The Curse of Memories ☆ | The Golden Guard

☆The Boy Behind the Mask☆

"Owww..."

I open my eyes and look up at the sky. 'Jeez, I might need to check if I have a concussion.' I try to sit up before realizing that I was still tied up.

I hear a meow next to me. I look to the source of the noise. "Saffron! Are you ok?" She tilts her head at me and mews back.

"Hey, you don't have to say that. I was being nice."

I struggle to sit up properly. I draw a spell circle and cut through the ropes holding me. Imprints of the ropes are dug into my skin. I rub my wrists. Wait-

"Luz!" I quickly stand up, almost falling in the process. I look around and notice Luz sitting a few feet away. The cardinal pailsman peaks at the ropes tying up Luz. I walk closer.

She shifts and opens her eyes. The first thing she notices is the pailsman. "Huh? Little rascal?" The pailsman finishes cutting the ropes and they fall off Luz. "Oh, thank you." She says.

"Oof, my head!" She holds her head in my hand.

"Yeah, that was one hell of a fall," I comment.

She jumps. "Oh, Y/N, you scared me there."

I apologize. Then, I notice the cardinal looking at something, Luz must've noticed too. 'The Golden Guard's staff!' Luz moves and grabs the staff from the ground. A groan could be heard. I look around but I stop when I hear talking in the distance.

"Kikimora, ma'am. We've found the pailsman. They seem rattled but unharmed."

Luz and I poke our heads from behind a tree. A group of emperor scouts search the near area and in the center is Kikimora, (never met her personally but heard she's a bitch) speaking to another member of the coven.

"Very good, Captain. Return to the city and prepare them for travel."

"Is it true ma'am? Is the Golden Guard really..." The woman trails off.

"This is all that remains." Kikimora holds up the Golden Guards mask. The woman gasps. Kikimora continues. "Such a horrible accident. Probably caused by the incompetent pilot."

'Huh?'

The woman salutes Kikimora. "I'll... alert the castle. Scouts! To Latissa!" She points the group of scouts down the road. When the group leaves, Kikimora pulls out a whistle. With one blow that creature that attacked the ship crawls out from, idk somewhere off-screen. Kikimora pets the creature and hands it the mask. "Now go find the rest of him and have yourself a nice snack." She orders. The hand monster sallows the mask. Kikimora walks off in the direction that the scouts went.

"Well, that doesn't sound good," I whisper. I look at Luz and notice she's looking over to our left. I lean past her to look at what she's looking at.

"Oh."

The Golden Guard is passed out on the ground a few feet away from us. And conveniently his head is covered by some stuff. 'How the hell did I not notice him before?' The cardinal chirps at us.

"Don't worry. I won't leave him." Luz says to the bird. She holds out her hand and lets the cardinal hop onto it, setting it on her shoulder. Luz helps me up and we slowly walk over to the Golden Guard. And- holy shit he's cute. First off he's blond which fits, second thing I notice is a large scar on his cheek and the bags under his eyes. 'Mm, not what I would have guessed.' We walk near his unconscious body. Saffron claws at my legs. I pick her up and she must have gotten the idea from the other pailsman because she sits on my shoulder.

"This is the Golden Guard?" She wonders aloud. She looks at me. "He looks like he could be a student at Hexside, right?"

"Yeah..."