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I
The Emperor did not do parties. Adrian knew Belos was anything but a frivolous man. Yet, he knew Belos was smart and cunning, and power was not merely held with an iron fist. Belos was looking to unite the realms further, and while the respective covens continued to grow with new members, other overtures still needed to be made. Wild magic continued to pervade the wild and dark corners of the Isles. Belos would make certain local leaders would bring those cowering in the dark to justice.
So, tonight’s event was not a party but a diplomatic performance. Yet, Belos was also a man to get things done, and this time he was killing two birds with one stone. An emperor like Belos did not merely make diplomacy that would expose vulnerability. Rather, it would be backed up by a new threat: the debut of the Golden Guard.
From the (many) times Adrian had snuck off to the castle library to read the tomes of history kept there, he had come to understand the historic potency of the Golden Guard as a symbol. Yet, the last Golden Guard, as Adrian personally (and most painfully) knew, had died nearly a decade ago. That was a long time for Belos to go without his shadow of a threat patrolling the Isles, and local leaders knew it. Belos was aware as well. Yet, Adrian had failed to understand why Michael was not immediately replaced. There were many outstanding candidates who his former friend had trained with, but none of them were promoted. It was only after Adrian had been forced to implant those false memories in Hunter’s mind did it begin to dawn on him why a replacement was taking so long.
Hunter was the one being trained. And Belos was taking his time, especially in light of Michael’s treason, for very good reason.
Adrian had known the boy since he had first arrived at the castle to train as Vice-Witch. Hunter had been introduced as Belos’ ward, an orphan from a village ravaged by wild magic to be taken in and provided the training of a soldier. The two seemed to have arrived at the castle around the same time.
Hunter was a shy boy with little chance to make friends until he grew a little older and could start training with some of the scouts. Adrian was also new to a castle full of intrigues and politics. At first, none of the other officials had paid much attention to the lonely boy, who mostly clung to Belos’ shadow regardless. Once he was quickly assigned regular tutors, though, the boy seemed to light up just a little more.
“Ah!”
Adrian was in the library again, perusing a tome on the history and uses of galderstones, when he heard the startled yelp followed by a loud thud. Slamming his own book shut on a page about Grimwalkers, Adrian wasn’t sure whether to leave lest he get caught, until he noticed the glimpse of blond hair in the nearby aisle.
“Hunter? Is everything alright?” The boy nodded quickly, scrambling to pick up the fallen book. Adrian kneeled down to help.
“Ah. “A History of the Boiling Isles, one of three volumes.” Quite a hefty read for someone so young.” Adrian was far from patronizing, instead he was quite curious to find someone else reading the dusty tomes he’d only ever known himself to touch.
“Yes!” The boy piped up. “My tutor was describing to me the history of the Isles before my uncle became emperor, so I wanted to learn more about the ancient times.”
Adrian tried not to grimace. There were reasons even he, especially as Vice-Witch, snuck into the library to read much of what was contained here. He handed the book back to Hunter.
“Be careful, little prince. Knowledge is a powerful thing.”
Hunter looked up at him as Adrian stood. “Will you tell the Emperor I was in here?”
Adrian smiled softly. “As long as you don’t tell him you saw me either.” Hunter grinned in response.
They walked back to Adrian’s table. “What were you reading, Vice-Witch?”
“Oh, the science of galderstones. A very valuable resource on the Isles. They apparently also have other uses, such as with Grimwalkers…”
“What’s a Grimwalker?”
“I don’t quite know, yet. There wasn’t much information….”
Indeed, for quite a few years, Adrian made sure to keep an eye out for Hunter in the dark castle halls. Intrigue and politics were not kind even to Vice-Witches, and it would hardly be easier for Hunter. In fact, his status as Belos’ ward and later suggested successor to the Golden Guard made the boy an even easier target.
But kind affection eventually faded once Adrian became Coven Head no less than at Hunter’s expense. He hated himself for it, but as an illusionist Adrian was never one for confrontations or proper communication, and so he simply learned to avoid the past. Hunter began training with the scouts shortly afterward, and from there finally had some people near his age to socialize with.
Except, of course, those scouts were no longer Hunter’s friends but his subordinates now that he had finally taken up the position of Golden Guard. As a Coven Head, Adrian knew intimately how lonely it was at the top. There were his fellow Coven Heads, and not one could truly be trusted, and the feeling was mutual. And now, with his new position of authority conferred, Hunter, though only a teenager, was a threat to them, too.
Adrian continued preparing for the conference ahead—naturally all the Coven Heads were expected to attend—when a knock at his door sounded.
“Head Witch Graye?”
Adrian opened the door. “Ah, our new Golden Guard. How can I help you?” His tone was neutral. It was rare these days for Hunter to ever seek him out.
