddon as the song finishes.

“What’s bad?” Asks Nathan.

”This!” He waves his hands at everything in the room. “This is bad! This is sinful!” 

“Hunter, it’s fine, I promise,” Nathan tries. He didn’t understand why anyone would be against birthday parties of all things.

”No, it’s not! It’s not fine! Nothing about this is fine!” He nearly yells. “A birthday is just a day of aging; it doesn’t need to be celebrated!”

Hunter would run away from all this if he had a place to run away to. Then he remembers the room he had, so he runs there. He runs up the stairs and to that room and pushes the nightstand in front of the door so no one could enter. He sits in front of the nightstand and tries to catch his breath. It just makes him hyperventilate.

The others look around stunned. They weren’t expecting that reaction.

___________________________________

“I brought you a piece of the cake,” Abaddon says, dropping down with a plate from the vents. He slides the piece of cake to Hunter.

Hunter stares at it. He wanted to eat it but knew he shouldn’t. So he just stares.

“It’s good; you should eat it.” Hunter had been around people who thought celebrating birthdays was sinful, so he knew why Hunter would believe that. “I don’t think the ‘titan,’ or so you call him, will be angry with you for eating cake to celebrate yourself.” 

“It’s rooted in wild magic; it’s a complete disrespect to him,” Hunter said, scratching at his arms.

”Does everyone not celebrate birthdays where you come from?” Abaddon asks, tilting his head.

Hunter shakes his head. “No, they celebrate birthdays every day.” Hunter wondered why it was okay for them to do it. Belos never explained that. He looked back at the piece of cake. Maybe that was a lie too; recently it seemed that whenever he brought up his normal day-to-day life, it wasn’t the actual normal. That his uncle lied to him about a lot of stuff. He wished he didn’t know that his uncle lied to him. But he did, so maybe this was a lie too.

Slowly he grabs the plate and takes off a piece and eats it. It’s good, really good. It doesn’t feel horrible or taste like guilt, like he thought it might. “Thank you for bringing it to me.”

”There’s more if you want to go back.” The cake was actually pretty big.

Hunter moves the nightstand from the door and walks back downstairs. To his surprise no one mentions him running off; they just have him sit back down and hand him a box wrapped in paper.

”This is for me?” Hunter asks, inspecting the box. 

“Yea! That one’s from me!” Ben says.

“Thanks, I can put a lot of stuff in here.” It was a pretty decent box.

“Wait, no, open it,” Ben instructed.

“Oh,” Hunter says, opening the lid of the box. It’s a set of comic books, “thank you.” 

Hunter gets clothes from Katharine, a spellbook from Esther, and a dead squirrel from Abaddon, and Nathan gifts him a book on the different types of birds he had when he thought he wanted to be a bird watcher. 

Chapter Text

Hunter stares down at his arms as he sits on the bed. He wonders how much is scar tissue at this point, not like it matters. No matter how much he bleeds, he will never get rid of the sin that makes up his body. He wishes he never found out he was a grimwalker. At least then he was ignorant of what he was, that he will never be clean. What’s the point of doing anything anymore, really?

He always has the thought of killing himself in the back of his mind. He’s always had some excuse not to, though. In the coven it was because he had a job to do, and he couldn’t take away his uncle’s only family. Now he doesn't have a reason. Sure, he cleans for Katharine, but it’s not like she was looking for someone to do that. Half the time he’s cleaning something that doesn’t need to be cleaned. Like hunters only told to do that to keep busy. Perhaps he could stay for flapjack. But it’s not like he’s going to stay alive forever. What’s the difference in the time he dies?

He doesn’t want to be a ghost either; then he will truly be a burden. There but can’t do anything useful. He wonders if that’s how Nathan feels—there for everything yet nothing at all. If he was going to die, it would have to be outside of the hotel’s property line. Maybe far back into the woods, or in a hole of some kind.

Hunters wonders how long it’ll take for anyone to notice. He reckons that flapjack will notice fairly quickly. Hunter would have to go when the bird was asleep; he didn’t want Flapjack to see. Abaddon might notice fast too; he’s not sure about Ben and Esther. Maybe Esther will notice when she comes to ask if he’s ready to learn about black magic; he’s been putting it off. Katharine will probably notice when there’s something to be done. He doesn't know if Ben will notice at all.

______________________________________

“Hey Nathan? Can you show me where the property line is again?” Hunter asks. He was dressed in his uniform; he hasn’t worn it in a while. If he was going to die, he didn’t want to soil the clothes that Katharine bought for him.

“Sure I can. How come, though?” Nathan asks, standing up from his chair.

“I forgot, and I like to know my surroundings.” That was true; Hunter liked to know where everyone and everything was. Made life easier.

“Well then, let’s go! I’ll show you the whole outer hotel!” Nathan says cheerfully, like he's always cheerful.

The two walk out of the hotel and back to the property line. “Here it is; I can’t go past this line,” he says, tapping his foot, and the barrier pops up, stopping him from going further.

Hunter simply nods. It’s daylight too early to do anything, but now he knows. He allows Nathan to show him around the places he can go before heading back inside because ’inside ghosts and outside ghosts don’t mix.’

Hunter finishes his chores for that day; he does it slower than normal. Flapjack chirps suspiciously of the hunters' actions. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” He lies; he doesn't want Flapjack to know this is the last day with him.

After his last chore of doing the laundry, he makes his way to Esther’s room. He did promise to at least try black magic with her. He should keep his promise.

“Hey Esther, I’m ready to learn now.” He says, holding that spellbook she got him for Christmas.

Esther opens the door, “Okay, okay! Come in.” He grabs his sleeve and pulls him into her room. She goes to her desk and grabs the right supplies from her desk. “We will start off with something simple, okay?”

“Alright.” Hunter sits on the floor, cross-legged. Esther quickly joins him on the floor. She has a small bag of blood and some bones she got from Abaddon.

“Okay, so this is a simple locating spell.” She explains setting up the spell.

______________________________________

“Tomorrow I’ll teach you how to summon something!” Esther said as Hunter walked out of her room.

“Okay, sounds fun.” That makes him feel kind of bad. There will be no tomorrow for him. Esther will be fine; she can always just show Heather.

Hunter looks out the window; it’s still bright out. He will go see if Abaddon needs something.

Hunter approaches Abaddon in the kitchen. The demon is drawing. “Greetings.” Abaddon greets.

“Hello, what are you doing?” He says even though he knows the answer. He sits down in the chair next to Abaddon, who is standing on his.

“Drawing! I am ending the lives of my greatest enemies.” He says, looking up and showing his unfinished drawing to Hunter.

“That’s nice.” The colors were random and didn’t make much sense. But Abaddon was colorblind, so that made sense.

“Yes.” Abaddon nods and goes back to coloring.

Hunter takes one of the stray papers. He hasn’t drawn anything in a long time. He used to doodle on the sides of his schoolwork, but he would get in trouble for it. So he stopped. He’ll draw a flapjack; that’ll be easy.

It was not easy; it stressed him out kind of, and Flapjack wouldn’t sit still for him to see him long enough.

“I am finished!” Abaddon exclaims. He throws up his drawing to the air. “Katharine!” He calls, making the women enter the room.

“What is Abaddon? “Oh, you drew something,” she says, grabbing the drawing out of the small demon’s hands. “Very nice, I’ll put it on the fridge with the others.”

As she went to get a magnet out of the junk drawer, she saw the drawing the hunter also made. “Oh, Hunter, you made something too? Let me see.” She reaches down and picks up the paper.

“It’s bad, sorry,” Hunter coughs. It was no better than Abaddon's, maybe even worse.

“No, it looks good,” Katharine chuckles. She grabs two magnets and adds both of the drawings to the fridge. Next to Abaddon's other drawings and a photo of the kids' Halloween costumes.

____________________________________

It was dinner time now. Hunter hasn’t changed his mind. Flapjack nuzzles against his neck; Hunter thinks Flapjack is the only one who knows. At least he thinks he knows. The cardinal hasn’t said anything.

He looks down at the food put in front of him. It was spaghetti. Hunter liked the flavor of spaghetti but didn’t like how messy it was. They had spaghetti night once or twice a week.

“Thank you.” Hunter says twirling some of the noodles around in his fork. He listens to Esther slurp and Abaddon eat with his hands. No matter how much Katharine may scold for ‘manners at the table’

“I find this meal acceptable.” Abaddon says as he grabs another handful from his bowl. His face has lots of sauce over it.

“Abaddon, wipe your face,” Katharine says with a sigh.

“No. I refuse to be clean.” He crosses his arms.

Hunter finally takes a bite of his food. Just to seem like he’s okay, he never really talks at dinner anyway. His stomach hurts so bad. But it’s just nerves; he’s fine. It’s just because he’s never actually tried to kill himself before. He almost overdosed once by taking too many painkillers, but that was an accident. He’s never been close to dying on purpose. But there’s a first time for everything.

Hunter eats slowly, just dragging dinner out until everyone else is done. As Esther gets ready to leave the table, she says. “Oh Hunter, you have to watch this movie with me!” Ben nods at that statement.

“I need to wash the dishes first.” He says he doesn't want to watch a movie. He wants to get it over with. But maybe a movie will not be the worst idea. Flapjack chirps at him; he needs to wait till Flapjack is asleep anyway.

So Hunter watches the movie. It’s called ‘The Outsiders.’ Apparently Esther watched it in her class not too long ago. It’s an okay movie, kind of sad. Ben cries during Johnny and Dally’s death.
_____________________________________

Finally, finally, it is nighttime. Everyone is asleep, including Flapjack. Well, everyone but Nathan and Abaddon. That’s fine; he can get around them. He goes downstairs and out the window in the den. Luckily it’s quiet.

He goes to where he knows the property line is and steps past it. As soon as he does, he feels as if he might vomit. He clenches his stomach and breathes in. “Just nerves. It’s fine,” he says as he grits his teeth.

Hunter walks for a while. He ends up finding a pretty big hole. He slides in and sits down at the very edge. He sits like that for a while.

Hunter takes his knife out of his belt. The same knife he used to stab that tentacle monster thing known as Jessica.

He fiddles with it; he can see his reflection in the flat surface. His magenta eyes are a telltale sign of the sin that makes him whole. He thinks of gouging them out. He doesn't think he could do that even if he wanted to. He thinks for a brief moment if he would if his uncle asked him to. He’s made to serve his creator anyway. He shakes the thought away. He’s here to die, not mutilate himself.

The stars and moon twinkle above him. He needs to do it soon before Flapjack wakes up and notices he’s gone. Flapjack is good at sensing things.

He takes off his cloak and folds it neatly. He places it next to him. He then rolls up his sleeve. He sees his last cuts still red. Still bumpy. He tenses his hand to see his vein bulge out. He places the steel blade over it.

Bile rises to his throat. He swallows it down. Why is this so difficult?! The Titian truly must hate him. His hands shake, and he starts sweating. He brings his legs to his chest and scoots back until his back hits the dirt wall.

