Grim, Speak the Shadows

Part 5

A few days went by since Hunter met Willow and the other Entrails, and he'd been happily engaging in their group chat ever since. At first, he felt awkward being in the chat--he felt like an intrusion and he had doubts that the others would forgive him--but it didn't take long for him to reply to the others. Maybe some of them still held a little grudge, but if anything, they only seemed to feel sorry for him (which was a completely ridiculous concept, by the way--what was there to feel sorry about?! Hunter was perfectly fine, thank you very much).

As much as he was enjoying the Emerald Entrails group chat though, he enjoyed texting Willow individually even more. She'd send him little messages throughout each day, asking him how he was, how his patrol was going, or if he got enough sleep for once. He still wasn't used to someone caring about his well-being, but he appreciated it, really, he did.

Just yesterday, Willow even casually mentioned that they were indeed friends now, which surprised him. Right after the Entrails won their first game together, Hunter was very eager to call them all his friends, but then there was the little...er...stabbing them in the back part, and ever since then (after Gus stated that friends don't betray each other), he'd felt a little...weird about calling them his friends. Like he didn't deserve it. Like he wasn't worthy to become their friend.

He had a lot to learn about friendship, especially now that it became clear to him that the other coven heads weren't exactly good role models when it came to that department. Luckily, it seemed like he now had a whole group of witches his age who were set on teaching him. Willow, in particular.

As Hunter sat on his bed, streaks of light from the rising sun peaking through the window, he opened up his scroll and looked back over parts of the text conversation he and Willow had last evening.

RULERZREACHF4N: ...sO.after i cHOose.thephoTo i ju

RULERZREACHF4N: .sorRy, i just add.a cAptio.n then press that BuTton.toupload IT?

Hello_Willow: Yup! You got it Caleb 😁

RULERZREACHF4N: thank.yoU for HElping me figure.this oUt

Hello_Willow: No prob! What are friends for? 😄🤗

RULERZREACHF4N: .friends?

Hello_Willow: Yah silly! 😋

Hello_Willow: we're friends now!

Hunter thought he'd have to do more to earn her friendship after what he did, but here she was, after just a few days of texting each other on Penstagram, telling him that they were friends. Was it really that easy? Did that mean that he was friends with the rest of the team too, or was Willow the only one willing to fully give him another chance?

He wanted to ask them, but a part of him was a little nervous to. Hunter didn't want to face rejection. He'd...Just have to wait it out and see if the topic came up naturally like in his and Willow's conversation.

The inklings of a smile played at Hunter's lips as he vanished his scroll. He'd text both Willow and the group chat later--he had to get ready for his Golden Guard duties right now. He had a meeting with the other coven heads in a few hours (the one, in fact, that Darius and Eberwolf had so kindly rescheduled without his permission the other day), his usual daily patrol activities, and of course, had to be ready for any missions Belos might give him at a moment's notice. Belos still hadn't given him any big, important missions since his failure in Latissa, but he never knew when his uncle might need him again. Even if it was just something small, something, anything to prove himself again, he would take it gladly.

The teen stood up and placed his armor over his chest, before putting his cloak and boots on. He turned to his palisman and smiled at it fondly, stroking Flapjack's feathers. "Sorry, Flapjack, but you have to stay here. Darius and some of the scouts have already seen you and I can't risk anyone else finding out."

The bird chirped. 'What if you need me? I'll stay hidden!'

Hunter shook his head and pointed his index finger at the creature. "No, no, no, definitely not. I'm going to be in a room with all the coven heads today, and if one of them or Kikimora or anyone else notices you, even just a flash, we'll be in big trouble."

He was almost certain that he could count on Darius to keep his palisman a secret, but knowing one of the coven heads knew about Flapjack still had him a bit shaken up. Just one word, just one slip about it to Belos, and everything would be ruined. He couldn't risk his uncle finding out about Flapjack, he just couldn't. He'd already taken enough risks with the bird.

Poor little Flapjack seemed to deflate a bit at the fact that this meant he couldn't protect his witch should he need help, but he also didn't want to argue any further when Hunter already had his mind made up. He and the witch had a very close bond already, even though they'd only been together for a couple of weeks now.

Hunter frowned and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, really, I am, but it's better this way. Trust me." Flapjack chirped again and nuzzled his witch's face for a moment before flying to the ground and hopping under the bed. Hunter had placed a little makeshift bed for the palisman under the bed a while ago, to make hiding a little more comfortable. Of course, the bird was free to roam the room while Hunter was gone, but...Well, there was always the chance someone could barge into his room. Flapjack was safest hidden away under the bed.

Hunter watched the cardinal for a moment before deepening his frown and turning towards the door. How long would it have to go on like this, anyway? How long would he have to keep Flapjack hidden? Forever, probably. As long as Belos was alive and Hunter served under him, Flapjack couldn't be seen by anyone. It was a sad truth, and one he absolutely hated, but what could he do? Belos gave him a home, a purpose, and he couldn't turn that away for a tiny red bird who'd only been in his life for a fraction of the time Hunter had spent with his uncle.

...Could he?

"No, that's ridiculous," Hunter muttered to himself as he turned the knob of his door. "As long as Belos needs me, things have to stay the way they are. My loyalty to Belos comes first."

But was that true? Was that really?

Hunted didn't want to think about it, but he wasn't sure, he really, really wasn't.

Because after everything, after all of this recent craziness, he just didn't know anymore. He didn't know what he truly wanted, or where his happiness truly laid.

For now, all he could do was go along with what he knew best.

And what he knew best was fulfilling his duties to Belos. Fulfilling his duties as the Golden Guard.

Yet...With that thought as he left his room, the words of Darius haunted his mind.

"You're very good at doing exactly what you're told."