acid rain . *

one ;; golden

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

Word Count ;; 2,598
Warnings ;; None

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

A young witch walked through the woods, darkness slowly starting to overtake the Boiling Isles. They had no idea where they were (which wasn't a first, as much as they hate to admit it). Thunder rolled in the distance and they were sure that they were going to be burnt to death by the incoming rain. If only they had paid attention when going into town all those times before. Ducking underneath a tree for shelter before the storm hit, they shivered in the night air. It was getting cooler and more stormy as fall rolled around, and it was such an inconvenient time for any of this to be happening.

"Alright, back to the castle! I'm going to do one more sweep. Keep your guard up." A young sounding voice called out. Y/N looked around, hoping that they'd be able to find whoever it was so they could take them somewhere safe before it was too late at night. Another thunder crack; this one was much louder and closer. Y/N flinched. Alright, to find someone you need to go out there, they thought. Impulsively, they took a breath and ran forward, hoping that Titan would be on their side and that it would delay the rain for just a little while longer. They didn't even have a cloak with them. All they had was their tattered school uniform with thin, deep blue sleeves. Just as they were about to slow down, they ran directly into someone's chest and fell to the ground. Good job, Y/N.

"I'm so sorry!" Y/N said, their voice coming out much louder than they had intended. They were overcome with panic and embarrassment, feeling the heat rise all the way up to the tips of their ears.

"Wha-- Who are you?!" It was so dark that the witches could barely see each other, and Y/N was too focused on apologizing to even think about casting a light spell.

"I'm so, so sorry. I'm Y/N L/N, a-and I didn't mean to run into you, I just--" Finally being able to see because of a spell the other witch had cast with his staff, they cut themself off immediately. This was someone from the Emperor's Coven. Not only that, it was the emperor's right-hand man. The Golden Guard. "Oh, Titan." Y/N's embarrassment was replaced with fear and much, much more panic (and more embarrassment, of course). They were sure that the Golden Guard would be so upset that he'd kill them. It wasn't the most rational thought considering what they knew about the Emperor's Coven, but they weren't really thinking straight before they bumped into him. They pushed themself back and tried to stand up, but the ground was covered in leaves. They slipped and scraped their elbow on a sharp rock, which made them hiss in pain.

"Hey, hey! Calm down." The guard waved his staff and a wall appeared behind Y/N's back. "I'm not... That was mildly irritating, but I won't hurt you if it was an accident." He waited to say anything more until the teen was calm, just scanning their face with concern (and mild fascination, as he hadn't talked to many people outside of the Emperor's Coven unless he was on a mission).

"I'm-- I'm really sorry, sir. It won't happen again." Y/N reassured, cradling their bleeding elbow. They really didn't want to get blood all over their clothes. Replacement uniforms were expensive, and they were going to need all the snails they could get their hands on if they were going to live alone past tonight. The Golden Guard looked back at them and tilted his head.

"Are you okay?" He asked, gesturing to the cut. It was bleeding... a lot.

"I-I'm fine, really. I don't know much healing magic, so I can't really do anything about it myself." That was a lie. They knew plenty of healing magic... more than they should have, anyway. It was much more powerful than most healing magic on the isles, and if the emperor found out... Y/N was sure they'd be jailed for a crime they never meant to commit. The Golden Guard hesitated before a drop of acid rain landed on his glove, making a soft hissing sound.