He’s running out of time! This is stupid! Why can’t he just do what he came here to do? If he goes back down, people will question it; they will know that he is such a failure that he can’t even end his life properly.

Hunter takes a deep breath through his mouth. And a shaky breath out. He closes his eyes tightly and makes the cut. Deeper than he’s ever gone. He has to make sure the vein is broken.

Once he does both hands, he sees the blood dripping from his arms. The worst is over, at least. He puts the knife back into his belt buckle and lays his head on his folded cloak.

“I hope Flapjack will be okay.” He whispers. It’s cold out; he’s shivering. Why can’t blood loss take less time? At least now all he has to do is wait.

Chapter Text

Flapjack stirred awake a knowing feeling in his wooden chest. As he opened his one good eye, he saw the hunter's bed empty. The bird started chirping, panicking. The only reason why Hunter goes anywhere without him is when he’s doing something stupid.

Flapjack flew out the door in hopes of finding his boy. He knew Hunter was acting strange yesterday; he just didn’t say anything because he thought it wasn’t anything big. Flapjack curses himself for that. As he flies, he spots a window that is slightly ajar. He freezes before rapidly chirping and flapping his wings.

Palisman have such a deep connection with their owners that they can feel when they're far away. Hunter wasn’t in the hotel. Normally Flapjack would go after Hunter himself, but he knew that if Hunter was hurt, he probably couldn’t do much. So instead he set out to find someone alive who could help. He needed to find Katharine.

Flapjack is just about to make it to Katharine’s room when he gets grabbed by the air by Abaddon. He squawks at him.

Abaddon grabs a flapjack from the air—a bird in the hotel, how delightful. He thinks about biting its head off until he sees the scar on the thing's eye. He remembers how Hunter explained that flapjack was a part of the Alliance and different from a normal bird. So Abaddon wouldn’t hurt this one. However, it is weird to see him without Hunter. “Where is Hunter?”

Flapjack chirps at him, pecking at his hands. Sure, Abaddon could help, but he wouldn’t know what to do if Hunter was in trouble, and if something did happen to him, he didn’t want the demon child to see.

Abaddon grunts and releases him. He did not enjoy being pecked at by birds; that’s why they were his enemies.

Once out of Abaddon’s grasps, he flew the rest of the way to Katharine’s room with Abaddon following him. He pushes open the door and chirps to the sleeping women. He flies over and pecks at her. Abaddon seems to understand that the woman needs to be awake and starts shaking her.

Katharine groans as she wakes up. “What?! What is it?!” He says, sitting up and glaring at Abaddon and Flapjack.

“I don’t know; I think he needs something.” Abaddon replies with a shrug.

Flapjack tweets urgently, trying to get Katharine to follow him. Luckily it doesn't take long for Katharine to get the message. Flapjack takes the two to the open window.

Katharine raises an eyebrow; she wasn’t sure why this window was so important. Windows opened and closed on their own all the time.

“Drafty,” Nathan says, walking into the room. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know; Hunter’s bird thing is freaking out,” Katharine replied.

“Hunter, I thought I saw a glimpse of him earlier. He was in this room; where is he?” Nathan said, turning to look at the window.

Flapjack points to one of his wings at the window, flapping the other.

“Is he missing?” Abaddon asks. He receives a frantic nod of Flapjack's head and more chirping.

Flapjack takes the others outside the hotel. The sense of where Hunter is growing stronger as they progress. They make it to the property line, and the field guards him from going further. “He’s past the property line…” Nathan mutters.

“Okay, stay here; we will come back when we find him.” Katharine says as they keep following Flapjack.

They go deep into the woods and stop in front of the deep hole. Abbadon recognizes it as the hole he dug before Nathan found him and goes to look into it with Flapjack and Katharine but gets stopped.

Katharine gasps upon seeing Hunter; she turns to Abaddon. “Just—just stay right here, okay?” She pushes him back gently.

“But I want to see!” He complains, “We have an alliance—“ Abaddon huffs.

“I know, and you can see him in a moment. How about you go tell Nathan we found him, and I’ll give you a sticker, okay?”

Abaddon agrees to these terms and runs off back to the hotel.

Flapjack has flown down and is nuzzling into the crook of Hunter's neck. Katharine steps into the hole and presses two fingers to his neck. A very light pulse.

Katharine gathers the boy up and takes hold of his wrists. He looks at the wounds and takes a deep breath in. “Hunter, Hunter, can you hear me?” She asks, knowing the boy was passed out from blood loss. There was a small puddle of blood around him, most of it staining the front of his white shirt.

“Come on, you need to wake up.” At Katharine’s words, Flapjack tugs at Hunter’s hair. He hasn’t been out here for too long; Katharine thinks maybe a few minutes. He presses down hard on his wrists to try to stem blood flow.

It takes a moment to get a reaction from Hunter. The boy stirs and looks around, first seeing Flapjack and then Katharine.

It’s all blurry for a second before slowly getting clearer. He can feel flapjack feathers and a warm hand on his wrists. He looks back to see Katharine with a worried look on her face. The only reaction he can muster is a choked sob. No, no! Why are they helping him? Don’t they know that he needs to die? He needs to rid himself of the sin that makes him, and the only way to do that is death.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Katharine says, pressing down harder on his wrists. She needs to get him back to the hotel.

Hunter just shakes his head. It’s not okay! Nothing was okay! Why is he such a failure that he can’t even die correctly?

He can’t even say anything when Katharine picks him up. He’s not a child; he doesn’t need to be carried. But even as he thinks that, he knows that his legs won’t agree with him to walk if he tries.

Katharine drapes Hunter's cloak over him like a blanket. The boy is far too light; she knew he was skinny, but he seriously needs to eat more. “Try to stay awake, okay?” She says as she carries Hunter back to the hotel.

Hunter does not want to stay awake; he wants to be dead. But the least he could do is follow orders to make up for his total failure.

Katharine carries Hunter back to the hotel. She finds Nathan and Abaddon waiting there.

“Kathy! What happened?” Asks Nathan, he was talking to Abaddon about it, but the demon didn’t know much more than he did.

Katharine looks between Nathan and Abaddon. “Hunters fine; he’s just sick.” She lies, but Abaddon doesn’t need to see two suicide attempts.

______________________________________

Katharine brought Hunter to the bathroom and set him down on the floor with his back leaning against the sink. Flapjack chopped at him and lightly pecked at him to keep him awake. Katharine grabs the first aid kit from the cabinet, and Kendal’s down next to him.

“No… stop.” His throat burns with held-back cries.

Katharine shushes him and grabs hold of his arm. She sees all the scars littered there and wishes she had noticed sooner.

“Stop! My body is made of sin; I need to die.” Hunter can’t stop tears from falling as he talks. He hates crying in front of other people; it’s weak and pathetic.

“No, it’s not,” Katharine said. She’s not sure why Hunter would say that or even what he’s talking about. She’s never been the biggest religious person.

“Yes, it is! I am made of wild magic.” He breathes in, and the air hurts his chest. “I’m not even a real witch.” Hunter isn’t sure why he said that. He doesn’t want them to know he’s a grimwalker, but he’s not thinking correctly right now.

Katharine takes Hunter's arm and applies antiseptic. She wipes the area clean and then wraps gauze around it. “You are a real witch.”

“No, I’m not!” He yanks his arm away. He does not want to be helped. “I’m not a real witch; I’m not a real person! I’m a grimwalker,” he sobs.

Katharine didn’t know what that meant, but it was probably a bad thing. She lightly took his arm again. “You are a real person, grimwalker or not.” Katharine says as he retightens the gauze.

Hunter lets Katharine bandage his wrists, not saying anything else. He focuses his energy on keeping down his tears. A soldier does not cry, especially not in front of other people.

Once Katharine is done, she sits down next to Hunter on the floor. “You are not made of sin, Hunter.”

“I am made of wild magic! That’s a sin.” He says, bringing his knees up to his chest. “No matter what I do, I will never be clean of that.”

Katharine didn’t know how to handle this; none of the books covered something like this. “And what is wild magic exactly?” She’s heard him talk about it but never asked.

“It’s using magic without the coven system. Back in the savage ages everything was awful, and the Titan wasn’t happy. Then Belos came—he can speak to the Titian—and told them how to fix it and made the covens.” He remembers the day his uncle told him that. He really was a great guy. At least that’s what Hunter thought. “The parts that were used to make my body are rooted in wild magic.”

Katharine runs a hand through her hair. “And this Belos guy is important to you?”

Hunter nods, “He’s my uncle.” Or was he his creator? Saying “uncle” is simpler. “And the emperor, he’s why I was given the opportunity to become a soldier at such a young age.”

“Still, that doesn’t mean you’re evil or sinful. Why would he have you if you’re sinful?” Katharine tries to reason, even though she doesn’t know the details of the boy’s religion.

Hunter rests his head on his knees. “I don’t know,” he shrugs his shoulders. “Are you mad at me?”

“No, no, of course I’m not mad at you.” Katharine knew that Hunter is always worrying over whether or not he’s making somebody mad or displeased with him.

“One time I nearly died from taking too many painkillers, and Belos got so angry with me. Yelled at me for trying to ‘leave’ him. For trying to do something that wasn’t my place to do.” Hunter picks at his fingernails, chipping them. “Of course I wasn’t going to; I didn’t mean to take that many. The pain just wouldn’t stop. I had a job too, after all.” His fingernail picking goes to skin picking; he often makes himself bleed doing this.

“You have a job here; you are such a good cleaner.” It wasn’t the same as being a soldier. Katharine understood that. But it was still a job.

“It’s not what I was made for; I was a soldier. I’m not a good person.” Hunter has killed people and torn up families; he is an awful person. And for what? in the name of righteousness that he couldn’t even live up to.

“Hunter, you’re a child; nothing you had to do is your fault.” Katharine reassured.

“I’m not a child! I haven’t been a child from the moment I stepped foot on that training ground.” He hits the cabinet, huffing. He is far from a child; he hates when people call him as such. Children are weak and dependent on others. A soldier cannot be a child. They aren’t ready for it. Hunter is no child.

“I know you think that, but you’re 16; no boy should have had to go through what you’ve gone through. I’m sorry.” Katharine frowns at him.

“I don’t want pity. I have killed people and torn up families.” Hunter is a monster, and if not for sin, then the things he had to do as the Golden Guard are reasons for death enough.

“Hunter. Listen to me very carefully. The things you had to do as the golden guard were not because you wanted to do them. It’s not like you had a choice.” Katharine places a hand on his shoulder.

“I still did it,” he murmurs. He could have just taken the punishment that came with disobeying orders with a false promise of doing better.

Katharine just hums; she knows she can erase the guilt that came with his job. But she can try to make him feel better.