“Oh, uh, really, just Hunter is still fine—”
“You need to understand your position of authority quickly, Golden Guard. Or else others will take it from you. You are no longer “just Hunter” anymore. You are the historic symbol of the Emperor’s power. You do understand this will be your role at the conference tonight, right?”
Hunter looked down and bit his lip. “Actually, that’s…why I’m here. Sort of.” He looked back up. “May I come in?”
It was an odd sensation, as the little boy with magenta eyes Adrian remembered from the library was now his direct peer in terms of hierarchical authority, yet wasn’t as much as over thirteen. Adrian merely nodded. “Yes, please sit.”
Hunter sat at the desk near the bed. Adrian continued to stand near his vanity mirror. “As you know, this is meant to also be my debut as the Golden Guard. Yet, this is also my first…event like this, ever. I was always busy training or studying to ever have Emperor Belos allow me to attend such events.”
“And what of it?”
Hunter looked at Adrian, a nervous pleading in his eyes. “So, I-I don’t know what to do! How to act at these things! I’m good at beating others on an obstacle course or in combat with staff magic, not conversing with them!”
“You must have made some friends during your time training with the scouts. Did you not talk to them?”
“Well…not exactly. I tried! But when we talked about things, I’d always ended up making them upset.”
Adrian raised a brow. “How so?”
“They would get annoyed with me for going off on “tangents” as they called it. Nobody wants to hear about the flora and fauna of the training course, apparently.”
Adrian felt his eyes widen and his tail twitch instinctively. He could see himself in his mind’s eye, a small child at St. Epiderm, trying to socialize at the school events only to be spurned. Indeed, nobody had enjoyed his tangents much either. Of course, as a Vernworth, Adrian had learned to adapt, and fast. By his final years, he could navigate any party, no matter how much he hated them. And now, he relished, almost masochistically, the joy of a performance well done, such as would be expected tonight of him.
Adrian moved to sit on the bed. “I see. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time to prepare for tonight…but I do understand.”
“That’s why I’m here, Head Witch. You have been described as the “social butterfly” of the Coven Heads, so you must understand all these things I don’t.”
Adrian was caught so off guard he actually laughed aloud. “No, no, I think you’ll find that is a mistaken assumption, Golden Guard. If anyone is the social butterfly, it is Head Witch Deamonne.”
Hunter’s eyes widened. “Really?” He leaned forward. Adrian waved a hand. “Nope. We aren’t here to gossip about my colleagues…or our colleagues, I suppose, now that you are within our ranks. Regardless, what you and the others see as a social persona is merely years of a perfectly crafted performance. It is not something I can teach in one evening.”
Adrian looked at the clock near the window and sighed. “You’d better leave now; it’s almost time, anyway.” Hunter nodded with a worried frown, but said nothing as he got up and opened the door.
“Golden Guard…” Adrian called out to the teenager, who turned his head over his shoulder, hand still on the doorframe. “If you do need anything…don’t hesitate to find me at tonight’s event.”
II
It was always too loud at events like these, and with hundreds of names and faces to memorize, Adrian always had to perform his utmost. As Illusion Coven Head, he swiftly made his way between different local magistrates, chatting with them and easing their tension. He’d learned how to disarm the hard way, with no less than Emperor Belos to deal with. Ever since the false memory incident years ago, Adrian had learned how to get on the Emperor’s good side. Indeed, Belos technically had one, though it was tricky to sift out. Good thing Adrian was always an observant individual. This was no gift, but rather a skill developed to read into the facial expressions and social cues of other witches when Adrian had found himself unable to understand their reactions as a child. It came in handy with Belos, who almost always wore a gilded mask.
It was a painful game to play, especially whenever Hunter came into view. Adrian had replayed the scene thousands of times in his own memory, of etching the falsity into Hunter’s young mind. The pain of the child had meant nothing to Belos, and that’s when Adrian knew that Hunter , his own supposed nephew, meant nothing to Belos. Obviously, Hunter had a use in Belos’ game of power, just like Adrian and the others were all pawns. But Adrian was not one to quit a game he was sure he could win.
So Adrian played along, if uneasily at times, and wrestling with himself. Earlier tonight the Emperor had naturally graced the local leaders with his presence at the throne, the Golden Guard standing beside him. To Adrian’s observant eye, though, it was not missed how the young guard’s hands were trembling.
After finally finding a moment of peace between rounds of diplomatic speaking, Adrian picked up a drink and hurried to a darker corner to breathe. He sipped with satisfaction, gazing out at the filled room, and felt pleased with his performance so far. He noticed a figure moving through the crowd, seemingly toward him, and Adrian groaned inwardly. Ready to face another inquisitive local, he plastered his best smile on his face before realizing—
“Head Witch Graye.” It was the Golden Guard, unmasked.
“Golden Guard.” Adrian inclined his head, dropping the wide smile into something more neutral. “You aren’t wearing your mask.” Adrian leaned over to mumble as Hunter stood beside him. The kid was nearly his own height now.
