Golden Hour [Hunter x Reader]

2. Build

That was interesting. The Golden Guard helped me get away, and gave me my snails back. 

I land, letting my [f/a] (favourite animal) palisman transform back from being a staff. 

"You alright?" I ask as I pet them softly. They respond tiredly and I hum at their response. 
"Okay, well you can rest up while I try to salvage some part of the house." I smile and gently place them down in a shady patch on the ground. 

As I stood back up I drew a small circle in the air, a construction spell, that could hopefully help me to fix up the place. The damage wasn't too bad, it was just a gamble to see if it would all fall down and grind itself into a fine powder or stay standing while making those paranoia like creaking sounds that make you think the place is going to topple over.  

I didn't want to take any chances so I used every spell I could think of to help me rebuild this mess.

"Wow. what happened here?"

I immediately turn into a fighting stance to the person who spoke. I saw it was a girl around my age, two dark blue braids either side of her face that was framed by circular glasses. I stood down, apologising for being jumpy and turned to the wreck that I was trying to fix. 

"Emperors coven scouts raided my place." I didn't see the point in lying to the girl. 

"Your [y/n], right? My friends and I see your posters a lot." I nod, thinning my lips at the mention of the posters. Those wanted posters keep me from making a lot of connections, you can't trust anyone when you're a wild witch. Well, this wild witch is a school drop out and hadn't joined a coven. I haven't down anything illegal other than apparently not choosing a coven. 

"willow?" Another voice spoke out, however, two people made their way out from the forest. A shorter boy with styled coil hair and a tall girl with short brown hair and human ears... the owl lady's human witch apprentice. 

"Human..."

"AGHmm- mh! Hi, I'm Luz." She smiled awkwardly, as if scared of my reaction. 

I returned the smile and introduced myself. "what are you three doing here by the way?" 

"exploring?"
"running from the emperors coven-"

"oh."
"oh"

I laughed as Luz the human and the girl called Willow answered at the same time. 

"me too. As I was saying to Willow, Goldie trashed my place so I'm trying to fix it." I waved my hand in the direction of the constructional disaster that was currently trying it's best not to fall apart.

"Goldie?" The boy, formally known as Augustus or Gus, questioned and I froze.

"Haha- that is uhm, that's my nickname for the Golden Guard..." I explain, laughing off the slight embarrassment from letting the name slip up. 

"You know the Golden Guard?" Luz stepped forward, a wonderous look in their eyes, I saw I longing for adventure in her, a desire to live the life of wild magic minus its consequences. Reminding me of the attitude I had, before the emperors coven was after me and other wild witches.

"I mean he has been trying, and failing, to catch me for the past while now... and, I mean, i did, kinda, accidentally, saw his face?" I explain. I glanced at the trio seeing their faces contort to that of shock and wonder.

"what?!"
"what does he look like?"
"Is he old? Is he scary? Nah he seems too cocky for that-"

I burst out laughing, these three were funny. I made a mental note to tell him that he was cocky next time i ran into him, or next time he chased me rather. Eventually, I calmed down enough to form words and coherent sentences. 

"It was an accident actually, he scared me and I punched him out of reflex and must of knocked his mask off. As for what he looks like, he's kinda average? Other than his red eyes. But other than that he looks not that much older than us to be honest. He's not scary- scary tired maybe, but not scary." 

"Holy titan."

The conversation was soon disrupted by my palismans distress noises and finally a loud crash. I took a deep breath and spun around to see my house nothing more than a pile of trash and the [f/a] quickly coming to me and resting on my shoulder in comfort. I gave them a little reassuring pet and made sure they were alright. They were fine other than having a bit of a fright.

"Aw I'm sorry darling." 

"That's your palisman?" Luz asked. 

"You guys ask a lot of questions- not that that's ever a bad thing. But yes this is my palisman, I found them in a cave in the woods one day. They, along with many others, were being protected by the Bat Queen."

"The Bat Queen!"

"Yes, the Bat Queen." echoing their words of fear with one of understanding. "She's very nice as long as you don't hurt, betray, or abandon any palisman." I shudder at the thought of being on the queen's bad side. 

"Is it alright if I ask how you connected to them?" Willow asked gently, watching the palisman with a kind glow. Palismans traditionally are carved by witches to be their familiar and double as a staff; to have a true connection with the palisman, one must express a deep and true desire or goal they wish to accomplish in life. 

"Of course, I don't mind at all. I had a desire to be true to myself, knowing that as long as I knew the truth about something it would be enough for me." I'm not to sure why I was being open to the three of them, but i didn't mind considering they didn't express any danger or ill intent. 

"Wow!" Luz flapped her hands around, humans confused me but the action seemed to be out of happiness and excitement. Humans and witches aren't that different I'm finding, other than the obvious ones like the ears and the human inability to perform magic.

"Sorry about your house by the way..." Luz pointed behind me, the others also going quiet at the mention and sight of the now collapsed structure. 

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, "I never was good at construction magic." I portray a brave face, pretending to be fine when my living situation had obviously been compromised. 

"It's okay to be upset about losing it, you know?" Willow placed a hand on my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze in reassurance. The light physical action gave me a large sum of comfort, being told that it's okay and i'm in a safe environment meant a lot to me. 

"Thanks..." I smile sadly, petting my palisman.

"I could ask Eda if you could stay at the Owl House until you sort something out?" Luz twiddled her fingers together as she suggested a temporary solution. 

"I don't want to intrude!" I quickly shut it down, the Owl Lady may be my literal hero but living with her is a whole other story.

"No please! I insist. You need help and we want to help you, if you'll let us..." 

I stay quiet at the soft outburst, I had already trusted them with information about me that not even Goldie had tried to figure out... and what was the harm in gaining friends? allies. I could trust them, The Owl Lady is a notorious wild witch, they can help me. 

"...okay."