“Why are you always so nice to me?” Even when Hunter did wrong things. like using the wrong detergent, or when he broke that china cabinet, or when he was playing football with Ben, Esther, and Abaddon and he hit the car. Katharine just sighed and lightly scolded him; she didn’t even yell. She hasn’t hit him, nor has he seen Katharine hit anyone else. Not even Abaddon when he gets blood everywhere.

“What do you mean?” Katharine didn’t consider herself the best mom, or the best person either.

“I have done so much stuff wrong, and you barely even scold me or—or hit me or anything… I don’t understand.” Hunters' biggest problem was not understanding things.

“Hunter I would never hit you or anyone else. I am not that kind of person.” She’s wanted to punch Abaddon many times but never did, because she wasn’t a violent person.

“Belos would do it when I disobeyed orders or was sinful. Sometimes on accident because of his curse. It was one of the best ways I learned, he said.” Hunter wasn’t allowed to tell people of his punishments. Then his uncle said it was because Hunter would be seen as weak or something; he can’t remember the details. He was only told the reason once. But now he thinks it might be because it’ll make Belos look bad if they knew.

It fell into silence after that, with Katharine not knowing what to say.

______________________________________

It’s been a few days since that incident. Hunters notices that Katharine has been watching him more closely and even got added to the sticker board, which he didn’t even fully know about till a few days ago.

“Hunter, I got these protein bars for you. Do you want some?” Katharine asks, holding out the bar. Recently she went out and bought a lot of foods Hunter liked in hopes of getting him to eat more.

“Oh, thank you.” Hunter grabs the bar and stuffs it into his pocket. He might eat it later; he’s not sure. He has noticed that Katharine is giving him more food, bigger portions at dinner, and such.

“Hunter! “I need you for my math homework,” Esther said, sliding into the room.

Katharine has kept the kids in the dark about what happened. She told Nathan, but not everything—just that Hunter tried to kill himself. And not to tell the kids.

“Esther, if you keep having Hunter do your math homework, you’re never going to learn anything.” Katharine says even though her daughter won’t listen to her.

Chapter Text

“Hold still!” Hunter said, gripping Abaddon tighter. He was trying to cut his nails, which technically wasn’t Hunter’s chore, but he wanted to help out Katharine.

“No! I will not hold still! We have an alliance; this is betrayal!” Abaddon shouted, clawing at the hunter's arms.

“No, it’s not!” Hunter yelled back. He was trying to grab Abaddon's hand, but the demon wouldn't stop squirming. “I need to cut your nails!”

“No!” Abaddon growled. He hated getting his nails cut.

“For the love of—what will it take for you to be still for once?!” Hunter has seen Katharine bribe Abaddon more than once, so it must be effective.

Abaddon pauses. “If I cease my movements, will I get a sticker?”

“A what?” Hunter asks his grip to loosen.

“A sticker added to my portion of the chart.” Abaddon explains. So far he didn’t have many, but he would like to have more than Esther and Ben.

“I don’t know if I have the authority for that.” Hunter thinks she heard Katharine mention it but never paid much attention.

“Then I will keep moving,” Abaddon states before squirming again.

Hunter grunts, “Okay, okay! I will ask about the damn sticker.”

“Yes!” Abaddon once again gets what he wants. He’s so good at this.

Abaddon stops his movements and allows Hunter to cut his nails.

“Now about my sticker,” Abaddon asks, putting his hands on his hips.

“Okay, let me go ask.” Hunter walks over to the front desk, where Katharine is waiting for a phone call or a guest.

“Katharine, I have cut Abaddon’s nails, and now he is requesting a sticker.” Hunter said once he reached the front desk.

“Oh, okay.” She says, reaching into a drawer and grabbing a sheet of bat stickers.

She walks to the hallwaywhere the sticker board is. With Hunter following her. There are three names listed: ‘Ben,’ ‘Esther,’ and ‘Abaddon.’ It’s meant for four children, but Katherine only had three. Well, she used to only have three. As she puts the bat sticker on the board, Katherine turns to Hunter. “Hunter, do you want me to add your name?”

Hunter blinks. “What?”

“There’s an extra name on the board. I didn’t have anyone to put there until now,” Katharine explains, pointing to the extra name spot.

“What is the point of it?” Hunter asks.

“It’s like a push to do good. I made it for Abaddon, but the others like it too.” Katharine said with a light shrug.

“Isn’t my push to do good the ability to live here?” That’s always been his ‘push to go good,’ that and serving the Titian, helping his uncle, and the right to live, of course.

“Yea, well, think of it as something extra, plus you get like bragging rights or something. At least to Abaddon.” This will probably be good for Hunter, Katharine thinks.

“Oh, okay.” Hunter watches as Katharine adds his name to the board right under Abaddon's.

Chapter Text

Hunter's hair was getting long. He didn’t like it. It touched the back of his neck and was hard to maintain. It often got tangled, and it hurt to brush out. It also got in his eyes. A ponytail helped a bit, but he could never get all of it in the holder.

So now he stared in the mirror, gripping a pair of scissors. He grabbed a chunk of hair and just started cutting.

It didn’t look good. At all.

It was all choppy and shorter in some places and longer in other places. He had never cut his hair before. Belos did it for him, or he got someone else to. It was more difficult than he thought it would be.

Hunter groaned as he fiddled with his hair. Apparently it was pretty loud because it startled Katharine walking by.

“Hey, is everything ok—oh god.” Katharine held back a laugh upon seeing his hair.

“What.” He said sharply.

“Do you need help with that?” She asked already knowing the answer. It was worse when Esther tried to cut her hair.

Hunter sighed and handed her the scissors. “Belos used to normally cut my hair, or he got someone else to do it.”

Katharine tries to imagine an evil tyrant cutting a boy’s hair based on Hunter’s description of what he looked like. It was a weird image.

Katharine salvaged Hunter's hair as much as she could. It was similar to the style he had before, just shorter in the back.

“Why’d you try to cut your hair anyway?” She asked for snipping of the strands in the back.

“I didn’t like the way it felt.” Hunter replies. “It scratched the back of my neck and got in my eyes.”

Katharine nods. “Hm, okay.” She sets down the scissors. “What do you think?”

Hunter inspects himself. “It’s good.” He likes that it’s similar but not exactly the same as before.

Chapter Text

Hunter has been here far longer than he intended. He got here in autumn; it is now summer. How did he let time slip away like that?

Hunter wonders if anyone misses him. He would have had to get replaced by now. He wonders who it is. If it’s another grimwalker, do they have magic? how close do the original do they look?

Hunter thinks about the coven heads. Did they forget about him? Probably, it’s not like they liked him anyway. Time goes on, and they have more important things to do than worry about him.

Hunter often feels homesick. He’s happy here, but it simply isn’t the same. He misses the castle. He misses his uncle. Which is an insane thing to say. Katharine had told him that ‘hitting a child for any reason was abuse, and so is making them a soldier.’ Hunter didn’t know what their word meant until recently. Hunter could defend his uncle’s actions till the cows came home, but it doesn’t change the fact that it was abuse. He still misses him.

He hasn’t touched the portal in a while. He only checks it once a day to make sure nothing happens to it.

His home is just one step away. He could go back and beg his uncle for forgiveness till his knees bled on the hardwood floor of the throne room that the carpet barely cushioned.

Or Hunter could stay here. Where no one hits him or expects him to train till he’s exhausted or stay up for days just to get all his work done. No one undermines how much he had to work for his position, and it’s not just because his uncle is the emperor. And nothing he does here fills him with guilt or worry that every action he does is disrespecting the Titan.

For some reason Hunter can’t decide which one he wants.

______________________________________

Esther was wandering through the hotel. She has had her sights on Hunter's portal for quite some time. A way to another dimension was right at her fingertips. Sure, Hunter said not to touch it, and she didn’t want to betray his trust. But it was just way too tempting.

Just a quick look around the area, and she would be back before they even noticed she was gone. It’s perfect.

Esther makes her way to Hunter's room. She’s never been in it before. It looks so clean and put together, not lived in at all. She starts to look for the portal. Looking in drawers and the closet, she finds a suspicious amount of food stashed there. She finally finds it under his bed.

Esther slides it out and lifts it up. She sees a button on the handle and presses it. The portal pops open and reveals a forest in the demon realm.

Esther steps in and looks at the red trees. She walks further and sees someone walking, and she hides behind a tree. She didn’t want to get caught.

As she presses her back against the tree, she feels a piece of paper. Once the cost is clear, she turns around. It’s a wanted poster for the ‘Golden Guard.’ Esther grabs the poster; she recognizes the title, and the uniform on the picture applies. The person in the picture is masked, but she knows it’s Hunter. Why was he on wanted posters?

Esther takes the poster and runs back into the portal. Just in time, she hears the front door open. Esther quickly closes the portal and slides it under the bed. Trying to get it to look like it was before. Satisfied, she runs out of his room and closes the door.

Esther runs to her room and places the poster on her desk. She reads it over; apparently Hunter is wanted for treason. That didn’t sound like Hunter. He was so good all the time. But to be fair, Esther didn’t actually know Hunter. She taught him some black magic from time to time, and Hunter helped her with her homework, but she didn’t know him.

Esther will have to investigate.

______________________________________

Hunter walked into the hotel. He was helping Katharine with the garden. It earned him a sticker. He didn’t know why, but he liked that system. He already had more than anyone else.

Hunter walked up to his room, telling Flapjack about this book he had read. When he opens the door, he notices something off. The door on the closet was slightly ajar. Which can’t be right because he always shuts it tightly so no one sees the food he’s keeping. He’ll have to keep a closer eye on it.

Hunter opens the closet door and recounts every item of food he has to make sure nothing is gone. Everything seems to be in order.

Hunter then looks under his bed; the portal is still in the same place. Maybe it was just the wind. Hunter decides not to worry about it for now.

______________________________________

Esther has been taking more trips to the daemon realm than she planned. The place is just so cool. She’s been going every time Hunter goes out, which is once or twice a week. She’s made it as far as the marketplace, where there are so many weird objects. She can’t buy anything because they use snails as money, but looking is cool too. There’s even a booth that sells human goods. She covers her ears so people don’t notice she’s human. There are a lot of wanted posters for Hunter up and around. It concerns her.

Esther is just about to go back to the portal when she sees everyone going back inside earlier. Wired. She’s about to ask what’s going on when it starts to rain. It burns.

Esther quickly makes her way to a secluded area and opens the portal. The rain is burning her clothes and burning her skin. She jumps into the portal and closes it once she’s inside Hunter’s room again.

She tries to catch her breath, as she can still feel the sting of the burns on her. It hurts so bad. But how will she explain these burns to her mom?! Maybe she’ll say she was doing a ritual that involved fire and got burned. Yeah, that’s it.

______________________________________

“Esther! What happened to you?” Katharine gasps. She grabs her daughter's hands and rubs the area where she got burned.

“Psh, it’s nothing; just doing a ritual and got a little burned.” Esther shrugs off, but of course Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes has to ruin her lies.

“That’s not a fire burn; it’s a burn from boiling water.” Hunter says, inspecting the wound.