“‘S too hot in here.” Hunter muttered back, tugging at his cape collar, and Adrian noticed how ashen the young witch was.
“Everything alright?”
Hunter let out a hoarse laugh. “I don’t even know. I sure hope so. I want to do a good job for the Emperor.”
“Well, you hardly can if you’re looking like a petrified animal, Golden Guard.” Adrian sipped his drink.
Hunter whipped around to look at him, panic in his gleaming magenta eyes, and Adrian realized someone was coming towards them. Hunter’s hands started to shake at his sides. Not good .
While Adrian knew Kikimora would love to see the kid botch this social interaction, and maybe Adrian wouldn’t care either way, there was something unspeakable that made him move without giving it all a second thought.
“Come with me. You aren’t well. Now .” Adrian hissed as he tugged once on Hunter’s cloak. In the nick of time, Hunter stumbled away with him before the person could approach. As Adrian strode toward the hallway, he could feel Hunter latch onto his arm, and heard the guard’s breathing become shallower.
Adrian pulled Hunter aside into one of the crevices of the hallway, moonlight shining through a nearby window. The teenager had gone pale, his hands shaking as he clutched his hair and fell to his knees, struggling to breath.
Adrian kneeled down to meet his gaze. “Okay, kid, I need you to stop thinking so much for a moment.”
Hunter did not respond.
“Breathe, Hunter!” The command seemed to activate something within the young guard, and Hunter managed to lift his head up to meet Adrian’s gaze.
“Let’s…talk. If you’re willing. What’s got you like this?”
“I-it’s like I said before! I don’t know how to do these kinds of things! I wasn’t trained for it!” Hunter still responded frantically, running shaking hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to say to any of them! I just…it goes blank. And it’s too loud to even hear what they’re saying, what with the music and all the talking, every little sound I seem to hear!” Hunter groaned.
“Well, you were trained as a scout, and that involves having good hearing, I suppose.” Adrian sighed and sat next to him. “Look, Hunter, I’m sorry to say but there really is no training for this kind of thing.”
Hunter looked distraught, and Adrian felt pity strike his heart. “You have to essentially learn it yourself, and adapt in your own way. Do you know why I became an illusionist?” Hunter shook his head. His curiosity seemed to be getting the better of his panic.
“As a child, I couldn’t seem to understand my fellow witchlings the way they all understood each other. I was the odd one out much of the time. I remember learning about mimicry of the creatures here on the Isles, and then theatre class taught me all about performance and how to act out something wholly different from yourself. Acting is also a good way of hiding who you really are. I mimicked my peers, I acted like they did, and I hid the parts they did not like. I learned to perform. Illusion magic is all about performance, how to hide in plain sight and thus survive. It also means being observant to get the details right.”
Hunter looked at him with wide eyes. “So you applied what you learned in life to illusion magic.”
“Exactly. It wasn’t easy work, though, and it still isn’t, even now.” Adrian looked up at the window.
“But, look how far you’ve gotten. Head Witch isn’t too bad.”
Adrian chuckled darkly. “And do you know how much work it takes to uphold this position?” At Hunter’s grim look, he continued a bit softer. “But…it has its perks. A good performance always feels rewarding, especially as I further my work for the Emperor and, above all, the Titan.”
Hunter nodded firmly.
“You were raised in rigid structure and authority, Hunter. So was I. It can be a comforting thing, so events like this throw us out of our field. You’ll figure it out, you have to if you want to maintain your position.”
“And I do! I really do.” Adrian did not fail to hear the desperation in the young guard’s voice. He winced inwardly, for it was the same cry that comes from a child desperate to prove themselves to a glacial parent.
“Well, then. Let’s get back inside. But here, let's fix your hair first. You’ve made a mess of it.” Adrian chided and formed a glowing illusion circle. “It’s only a concealment spell, nothing more than a quick fix since I doubt you have your hair brush on hand.” Adrian commented dryly, and some of the tension eased from Hunter’s shoulders.
“Try this, as well.” A ball of light glowed in Adrian’s palm, and an illusionary earpiece was formed. “I figured out the formula myself. It can deflect excess sound. See?” Adrian turned his head and brushed his hair behind his ear, revealing his own earpiece. “Try it out, if you like.” Hunter nodded, and Adrian clipped it to his ear. Hunter turned to face him, eyes expectant, and Adrian finally allowed himself to cave in.
“I think it best if you stay near me the rest of the evening. Watch what I do, and maybe you’ll pick up a few things that can be useful. And besides, it certainly doesn’t hurt either of our appearances to the locals to showcase our connections.”
“Oh?” Hunter quirked a brow as they started heading back down the hall. Adrian smirked. “It’s called networking, kid. That’s your first pointer.”
They came to the double doors of the room. Already, chattering could be heard inside.
“Now,” Adrian squared his shoulders, and Hunter did the same, “let’s make sure your debut is one to remember, for the right reasons.”