Until Death Do Us Part || Hunter the Golden Guard

26 ~ She Deserves It

An orange fox runs around. A red cardinal flies with us, too.

Foxes symbolize playfulness, beauty and protection. Fitting traits for a palisman belonging to (Y/n).

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"For the crime of attacking a coven leader and refusing to join a coven, Edalyn Clawthrone's body shall be petrified in stone, today at sundown at the conformatorium." Kikimora said on the crystal ball.

"What? She's going to be petrified?" (Y/n) had a look of despair on her face. "Didn't The Emperor say he would heal her curse?"

Hunter shrugged emotionlessly. "She must've refused to join the coven."

"Why are you just accepting it? That's.. that's such an awful thing!"

"She went against The Emperor." He said, "She broke the rules. She gets petrified."

"So did I. But you didn't see petrification as a fitting punishment." (Y/n) crossed her arms.

"I- it's different, okay?"

(Y/n) stared at Hunter with an unamused face, "Is it?"

"Yes! It is!"

"How so."

"Because- I-" Hunter stammered, "Because I care about you! I love you, you're my only friend, okay? There's a difference between a criminal being petrified for breaking the law and my best friend being petrified for not knowing the rules!"

(Y/n) felt her heart twist and melt at the same time. "I-I'm sorry," She apologized. "I just-"

"Don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for. Your case is just much different from The Owl Lady's. That's all. She deserves it, but you don't."

Maybe The Owl Lady wasn't a good person after all. Maybe she was just nice to me. (Y/n) thought to herself.

(Y/n) let her head fall onto Hunter's shoulder, "You're so funny." She smiled softly.

"What?" Hunter looked at her confused. "How?"

"You're such a prick to everyone else, but to me, you're such a softie.." She giggled.

"Mhm, and tell anyone, I'll make sure to throw you into the moat of spikes just like Lilith did with the human."

(Y/n) laughed more, earning a warm smile from The Golden Guard.

"Do you wanna resume reading?" He asked.

The girl nodded and scooted up against the headboard while Hunter grabbed the book.

They read until the sun set and kept an eye on the crystal ball to watch the petrification. The news channel came on and Perry Porter spoke,

"Well folks," He said, drawing the attention of Hunter and (Y/n), "Eda The Owl Lady has appeared on stage, which means that petrification process is about to begin."

The Owl Lady was in a cage. Imprisoned by impenetrable magic.

Kikimora pulled a lever and a large stone statue rose from the ground. (Y/n) inhaled sharply and pursed her lips.

"And in a shocking turn of events, Head Coven Leader, Lilith is now in the holding cage." Perry Porter said as Lilith and some kind of cat were shoved into the cage with The Owl Lady.

(Y/n) felt her heart drop. "What!?" She exclaimed as she stood up from her seat next to Hunter. "Lilith!" She cried out.

The girl panicked, grabbing Hunter's staff.

"Woah, what're you doing?" Hunter stood from his bed.

"Fly me to the conformatorium. Now." She demanded.

"No." Hunter said. His tone matching hers.

"I have to save Lilith."

"No, you don't." Hunter asserted, grabbing his staff from (Y/n)'s hands. "I'm not letting you risk your life."

"I have to! For Lilith!" (Y/n) argued. "You would do the same if it were me in that cage."

"Don't you pull that card on me."

"Why, because you know you'd race to the conformatorium in a heart beat?!" (Y/n) took pip out of her cloak, turning him into a staff.

A cry of pain came from the crystal ball as the petrification began. (Y/n)'s eyes widened and she sat on her staff.

"You don't even know how to fly!" Hunter yelled at her.

"I don't care, I'm getting to Lilith, one way or another."

(Y/n) stepped up to Hunter's window sill, ready to take a leap of faith.

Hunter used his staff to grab her and shut hit windows tight. She was restrained in red magic and suspended in the air.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled, enraged.

"I'm keeping you safe!" Hunter cried. "I'm not letting you walk right into the petrification ceremony and get yourself turned to stone!"

(Y/n) struggled in his grasp.  "Let me go or else!" Tears began to form in her eyes.

"I can't. I can't let you walk into certain death!" Hunter winced, seeing (Y/n)'s tears. "Please, (Y/n). Please understand."

Loud noises drew the pair's attention to the crystal ball. The petrification machine was broken and the spell was corrupted.

(Y/n) felt a sliver of hope.

The cage disappeared and the stone on The Owl Lady's beast-like form faded away. The human ran up to the beast as The Owl Lady stood back up.

The human, Lilith and the dog all climbed onto the owl beast as she flew away from the on coming scouts.

The scouts threw spears that all missed the fleeing four.

(Y/n) sighed in relief. "Oh thank titan, she's okay."

Emperor Belos walked onto the platform. All cameras were pointed at him. "Children of the isles!" He declared, "The titan has told me to spare The Owl Lady's life. But in return, her curse will strip away all her powers. Let her monstrous form be a lesson about the dangers of wild magic."

(Y/n) dropped her staff. "Why was Lilith even put in there in the first place?!"

"She must've betrayed The Emperor in favor of The Owl Lady."

(Y/n) pursed her lips. "Does.. does that mean she's a criminal now..?"

Hunter put her own and released the magic that restrained her and solemnly nodded.

"I-" (Y/n) sat on the bed, "I guess that's better than her being dead... right?" Her voice quaked.

Now she knew what the human felt on that bridge yesterday. Or at least had a vague idea of what it felt like to have her motherly mentor taken away.

A scout knocked on Hunter's door, alerting them both. "Golden Guard," The scout said through the door, "Emperor Belos wants to see you at the conformatorium."

Hunter grabbed his staff and put his golden mask on. "I'll be back in a bit, try not to miss me too much~" He joked, trying to lighten (Y/n)'s mood.

The girl sat on his bed alone with her thoughts.

At least she isn't dead, right?