Katharine’s eyes narrow. “Esther.”

“What?! I’m not lying; he’s lying!” He points at Hunter, who blinks at her.

“No, I’m not! You need to know what wound it is to treat it properly!” Hunter defends himself.

“Yeah, well, what do you know about burns?!” Esther huffs; she shouldn’t be mad at Hunter—he is trying to help. But she doesn’t want to get caught.

“A lot more than you do!” Hunter says, Why was Esther being so unreasonable?. How did she even get a burn like that?

“Leave me alone!” She runs off to her room.

______________________________________

Esther is reaching under Hunter's bed for the portal. Just one more time, one more time. She tells herself as she steps into the demon realm.

She is peacefully walking through the town like normal, enjoying the weirdly wonderful sights, when someone grabs her. Esther quickly looks back to see Hunter. She forgot to close the portal and take it with her.

“Esther. What in Titians name are you doing here?” He hisses. Didn't she know whata risk she was taking coming here?

“I just wanted to see what your home was like!” She reasons.

“I told you it was dangerous! How long have you been coming here?! Is that how you got burned?!” Hunter says he wants to yell but can’t bring attention to himself.

“Just a few days! Hunter, it’s fine; nothing bad has happened! Well, besides the rain, but that’s—” Esther gets cut off before she can say that it’s fine that she got first-degree burns.

“A few days?! Do you know what could happen if they found out you were human?!” Hunter shakes her.

She shakes her head. Was it bad to be human here? Maybe, but it didn’t appear that way.

“I don’t know either, but it could be bad! Very bad! The emperor is not a merciful man.” Hunter barks; they needed to get back to the hotel. And Hunter needed a new hiding place for the portal.

“I recognize that annoying voice, Golden Guard.”

Hunter freezes. He recognized that voice, Lilith. He turns his head to see her and that triumphant look she always had when she got something she wanted. This wasn’t good.

He dug his fingernails into Esther’s arm and ran quickly. He was always running away from something. He felt people following them but just ran faster in case people were following him.

Once far enough away, he opened the portal through Esther inside before stepping in himself. He closes the portal and sets it on his bed.

“Who was that?” Esther asks to remove the cover that hides her human ears.

“Lilith.” He spits out. “Do you know how much trouble we could have gotten in?!” He almostyells at Esther.

“I mean, you are kind of wanted…” Esther murmurs.

“I’m what?!” Hunter stammers.

“When I first came, I found a wanted poster for you. They don’t show your face, but, uhm, I have it in my room if you want to see it.” She gives a nervous smile.

Hunter takes a deep breath in and walks to Esther’s room, where she gives him the poster.

“I’m wanted for treason?!” Hunters hands start to shake. Treason? He thought Belos might have been looking for him, but a whole wanted poster with a cash reward for his capture.

“I mean, it’s pretty cool if you think… about… it.” She tries looking Hunter up and down as the boy starts to shake and his breath quickens.

“It is not cool! At all!” He slams the paper down on the table. “You are not to go back there ever, do you understand?!” He points a finger at her chest.

“Ok...okay,” Esther says even though she’ll probably go back against her better judgement. But she also didn’t want to put Hunter in danger, which she accidentally did today.

______________________________________

“My lord,” Lilith says, bowing before the emperor. “I have reports on the golden guard.”

Belos straightens up in his golden throne. He looks down upon Lilith. “Go on.”

“I saw him in the market, talking to a girl today. I tried to get his attention, but he ran away.” She reports.

Belos sighs and leans back. “So you let him run away without capturing him?” He asks, tilting his head.

“Well, I…” It was a rhetorical question. Lilith knew that. But she thought the emperor would be happy about some news.

“I thought you would do a better job at this task because you lack the connection you have with the owl lady. But I suppose I was wrong with my judgment.” Belos says, his words layered with disappointment.

“No, sir,” Lilith says, her shoulders tensing.

“Dismissed.”

“But sir—“

“I said dismissed.”

Chapter Text

Luz sighed; she did not want to go to this boring camp. What she did wasn’t even that serious! They always say, ‘Be yourself,’ but she tried! And all she got was in trouble.

Once she saw her mom leave view, she went to find her ‘Good Witch Azura’ book from the trash. She was never really going to leave it. She would not survive that place without it.

Luz looked into the trash, and it wasn’t there! When she looked up, she saw an owl taking it. “Wait, no, that’s mine!”

She chased after the thief and into the small shack next to her house. When she found herselfcrossing into a weird place.

“Did I die?! Am I in the bad place?”

______________________________________

‘Treason,’ ‘Treason,’ ‘Treason,’ ‘Treason,’ ‘Treason,’ ‘Treason,’ ‘Treason.’

Hunter read over and over again. How could he be wanted for treason?! It was ridiculous. He was the most loyal scout. If Belos jumped, he would say, ‘How high?’ If Belos asked him to jump off the nearest cliff, he would have no hesitation. But he wouldn’t die for his uncle, would he?

No, he would run away to a world he doesn't know and move in with some humans, a demon, and a bunch of ghosts. He would work for them and like it there. He would stay for far longer than intended instead of facing his problems like a man. He would try to kill himself just for that to fail too. Because he’s a coward and a traitor to the empire.

Flapjack pecked at the paper, and Hunter shooed him away. He wanted Hunter to stop looking at it. But the boy just couldn’t tear his eyes off it. His hands were shaking, and we wanted to vomit.

His uncle surely hated him. And there was no coming back from that. No matter how much he begged or pleaded. And to think a year ago if you asked Hunter, ‘Would you die for your cause?’ Hunter would have said yes so fast it would make your head spin. But maybe it’s instinct to want to live. But when a robot completes its task, does it beg to not be shut down? When a doll gets broken, does it beg to still be played with?

He needed to do something else so he wouldn’t spiral. Again.

______________________________________

Hunter searched his room for a new hiding spot for the portal. He looks through his closet for any space there, but he thinks it’s too obvious of a place. He goes to close it, but he hears Ben.

“That’s a lot of food.” Ben was walking down the hall and heard rustling in Hunter’s room. The door was slightly open, so he peeked inside to see the stash of food in Hunter's closet.

Hunter jumped and quickly turned around and tried to use his body to cover it. “What’s it to you?” He asks defensively.

“Nothing! Mom just doesn’t like food in the rooms because, well, you know, rats.” Ben stammers; he did not like the way Hunter was looking at him.

“Well, nothing is opened for perishables.” Hunter crossed his arms. “And you’re not going to tell Katharine, understand?”  Hunter didn’t want to hide things. But sometimes safety called for things that you didn’t like to do.

“Why are you even hiding food?” Ben has seen Hunter do a lot of odd things, but this was just weird.

“Reasons that don’t concern you.” He snaps, The reason was safety. Hunter didn't know when he would mess up and get food taken from him. So having a stash of food for when he got truly desperate was a nice safety net. He tried not to disobey when he was being punished. But sometimes when he would get food taken away from him for an indefinite period of time, he had to because his uncle would forget to tell him it’s okay to eat again for long periods of time.

“I’m going to leave now…” Ben backs away before leaving quickly. He hated confrontation.

Hunter huffs and then goes back to looking for a place for the portal.

______________________________________

Esther knew she shouldn’t, but it’s been like a week since she last went. Hunter probably forgot she even went in the first place. She just wanted to go one more time—even though she says this every time. Single. Time—she just couldn’t actually stick to her word. And it should be fine as long as Hunter doesn’t go. The women seemed to want Hunter, not her.

Now just where was that portal? She thought to herself as she realized it wasn’t under his bed anymore. She knew she had a while to find it. Hunter was out in the woods to ‘train’ or whatever.

When Esther found it, it was stuffed into the hole behind his nightstand that an old colony of maggots chewed through. She dug it out from the hole and clicked the button.

She walked through and took a deep breath. She went to the town; she’ll just see what they had on sale today.

Esther walked into town and past the store of human goods. As she was surveying the stand, she glimpsedanother human. But they didn’t cover their ears like Esther did. Esther wanted to go up and talk to them and ask how they got there. But before she could, she got grabbed.

Esther turned, expecting Hunter. But it wasn’t; it was a scout, she recognized from the people chasing them that day. Well, she recognized the uniform; no idea if it was the same guy. “Hey!”

“You are under arrest for fraternizing with a traitor.” The scout started drawing a spell circle for chains.

“Wait, no!” This was bad, really bad. She needed to get back to the portal and home. She struggled against the chains, but the man just gripped her arms tighter.

“Hey! Leave that girl alone!” The woman from behind the Human Collectibles stand shouts.

“Owl lady! We do not have time for you right now!” The scout barked.

A van pulled up, and another scout opened the doors to the back. Esther was thrashed inside.

“I said—“ She felt feathers rise in her neck. Fuck, this was not a good time, and the place where she got her elixirs was closed for the week! “Luz, let’s go.”

“But Eda!” Luz did not like that a girl her age was just getting arrested like that. Even though she didn’t know the full crime, she did know that half the time the reason why people got arrested was stupid!

“Luz.” Without further argument, the two left. Eda wanted to help, but she didn’t know the girl or what she did, and she didn’t want to put Luz and King in danger by turning into the owl beast.

______________________________________

Esther kicked in the back, “Let me go!” She screamed.

“Shut up!” One of the scouts yelled from the front.

Esther just started to scream louder.

______________________________________

Hunter went back inside early since it started to rain and was called back inside. Because apparently working in the rain will ‘make him catch a cold,’ but that never mattered in the coven. After getting some water straight from the faucet in the sink, he went up to his room.

Hunter opened the door to his room, ready to sit down. When he saw the portal open. Hunter cursed under his breath. Damn it, Esther. He thought.

He went into the portal and ran to the town. But he didn’t see her. “Hey!” He said to the nearest market worker. “Have you seen a girl about this tall with ginger hair?” He describes.

“Yeah, she was arrested a bit ago. Hey, aren’t you the golden guard?” The market worker says.

Hunter blinks stunned for a moment. Arrested? No, this couldn’t be. She grunts, gritting her teeth, before running back and going back to the hotel. He needed time to think about what to do and what weapons he needed. He needed to do something! He just needed time to think about what to do! But how much time did he have? Before they did something to her?! What did she do? Why was she arrested?

Oh.

That’s whyshe was caught talking to him, a traitor. It was a pretty serious crime. Why didn't she just listen to him? It made him so angry he just wanted to break something. Now she was arrested, and he didn’t know how to help her!

“Hey Hunter, have you seen Esther?” Katharine asks, knocking on the frame of his door.

Chapter Text

Hunter was strolling the halls. He asked Katharine what to do, and she said to ‘look around and write down anything weird you see,’ so Hunter was doing just that. He surveyed everything and actually wasn’t writing down a lot of stuff.

A group of small limbless creatures, poor souls they are, and a door that kept appearing in random places. This was a difficult task considering the fact he didn’t know if those things were weird or normal. But he didn’t think they were, so he wrote them down.

As he walked, he went past a fruit basket. He was awfully hungry, and after much reassurance from Flapjack that Katharine and Nathan said that it was 100% okay to eat whatever he wanted—as long as Abaddon’s sigil wasn’t on it—and whenever he wanted. So he grabbed an apple. He liked apples; they didn’t bleed like they did in the demon realm. He took a bite out of it.

That… that wasn’t right. Instead of a Louis crunch, it was more soft. And it tasted like paint and a bit plastic. He looked down at his bite and saw pure white. He very much remembered the insides of the apple being yellowish, and they were juicy, not like plastic. Maybe these apples were rotten. That wasn’t good. He managed to get his bite down, not wanting to waste it. He then writes down that the fruit is spoiled and puts the rest of the apple in his pocket. He’ll find some use for it.

______________________________________

“Katharine! “I have completed the task,” Hunter states proudly, waking up to her.

“Oh, you did? What did you see?” Katharine asks, looking up from what she was doing. She had said that so he could do something since he seemed to really, really want to. She forgot about it, honestly.

Hunter clears his throat. “A group of limbless creatures, a door that keeps disappearing and reappearing, a room that growls when I open the door, and the fruit is rotten.” Hunter reads.

Well, that was concerning but not surprising. What did catch Katharine’s surprise is the rotten fruit. She just bought it yesterday. “It is? What’s rotten?”

“The apples, but I didn’t test the others. I will not like to get sick—but if you want me to, I can! I don’t mind!” Hunter didn’t want to come off as rude; it wasn’t that bad being sick. If Katharine wanted him to see if the fruit was rotten by eating it, he would. He’s done worse things.

Apples? “I didn’t buy any apples recently; what are you talking about?”

“The ones in the hallway” He digs into his pocket and takes out the apple he took a bite out of and shows it to her. “See?”

Katharine laughs a bit. “Hunter, it’s not rotten; it’s foam. It’s meant for decoration,” she explains.

“What?” Hunter said, tilting his head. He’s never heard of such a thing.

“Putting out fruit looks nice, but if we put real fruit, it rots. So we use foam ones,” Katharine says.

“Well… that’s stupid.” Hunter said blankly. Fake food-why would you want to put food out?! Food is for eating!

Chapter Text

“Hey Hunter, have you seen Esther?” Katharine asks, stopping in front of Hunter's room. She hasn’t seen her in a while.

“Esther?” He repeats. He knew he had to tell Katharine the truth. If he lied, it would just make things worse. So he tells her all at once, “Esther has been going to the demon realm for weeks, and I only found out a few days ago, and Lilith saw me, and then we ran away, and I told her that she shouldn’t go back, and she did anyway and got arrested!” He breathes.

Katharine blinks. “What? What do you mean she got arrested? For what?!” She knew Esther could be a bit wild sometimes, but arrested?!

“For talking to me,” Hunter pauses, picking up the wanted poster. “I’m wanted for treason.” He shows her the poster.

Katharine grabbed the paper and read it over. “You’re wanted for treason?” She couldn’t believe it. Hunter of all people. The same kid who still talks about the empire and wakes up thinking he’s late for drills is wanted for treason?

“Yes. But now Esther is arrested, and I don’t know how I’m meant to get her back.” Hunter says, running a hand over his face.

“Then we go and get her; I’m sure I can talk it out.” Katharine wasn’t dumb; she knew treason was a serious crime. But Esther was 11, for God's sake!

“You can’t! The emperor is not a merciful man.” Hunter replied. He hopes she’s just in a holding cell or something. It hasn’t been that long.

______________________

Esther struggles against her cuffs in the back of the van. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s never been more scared in her life. Would they make her see the emperor? Esther has heard Hunter talk about him, and he seems scary. Even the good things he says are often concerning.

Maybe they would kill her or hold her in a prison for the rest of her days. Black magic doesn’t work here; she’s tried!

After a while the van comes to a stop. The doors open, and two scouts drag her out. Esther looks around; the castle is really big. She’s taken into a large room with a large throne in the middle. Probably the ‘throne room’ Hunter talked about on the rare occasion he talked about where he came from.

Esther is forced on her knees in front of the throne. He watches as the man on the throne waves his hand and the scouts leave. The man slowly stands up.

“Hm, another human on the Boiling Isles.” He speaks.

Esther glares at him. She would cuss him out if she wasn’t afraid of him killing her.

“So you were seen talking to the golden guard, have you? Tell me, what is your relation to him?” Belos tilts his head; it was odd. No sign of the boy in months, but now he comes out to talk to some random human girl.

Esther isn’t sure if she should answer. It didn’t feel like an interrogation like how you would see in movies. Belos would hurt her if she didn’t comply; she didn’t want to put Hunter in danger. So she turns her hair away from him instead.

“Listen, I don’t want you; I want the boy. So just tell me where Hunter is and I’ll let you go. Sound good?” For those reasons, it didn’t look like the girl had a portal, so she had no use for him.

“No.” Esther finally sells; she’s not going to sell him out. She would find a way to escape or something.

Belos sighs internally. Why must everything be so difficult for him? “If you don’t want to talk now, that’s fine.” He paces back and forth in front of her. “Normally I would send you to the conformatorium, but I feel like that place is a risk. So I will be sending you to the holding cells.” He hasn’t used the holding cells in a long time. The bars were slightly rusted over, and they were in the basement of the castle.

Esther could handle a holding cell, she thought as she was taken down there. As she looked and saw the dark-lit hallway only lit by torches and the rusted-over bars. She was frightened; it smelled metallic, like blood almost. The scouts opened the doors to one of the cells. She was uncuffed and thrown into the cell.

“We will check in tomorrow to see if you’re ready to give any information.” One of the scouts said as he locked the cell. Then they left.

_______________________

After much discussion it was decided that they all would go and collect Esther. It was a vote, and Hunter lost. Sure there is power in numbers, but it’s also dangerous. Hunter is the only one who knew that place and how it worked. But he was outvoted 4 to one.

Hunter set up the portal and stepped in first. Than Katharine, Ben, and Abaddon. And to everyone’s shock, Nathan.

“Isn’t this past the property line?” Asks Ben.

Nathan shrugs; he didn’t know how it worked. But he was happy that he was able to go get his niece.

“Okay, that’s everyone,” Hunter stated, closing the portal.

“Now let’s go to that castle and get back Esther, now that you can use your powers,” Abaddon says, looking around at his surroundings.

“Right. My powers.” Hunter turns a flapjack into a staff. He still wasn’t that good with him, but it’s better than nothing. “And we can’t go to the castle, not yet.” It was too risky; he needs more information.

“Then what do we do?” Katharine asks, grabbing Abaddon from running around.

“We’ll find a place to stay for the night, and I’ll try to find more information.” Hunter says he is already walking.

They walk far into the woods, and as Hunter is looking at the clouds to check for rain, he bumps into someone. He groans and looks at the person. Another human.

“Oh, I’m so sorry—wait! “You’re that boy who was with that girl who got arrested,” Luz says, recognizing him.

Hunter takes a step back, standing in front of the freelings, gripping his staff tightly. “Yes, I am.”

“Are you back to look for her?! I can help! I can get eda-“ She gets interrupted before she can finish her sentence.

“The owl lady?! How do you know her?” The owl lady was a dangerous wild witch. But she was strong.

“She’s my mentor!” Luz explains, looking back at the people behind Hunter. “Are you related to the girl?” She asks.

“I’m her mom, this is her brother and uncle, and, uh, cousin,” Katharine explains, pointing to each member of the family.

“Oh my god, okay, okay. I will talk to Eda; I'm sure she will help!” Luz says she’s always excited to help.

Hunter turns back and looks at the freelings, then at Luz. Hunter contemplates going, weighing the pros and cons.

“Fine. We will talk to the owl lady.” He says he still doesn't like the idea of it. But he knows she won’t turn him in.

Chapter Text

Hunter sat on the couch, his leg bouncing as he looked at the owl lady, Luz, and their dog thing. Katharine explained what happened, and Eda is willing to help.

“Okay, I’ll help,” Eda agreed. She’s been in trouble for treason countless times.

“Gotta say, by how Lilly talked about you, I would never expect you to run away.” Eda chuckled.

“What did she say?” Hunter was never on good terms with Lilith. She used to be nice when Hunter was little, but after he became the golden guard, she got mean. Complained about how he got ‘special treatment’ and put down every achievement he got.

“How you were such a goodie-two-shoes and all that.” Eda was very shocked when she saw the wanted posters.

Hunter rolls his eyes. He puts a hand on his knee to stop the shaking. He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. “Whatever, we need to find Esther. Do you have any idea where they’re keeping her?”

“Why don’t you do a spell to find her? You said you were one of the most powerful witches on the isles,” Ben suggested.

“I was… but I can’t.” Hunter waves them off. Hopefully they will drop it.

They don’t.

“Why can’t you?” Luz asks, "She thought that they were Emperor Coven witches." Especially those high in rank could do excellent magic.

“Because… because” He pauses for a moment. He groans. “It’s not important! I just can’t, okay! Damn.”

Katharine frowned at him; she was the only person who knew that Hunter didn’t have powers. She wasn’t going to say anything right now. She’ll check on him later.

“She’s probably in a holding cell,” Eda reassured. She stands up and goes over to the kitchen. “I say we eat, and then tomorrow we can think of a plan.”

“She could be dead tomorrow!” Hunter complained.

“What?!” Ben responded.

“She’s not going to die!” Katharine said, placing a hand on Ben’s shoulder to calm him down.

_____________________________________

Hunter stares down at his plate of food. He hasn’t had demon realm food in so long. He’s going to puke.

He stands up and walks away. He goes outside and walks a few feet into the woods. He leans against a tree and slides down.

“You can’t do magic, can you?” Abaddon asks. He followed Hunter outside.

“No. No, I cannot.” He says, not looking over at the demon.

“Could you ever?” Abaddon sits beside him.

Hunter shakes his head. He could never do magic on his own. That’s why he had a staff. He didn’t need magic. But now he had nothing. Well, flapjack, he supposed.

There’s a loud scream in the distance.

“Don’t worry, that’s normal.” Some bug-type demon was always screaming and squeaking. Maybe that’s why no one noticed when he was screaming in the castle.

Katharine calls them to come back inside. Abaddon is the only one who goes. “I’m going to stay here for a little, okay?” Hunter says.

When Hunter was staring at his dinner, he came to the realization that the one way to get Esther back was to turn himself in. Hunter was never over these cases, but he did study them and knew how they worked. The person would either be killed publicly or held until they gave Belos what he wanted. Belos didn’t care about Esther; he wanted Hunter.

Hunter goes back inside and waits until everyone is asleep. Everyone but Abbadon, who never sleeps. Nathan is sleeping since he can actually touch things now. He’s loving that.

He takes his wanted poster and the birdcall from the wall and walks to Abbadon. “Hey, I need your help.”

Abaddon looks up at him from the floor he was sitting on. “With what?”

Hunter sits down next to him. “Okay, so I’m going to call a number, and you’re going to say, ‘I have the golden guard, and I’m going to turn him in. Instead of the snail reward, I would like Esther to be released from custody.”

“You’re turning yourself in?” Abaddon asks, a bit confused.

“Yes, but don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen to me; I just need you to make the call.” Hunter doesn't even wait for a yes before typing in the number provided.

“Hello, do you have any tips or sightings on wanted criminals?” A woman answers the phone.

Hunter whispers into Abaddon's ear what to say. “Yes, I have the golden guard.”

“The golden guard?” The woman gasps.

“Yes, and I am… willing to turn him in… in return for Esther Freeling,” Abaddon responds.

The woman pauses. She would have to ask the emperor about this negotiation. “I will give you a call back.”

The line goes dead.

“I do not understand why you are giving yourself in. You said that we would find Esther and get her.” Abaddon sets the phone down.

“We are! I just want to be around after.” Hunter explains.

“But I want you to be around.” Abaddon has grown quite fond of Hunter. He helps him do his dark deeds.

“It’s fine; once I get back in my uncle’s good graces, maybe he’ll let me visit. He can never truly be cross with me.” Hunter lied right through that gap in his teeth. He knew Belos would most likely kill him.

The birdcall rings. Abaddon picks it up and answers. “We have a deal.” The woman says.

_____________________________________

Belos walked down to the cellar and hit his staff against the bars. He saw Esther flinch and look over at him. “What do you want?” She hisses.

“I come with good news; you’re no longer needed,” Belos says, looking down at her. She didn’t seem so happy.

“What do you mean?” She should feel joy or relief, but she didn’t. She was scared. Was she going to die?

“I have struck a deal with someone. You will be let go in exchange for the golden guard. So you’re no longer needed.” Belos explained. He signaled two guards, and they unlocked the door to the cell. One walked in and grabbed Esther and took her out of the cell.

Chapter Text

Hunter held Abaddon's hand as they walked to the night market where they agreed to meet with the scout. In return for Esther.

“Okay, so when we get there, you are going to take Esther back to the house with the owl lady. Okay?” Hunter stated, taking a deep breath.

“You hurt my hand.” Abaddon stated. He didn't understand why Hunter was doing this. This wasn’t the plan.

“Sorry.” He loses his grip on Abaddon's hand. He’s scared. “Do you understand the plan?”

Abaddon nods. “I do. What do I tell the matriarch and the owl women?”

“Tell them… Tell them whatever you want.” It won’t matter anyway.

“Do you remember the way back?” He asks, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. A map. “Here, in case you forgot.”

“Thank you.” He takes it in his other hand.

“Now the night market is dangerous. So as soon as you get Esther, go straight home. I mean it.” Hunter says sternly.

“Fine.” Abaddon agreed.

They make their way to the market. In the alleyway between a bar and a trinket shop.

Hunter crosses his arms and leans against the wall. He watches Abbadon do the same.

Eventually the scouts come. One comes out of the car. “Golden guard.” They saw him approaching. “Are we sure this is the guy?”

“It’s me,” Hunter said, showing his sigil.

“Yeah, he’s got that annoying voice.” The other one who’s opening the back door says.

“Rude.” He rolls his eyes. “Where’s Esther?”

“Don’t worry, the girl is here.” The doors open, and Esther is dragged out.

“Hunter!” She runs to him. “Are you okay?! Why are you here, you—"

“I’m fine. Abaddon will take you to—“ He gets pulled away, handcuffed. “Abaddon will take you to your mom! And and—“

“Hush now!” The scout reprimands.

“Go straight home!” That’s the last thing Hunter says as he’s roughly shoved into the back of the truck.

He hits his head on the floor as he bounces. He stares up at the ceiling, not bothering to sit up. He hears the front two doors shut. He taps his foot.

“Would you stop that!” The scout driving shouted.

“Nah,” Hunter chuckled. He did cease his foot tapping, however.

Hunter wasn’t scared or sad; he was just blank. He couldn’t describe what he was feeling. Just nothing—he knew what would happen. But he also knew that the others will forget about him and probably be glad he’s out of their lives. Maybe they would be annoyed that they didn’t have a cleaner anymore.

Hunter waits, his head hitting on the floor of the van with each bump.

Once it finally stops, Hunter sighs. He turns his head over to the doors. They open, and he sees that oh-so-familiar castle.

Hunter doesn't resist as the scout removes him from the van. Hunter scans the area; it looks about the same. Inside and out.

As they drag him into the castle. He recognizes the route to the throne room. Great.

_______________________

“So what’s going on?” Esther asked. She was very confused.

“We came here to get you; now we have you, so Hunter said he has to go away.” Abaddon responded. He was walking her back to the owl lady’s house, following the map Hunter gave him.

“I’m happy to be out of there, but why did Hunter turn himself in? He said it was dangerous for him.” Esther looked around the area. She recognized these woods; it’s where she always came when she went through the portal.

Abaddon takes her to the owl lady’s house. He opens the door, and Eda is awake.

“Oh, it’s you, and who is that?” She asks, pouring herself a glass of apple blood.

“I’m Esther.” She said, walking over to the counter.

“Esther, hey, I thought you were arrested,” Eda gasped.

“I was, but Hunter traded himself in for me.” She fiddled with her thumbs.

Eda tapped a finger on the counter. It was good to have the kid back, but she knew that nothing good would come for Hunter. She didn’t know what to do about this.

Chapter Text

As Hunter was dragged through the halls of the castle, he waved at those passing by. He always had a habit of acting like he didn’t care or everything was normal. Even when he was in trouble.

Hunter was good at hiding his emotions. A bit rusty because it’s been months since he had to, but it was fine. He could maintain face as they stopped in front of the doors of the throne room.

The scout opened the door, and Hunter could hear his heart in his ears. Pounding. He tried to blank his mind, not think. Or think about something else disappearing into his head like he had been able to do before. But it seemed as if his body disliked him today. He was very aware.

The scouts took him in and forced him to kneel. As if he wasn’t going to do that anyway.

“We have the golden guard, sir,” the scout announced.

Belos straightens in his seat. He looks down at Hunter and nods. “Good. Leave us now.” He waved them away.

Hunter heard them leave, the opening and closing of the door. His head was down, looking at the carpet. He heard his uncle's footsteps approaching him.

“So you decided to come back from your little tantrum, hm? And in exchange for a simple girl?” Belos tasks, he stops right in front of Hunter.

Hunter bites the inside of his cheek. He doesn't know if Belos will let him explain himself. Let him apologize beg for forgiveness.

“It is sad, really; you were promising.” Belos paces back and forth in front of him. “I had faith that you wouldn’t stray from the Titian. But I’m afraid I can never make him listen to reason.”

How many times would Belos have to repeat this? He did not want to have to start over with the Day of Unity so close.

“After everything I have done for you. This is how you repay me? Why do you enjoy hurting me?” Belos tilts his head, looking over at him.

“I don’t!” Hunter blurts, lifting his head.

“Hm,” Belos pauses for a moment. He needed to get the ingredients for his next grimwalker. “Come with me, Hunter.” He couldn’t do it here. He knew Hunter would obey; he always does.

Hunter hesitated but got up and followed him. They go to the room where the portal is. Where Hunter found that book.

Belos stops in front of a table. He takes one of his sharp knives and calls Hunter over. He grabs the boy's shoulder, holding him in place.

“What are you doing…?” Hunter flinched slightly.

_______________________

“Esther I’m so glad you’re back!” Katharine hugged her daughter. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m fine! They just had me in a cell.” That’s all Esther says. She doesn’t want to worry her mother further.

“Where’s blondie?” Eda asks, looking around. She hasn’t seen him all morning.

“Oh, he’s gone.” Abaddon answers.

“What do you mean gone?” Nathan looks over at Abaddon.

“He went away to get Esther back,” the demon child shrugs. “He said that he’d be fine, that his uncle wouldn’t be mad at him.”

Esther fiddles with her thumbs. She knew better than that. Hunter had told her that it was very dangerous for him. He wouldn’t have run away if that were true!

“Wait, no. No, they can’t just take him!” Katharine complained. She was grateful that she had her daughter back. But she wouldn’t just let them do something to Hunter.

“What do you think they’re going to do with him?” Ben nervously asked.

“Probably worse than what they did to me,” Esther responds. The emperor was not a merciful man, as Hunter said.

Chapter Text

“You have stuff in you that I need. That I can’t get on my own.” Belos explains it’s simple logic. He removes Hunter's shirt. And the boy lets him because, of course, he does.

Belos presses the knife to Hunter's chest. Maybe he’ll kill the boy first. Be merciful.

“Wait—wait!” Hunter begs; he doesn't want to die. Or be cut up.

Belos pauses, the knife still pressed into Hunter's chest. “What is it?”

“Please—please, I—don’t do this.” He begs; he’s shaking. He’s been close to death, but Belos never has tried to kill him.

“I have to. It’s the only way; I need the things you are made of. It’s not the same now that you know,” Belos explains with a shrug of his shoulders. He makes the first small incision into his chest.

Hunter takes a sharp breath in. He doesn’t remember getting cut hurting this bad.

“I-I didn’t mean to—please, Uncle, I won’t tell anyone or or” Hunter stammers; he’s talking without thinking. Just anything to maybe convince Belos to not kill him.

Belos isn’t listening; most of them beg before they die. He moves the knife down, splitting the boy's chest open.

Tears fill Hunter's eyes. He can’t remember the last time he cried in front of his uncle.

“Stop it hurts!” Foolish words because Belos knows it hurts. “Please, I’ll do anything.” He’s crying.

Belos pauses, “Anything?” The knife is still lodged into the hunter.

Hunter can feel his blood trickle down his torso. He doesn’t like being this aware.

“Yes! Yes! Anything—I will work 10x harder or—or anything you want, I promise. I don’t even care that I’m a grimwalker,” he says way too fast.

Belos has had his previous attempts beg. He always just didn’t listen, but maybe this time he can be merciful. After all, he didn’t want to start all the way over.

He slowly removed the blade from Hunter's chest. He heard the boy gasp, and the wound started bleeding badly.

Hunter presses his hands on the wound. Attempting to stop the blood flow.

“Very well, I will allow you this.” He places down a knife and takes a rag. He dabs at the blood. “But if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will not be so merciful.”

Hunter nods, his shoulders tensing.

_______________________

Hunter was in his uncle's room; he stays there before he has to sleep. It helps with the nightmares. Uncle says when he’s six, he can’t do this anymore. Well, if I pass trials, it’s because I’ll be a soldier. And soldiers don’t worry about their nightmares.

Uncle isn’t here yet, but he will be soon. So in the meantime Hunter scans his room. He walks around and goes to the desk. He goes to climb on the chair, but it knocks into the table. A glass falls off and shatters on the floor.

Hunter frowns; Uncle's going to be so mad at him! Hunter went down on his knees and picked up the broken pieces. As he went to grab one, it cut his hand. “Ow.”

“Hunter,” Belos said as he walked into the room. “What are you doing?”

“I, uhm—” He bites his lip; it’s not like he could lie. Lying was sinful. “I accidentally broke it.”

“I see.” Belos walked in front of him. He kneeled down on one knee to be at Hunter's level. He looks down at Hunter's bleeding hand. “Don’t pick up glass; you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Sorry.” Hunter was only bleeding a little bit. It was fine!

“It’s okay.” Belos rises and gets a bandaid; then he walks back and applies it to the wound.

“Go sit on the bed while I clean this up, okay?”

___________________________________

Hunter looks down at his bandaged chest. Belos had wrapped him; Hunter doesn’t know why—he’s perfectly capable of doing it by himself.

“You will start your golden guard training over and take the trails again. We also need to get you back in the titans' good graces again. After all, you’ve done a load of sin out there,” Belos explained.

“Yes, sir.” Hunter nodded. He knew his uncle wouldn’t simply let him go back. He has to earn his place again. Good thing he never stopped training. Sure, it wasn’t as difficult as the coven training. But he wouldn’t be too rusty.

This would be hard to cover up; he’s never forgiven treason. It’s nothing a few speeches can’t fix.

“You are on very thin ice, Hunter. Do not think just because I am letting you live means that I forgive you. You have to earn that.” Belos was repeating what Hunter already knew. It’s something that Belos has drilled into the thing’s skull for years.

Forgiveness is earned. Everything is earned.

Chapter Text

Katharine opened the portal back to their realm. “Okay, in.”

“Mom, what?! No!” Esther says, shocked. “We can’t just leave Hunter here?!”

Katharine sighed. She didn’t want to leave Hunter. She didn’t! But the one person who knew how the coven worked is gone. And it’s too risky; she won’t put her kids in jeopardy. Hunter was strong; he could handle it.

“I will not risk losing any one of you. It was terrifying when you were gone, Esther! Hunter will be fine. Now in. We will come back when it’s safer.”

Once everyone walks through the portal, Katharine sighs and turns to Eda. “We will come back for him.” She then leaves and closes the portal.

She doesn’t know when safe will be. She just knows it’s not right now.

_____________________________

Hunter stood in the middle of his room. It was torn all to hell. Like someone went through it. He walked over and saw the torn-over floorboard. Empty. His food stash is gone, and so are his books on wild magic.

He sits on his bed when he hears a chirp. “Flapjack! No, no, you cannot be here! It’s dangerous.” He speaks fast.

Flapjack shakes his head. The bird wouldn’t leave Hunter.

“Yes, it is! For me and you!” If Belos found out, that would probably be the last straw. His uncle would kill Flap and then kill him. If he had to guess.

He pushes the bird back from the windowsill. “Go away.”

Flapjack chirps and pecks at his hands.

“I said go away!” He doesn't want to leave Flapjack. It’s just not safe right now. “Go!”

Hunter is getting frustrated. He knows Flapjack means well; he wishes the bird could stay. But it’s for the best if he doesn’t. He managed without the dumb bird before; he can do it again.

He shoves the flap off the window seal, making him hover in the air. He closes the window.

Once the bird is out of sight, he sits heavily on the bed. He starts training tomorrow; he has a day to prepare. Even though he should, he can’t find it in him to practice right now. Maybe later.

He’s still in his clothes from the hotel. He has a spare uniform in his closet. It’s the only thing in his closet. It looks empty compared to the one he had at the hotel.

Hunter should really clean this room. Though he can’t find it in him to do that either. He doesn’t feel like doing anything. After the months he spent there, the conditioning has been wearing off, he supposes. It used to not matter what it felt like doing. He would do it anyway. But now his bones feel like metal, and he can’t get up.

Hunter remembered he had a day like this in the hotel. It was a day or two after his failed attempt. He couldn’t get up or do anything. He tried, but he never could stay focused on one task. No one got mad at him, though.

This wasn’t the hotel; this was the coven. His home, and the only means of living. He was back with his uncle. And if he failed to function properly, he would be put out of commission.

Hunter leaned against the pillow. The room was quiet. And his body felt heavy. He’ll train later.

______________________________________

Hunter woke up at 5:00 AM. Great, he didn’t train at all. At least he wouldn’t be late.

He got up and put on his uniform. It felt a million times heavier. He put on his mask. He forgot few people have actually seen his face. Hunter wonders how many people have seen it since he ran away.

Or ‘taken by wild witches,’ as Belos told everyone.

Hunter, the golden guard, stares in the mirror. He takes his staff from beside his desk and walks out of his room.

Chapter Text

Hunter coughed as he hit the brick wall. He was not as prepared for the training as he thought he would be.

Hunter quickly stood up and ran away from the next shot coming his way.

He’ll be fine. He always is; he just has to get used to this again.

______________________

Esther walked into Hunter's old room. It was finally starting to look less like a simple guest room.

There was a poster of a wolf on the wall. Some sewing materials on the nightstand, with an unfinished project. The bed was unmade too.

Her mom hid the portal. So it’s not like Esther could go back in and just get him. It wouldn’t be that easy anyway.

Esther hopes it’ll be safe to get him soon.

_____________________

He sits in the chair of his desk and wraps his head in a bandage to stop the bleeding. He wishes his head got hit so hard during training that he would get amnesia. So that he would forget that he was a grimwalker, that he would forget about Flapjack and the freelings altogether. It was so much easier when all he knew was the castle. But it’s never that easy for him. No matter how hard he hits his head—intentionally or not—he still has his memories. And a headache.

Now he doesn’t know when the next time will be before he’s allowed out again.

It’s been a few weeks. He’s seen some of the coven heads. Lilith, Tara, Adrien, and Darius. They were all rude as usual. But it didn’t get under his skin as it used to; he just walked away. He’s talked to Raine a few times too.

It’s so lonely in his room. He keeps waiting for chirps that he knows won’t be there. Because he made them disappear. It’s for the best. It is. It is.

He looks down at his wrists, at the scars that are there. The many scars, but those are the deepest and still pretty red. He runs his fingers over it. It’s slightly bumpy.

Hunter didn’t think it would feel so different. Why can’t it just be how it used to be?! Nothing's even changed. Expect him; he’s obviously changed a lot.

It’s hard for him to feel anything lately. Like he doesn't care. But he does; he does care a lot. But he feels blank; he thinks about what would happen if Katharine didn’t find him. He thinks about doing it again. But he won’t. It would be counterproductive after he begged for bellows to keep his life. But that’s different, right? If he killed himself, then that’s him doing it. His way out. Not something anyone else told him or made him do.

A peck from the window dragged him out of his thoughts.

_____________________________________

Esther was going through an old room that she found. That’s when she found it. The portal! Katharine didn’t hide it very well. She sneakily took it out and ran to her room with it. She knew she couldn’t just barge into the castle and take him back. But maybe she could talk to those people again?

Esther opens the portal and steps through. She grabs it and goes to the owl house. She knocks on the door, and Luz answers.

“Hi—oh, it’s you!!” Luz says cheerfully.

“Yes! I was wondering if you could help me get Hunter back—flapjack?!” "Esther," she says, startled, seeing the bird behind Luz. Flapjack was always with Hunter. Why was he here?

“Oh… yeah, he said Hunter sent him away. It’s not safe.” Luz shrugs. “I can’t really help get him back. I don’t know that much magic; all I know how to do is light and snow magic,” she explains.

Esther frowns. “There’s really nothing we can do?!”

Luz thinks for a moment and then gets an idea. “Oh, I have an idea! We can write a letter to him, and Flapjack can send it!”

“Oh yes!” Esther says, and Luz grabs a pen and paper and hands it to Esther. “Oh, and I have this old human camera we can send to him so we can get pictures.”

Esther takes the pen and paper and starts to write the note.

“Dear Hunter, this is Esther. I found the portal, and Luz gave me the idea to use Flapjack to send you letters. We WILL get you back, don’t worry!!! We’re also giving you a camera so you can send pictures if you want. Write back!

                   - Esther”

Esther then put the envelope and the camera in a small bag and gave it to Flapjack. He takes it and flies away.

_____________________________________

Hunter gets up from his seat to go look at his window. He sighs as he sees flapjack. He opens the window. “Flapjack, I told you not to come here.” He looks down and sees the package. He takes it from his talons. “What is this?”

Flapjack chirps at him, “I will take this and open it. But it’s still not safe.” He rubs Flapjack's feathers, then opens the package.

He takes out the letter first and reads it quickly. Then he sees the camera. He supposes he should at least write back this once.

“Dear Esther, I appreciate you caring for me, I do. But I have told you it is unsafe. Especially now, I still have yet to get back into my uncle's good graces again. This is my home; I shouldn’t have left anyway. Do not come back. Do not try to get me.

                                                           - Hunter”

Hunter picks up the camera. He’s never used one before, but it looks easy enough. He decides to take a picture of his mask. He’s told Esther about it, but she’s never seen it. He sets it on his bed and takes a picture, then adds it in the envelope.

He hands it to Flapjack and watches the bird fly away. He then closes the window and puts the camera up in a hidden space.

Hunter sits down at his desk; he should get started on this paperwork.

Chapter Text

Abaddon didn’t want to say he missed Hunter. He didn’t! He was a demon and didn’t miss anyone. But the house did feel different.

It felt like the days when Nathan died and wasn’t a ghost yet. Empty, quiet. Nothing was removed or changed in Hunter's room. The key to it wasn’t up yet either. It was like no one wanted to touch or go into that room.

It wasn’t much different. After all, it was just the same as before Hunter came. Though Esther did have to actually do her chores now.

Abaddon walks down the hallway. He passes the sticker chart. Hunter's name has been smudged but not erased. His stickers are still up, and he still has the most. Ben is close, however.

Abaddon went into the kitchen and climbed onto the counter.

“Mom! It’s been like 3 weeks; when are we getting him?!” Esther complained.

“When it’s safe, Esther! How many times do I have to say this?!” Katharine wanted to go get him. She did, but she wouldn’t put her kids in danger.

“When I was taken, he didn’t wait till it was safe!” Esther reasoned.

“He didn’t follow the plan! We were meant to wait till morning and then find a way in there to get you!” Katharine slammed her mug on the table. She runs her hand over her face. This wasn’t meant to happen; she knew Hunter was likely getting hurt. Hell, not likely, definitely. She wasn’t dumb; she knew Hunter was getting abused in that damn castle. Even if Hunter didn’t directly tell her, even though she didn’t directly ask and she should have.

Esther huffed and went to her room. If her mom wouldn’t let her get him, she would just get him herself!

She slammed the door behind her and got a piece of paper and wrote Hunter another letter. For the past weeks they’ve been sending letters back and forth. It sometimes takes Hunter long to write back, but when he does, he always tells Esther that it’s dangerous to talk to him and sends a picture.

Hunter has sent a picture of his mask, his room, paper, and even some pictures of the inside of the castle. But he never sends a picture of him.

“Dear Hunter, Mom still doesn’t think it’s safe to get you. But just give me a date or something, and I will come get you myself. I’ll be more prepared, and I’ll get Luz’s help! I want you to come home! Your room is left exactly how you left it. No one’s touched anything.”

She pauses when Abaddon walks into her room.

“Give him this!” He says he is giving her a picture he drew. Since Abaddon can’t write, he often gives drawings to be put into the letter.

“Okay.” She takes the picture and adds it to the envelope. She then adds to the letter. Flapjack hops on her desk. She’s been using flapjack to send letters back and forth so she doesn’t have to go to the demon realm every time. She’s been hiding him in her room.

She opens the portal for him, and the bird flies off.

______________________________________

Hunter ticks the blade against his skin. A small red line of blood forms. The best thing about no one checking up on him was that he could do whatever he wanted. Even if they did check up, they wouldn’t care. That's one of the things he liked about the coven.

There was a peck at the window, making Hunter jump. No one would check up on him except that damn bird. He wished he had some warning before Flapjack came. He didn’t want to get the bird worried.

Hunter set down the blade and went to the window. A few cuts on his forearm are bleeding. It wasn’t too bad. He opens the window and looks down at Flapjack.

Flapjack chirps at him. Seeing the cuts, he flutters around Hunter.

“It’s fine,” Hunter says, taking the envelope from Flapjack. He sits down at his desk, flapjack following him.

He opens the envelope and takes out the letter and Abaddon's picture. He puts it in the same drawer as all the other pictures. He then turns back to the letter and reads it over.

“Dear Esther, do not try to get me. I am fine here. I promise. If you try to get me, that will just make it worse for all of us. I believe my uncle is starting to like me again. It took a lot of convincing to get him to let me stay. I don’t want to fall out of his good graces again. Again, you should stop sending me letters. I thank you for taking care of Flapjack, but it just isn’t safe. This is my home.

             - Hunter”

He wraps up the letter, a drop of blood getting on it and smudging some of the words. Hunter doesn't think anything of it and gives the letter to Flapjack.

Flapjack chirps at Hunter. He won’t leave until Hunter patches himself up.

Hunter sighs. “Fine.” He stands up and gets his first aid kit off the nightstand. He’s running out of supplies. He sits back down and opens it up. He takes out the gauze and wraps up his arm.

Hunter sits with Flapjack for a while, petting him. It’s peaceful until Hunter remembers he should be training instead of sitting and being useless.

Hunter sends Flapjack away and watches him go through the window. He then attaches his cloak and puts on his mask before walking out the door.

______________________________________

A month goes by, and they keep sending letters and pictures. Hunter still hasn’t sent a picture of himself even though he gets asked to. Hunter has completed his retraining. And everything is going good. At least to his standers. It’s as if he’s never left.

Better yet, he was finally going to be let outside again. As a trail. He was going to get to patrol Bonesborough. Hunter was very excited. The last time he was this excited about patrol was when he was eight. It was his first solo patrol when he was still a normal scout.

Hunter writes about it in his next letter.

“Dear Esther, I am finally able to leave the castle; next Thursday I have the night shift patrol. Belos said it was kinda like a trail. See how I do on this, and maybe I’ll get an actual mission soon!

                                      - Hunter”

Hunter contemplates if he wants to take a picture. He decides to take a picture of his golden guard certificate. He has it hanging up in his hall.

Chapter Text

Hunter didn’t understand why his uncle started hitting him harder after he came back. Or maybe he just forgot how much it hurt to be hit.

It was fine; he had a patrol to go on, and it was going to be a success.

Hunter was counting down the seconds before he could go out. The best thing about patrol is that you can’t mess it up!

______________________

Once Esther received the letter that Hunter was going on patrol, she got a plan. She was going to go get him while he was on patrol with Luz’s help.

She went through the portal and to the owl house. She knocks on the door, and Luz answers. “Hi Luz!”

“Hi Esther!” Luz responds. “What brings you here?”

Esther shoves the note in Luz’s chest. “Look! Hunter is going on patrol today; we can get him!”

Luz quickly reads over the note.  She smiles wide. “Yes, a rescue mission!” She’s always wanted to do one of these. Especially after she did her first one with Eda and King.

“The only thing I don’t know is when he’s going on patrol, and I can’t exactly walk around town.” Esther says she also knows if Hunter sees Luz, he’ll probably avoid her.

“Oh! Oh! Eda has some scout uniforms in her closet,” Luz mentions.

They spend a few minutes brainstorming before coming up with a plan. They would dress up as scouts, and Luz would lure Hunter into an alleyway. That way once he’s there, Esther can’t push him into the portal. And Esther can go in right after him.

_______________________

Hunter stepped out of the castle. It was refreshing to be outside again.

He walked to Bonesbrough and was making his usual rounds. And it just felt normal. The normal air, the normal way people looked at him, with respect. And the normal way his bones ached and his body was exhausted.

Hunter was just about to go around the block when a scout ran up to him. “What?”

“Sir! There’s something in the alley you have to look!” "Luz disguised as a scout," said pointing over to the alley.

Hunter straightened. If it was important enough, maybe he can deal with it, and Belos will be pleased with him.

He walks over to the alley and steps into it. He looks around but doesn't see anything. But then again, he isn’t sure what he’s meant to be looking for. He went further into the alley and was suddenly pushed.

Before he could react, he was tumbling onto grass. Grass? Wait, that doesn't make sense; he was just walking on concrete. He looked around, green. He ran his hands over the grass and looked up. He stood up, looking around frantically. He saw a coven scout.

Hunter approached them. “You! I demand you tell me what’s going on!” He shouted, adjusting his mask.

The scout jumped and took off their mask quickly. “Hunter!” Esther replied. “I got you so you can come home!”

Hunter paused, then clenched his hands into fists. “No… no! Open the portal right now.” He says sternly.

Esther shook her head. “Hunter! You don’t have to go back; you can stay here!”

“Esther. Open. The. Portal.” Hunter steps closer to her. He could easily take it from her. But he doesn't want to do that.

“You can’t possibly want to go back to there,” Esther said in disbelief. She’s heard what Hunter said about the coven; it didn’t sound pleasant.

“It doesn’t matter what I want.” He didn’t have a choice; it was stay with his uncle or be worthless. After all, a creation should stay with its creator.

“Yes, it does! Because you’re a person! You’re allowed to want things,” Esther reasoned.

“But I’m not! For fuck's sake, Esther, just give me the portal!” Hunter was starting to get frustrated. “Do you know how much trouble I could get in right now?!”

Esther holds the portal to her chest, backing up.

“Esther!” Hunter yelled. His body was starting to get hot, and he could feel his muscles tense. Why wouldn’t she ever just listen?

“I’m not giving it to you! You need to come home!” Esther shouted back.

“I was home! And you took me from it!” The castle was his home, and the coven was his uncle; that was his home. The hotel was just a temporary placement.

“You can’t be serious.” Esther frowned. She thought Hunter would be happy. He was back and could go back to the hotel. “Mom won’t mind.”

“I will not take any more resources from you! Now Esther, I won’t tell you again.” Hunter seethed.

Esther just clutched it tighter. She got this far! She wasn't going to just give up.

“Why are you so stubborn?” He asked, walked towards her, and held out his hands. Waiting.

After a moment of them standing together, Hunter forcefully grabbed the portal and wrenched it out of her arms. Pushing her back onto the floor harshly when she tried to object.

“If you had just listened the first time, I wouldn’t have to be so rough with you.” Hunter snapped. He didn’t like the way he sounded when he said that. Even though he’s said worse things in harsher tones to people, something about that felt weird. Off.

_____________________________________

“Hunter… give it to me.” Belos clutched his chest.

Hunter looked down at the persimmon in his hand. He had seen his uncle get upset like this before, but he’s never had to give him the persimmon for it.

“Hunter!” Belos snapped.

Hunter winced; he didn't seem able to move. It was easy; just reach your hand out and give it to him. You're his nephew; you owe him this. Stop being so incompetent!

Belos growled. He didn’t have any patience left and leaned forward. He wrenched the persimmon out of Hunter's hand. He pushed the boy back, making him fall over.

“If you had just listened the first time, I wouldn’t have to be so rough with you.”

____________________________________________

Oh, that’s right. He sounded like his uncle. But that’s not what is important right now.

Hunter set the portal down, and just as he was about to open it, Abaddon came in and snatched it.

“All right!” Cheered Esther.

Hunter grunted. “Come on! I just want to go home!”

Esther rolled her eyes. “Come on! Do you even hear yourself? You said you liked the hotel.”

“That was a temporary placement! Until I got back on my feet. And I have. I like the coven; it’s better.” Right as he said it, he knew it was a lie. He knows compared to the hotel, it is by far the more pleasant place. But he just got his uncle to love him again. He doesn’t want to lose that again.

Hunter looks down at himself. He can visualize every bruise, scar, and cut that lies underneath his uniform. New and old. The older ones started to blur together a long time ago.

But this was better. In the coven he knew what would earn him a punishment. He knew how to deal with it. It was normal and regular. He didn’t look crazy talking to a cabinet and asking it to open. People didn’t stare at him on the streets because of his scars.

Uncle says that formality is key. And you shouldn’t fix what’s already broken. Nathan says that sometimes you don’t know something is broken until you try to fix it.

Maybe Hunter's faulty. Like a pair of headphones that you have to tug the cord around to work, and even then it only works some of the time. Maybe the ingredients used to make him had gone bad. And that’s the reason why he never knew what he wanted or why he wanted it. And that’s why he acted the way he did. Never understanding anyone.

Hunter likes formality. He likes knowing exactly what will happen next. Because he can prepare for it. In the coven he can prepare for that change. But he also gets hurt over and over again.

If he breaks one more time, he’s going to be put out of commission. He doesn't want to be put out of commission.

Were the other golden guards this bad at their purpose? How far did they get?

Hunter realizes he’s been standing there not doing anything for a while. A long while.

“Hunter…” Esther started, “come back to the hotel.”

Hunter slowly turned to look at her and Abaddon.

Hunter doesn’t need to worry about being put out of commission at the hotel. He doesn't need to worry about much of anything at the hotel.

But what will his uncle do to him if he finds out? What if he came for him? He wonders how his uncle will kill him for a brief moment before expelling the thought.

“Okay.” He finds himself saying. “I’ll come.”

Esther smiles wildly. “Yes! Yes!” She cheers.

“Come! I’m sure Mom will be overjoyed!” She cheers, already running the way of the hotel.

Hunter walks a bit behind her. His feet lagging. His stomach twisted. He worried about below. But Belos couldn’t get him there.

They go into the hotel, and Katharine looks up at them.

“Esther, where have you been—" She cuts off her words, seeing the figure behind her daughter. “Hunter?”