Hunter's Perspective

"guys, wait, since we're down here, can I check something?" I asked, stopping the group in their tracks. We were close to finding Amity, or so Edric's spell said. "What is it?" Edric asked and rubbed his eyes. They were sore from the enchantment, anyone could see how irritated they were becoming. "Well- I've just always wanted to know what is in my Uncle's lab, and.. Well maybe there's something in there we can use to stop him?" I suggested, trying to convince them it was a good idea. Emira shrugged and stroked the cat happily nestled in her arms. "Sounds okay to me, but we can't take too long." She said and looked at her brother who was tiredly blinking. The spell was draining his energy. "How about you and Daryl rest here while Emira helps me find something useful in the lab?" I suggested and smiled softly at the tired boy. He was so ready for a big lazy cat nap. "Err.. Can I go with you instead? I don't want to be stuck with some stranger." He stated and stared up at the albino demon.

"Not that you don't seem nice." The polite boy added and walked over to me. "Sure, I don't mind that." I hummed and offered my hand. Rascal hopped onto his shoulder and grabbed his glasses. "Hey-! I can't see clearly without those-." He snapped and just barely missed the bird stealing his glasses. I laughed as the goofy cardinal evaded his hands. Rascal placed the glasses in Emira's palm and tweeted happily. "I guess now I have a reason to come back." He sighed spitefully and tugged on my cold arm. "Let's go already." Edric prompted and I nodded. "Stay safe, we'll be back hopefully with useful information." I said and smiled at the two acquaintances. Daryl awkwardly stared at the younger girl and waved at me. Emira ignored him and put on her newly stolen glasses. "See you later dorks." She snorted and Ruru mimicked her demeanor, like a little furry parrot of chaos. Edric, entirely done with this weird parting, dragged me away and sighed in relief. "What's in your uncle's lab really?" He asked and looked over at me with golden caramel eyes.

"I don't know, but.. I at least know he hides his journals in there, and I want to read them." I told him and looked at the cold stone ground. He lightly teased my cold arm with his warmer fingers before folding our hands together. "You seem quiet now, Hunter." He observed and urged me to look at him. I refused to meet his gaze and squeezed his hand. "It's just that uncle used to take me down here a lot, mostly for my blood." I explained, pain straining my heart as I recalled his blatant extortion of my body. I was but a blood bag to him, but I eagerly leaped at the opportunity to please him. It's too bad that he never even saw me as a person. "Does it make you uncomfortable?" He asked and descended slowly down the old stone steps. I was even slower, so hesitant to revisit this place I knew everything and nothing about. Edric stood at the bottom of the stairwell and smiled invitingly. "Come on, come on, you can do it." He hummed encouragingly and held his arms open. I walked faster and eagerly hugged him.

"When this is over, let's just talk about all of this messed up stuff." He mumbled and turned to the lab door. I nodded and stared at the rather plain door as well. "Sooo... how do we get in?" He asked and I awkwardly shrugged. "I honestly didn't think this far." I admitted and kicked at the cracked floor. "I guess the only thing we can do is break it down." He stated and grabbed Ruru, quickly hitting the door with a beautiful spell. The door exploded, sending bits of wood flying into the old, deeply cold laboratory. "Well that worked." He chuckled and pulled me inside, careful to avoid the many splinters of wood. I looked around and began filing through his life's work, finding many gross and weird things in his private research. "Dude I think I found something." Edric said, catching my attention as he hit his wooden staff against a metallic object. I walked over beside him and stared at a partially hidden safe. "You should break it open with a spell." I suggested and he nudged me. "Now you're getting the hang of it boy." He scoffed playfully before hitting the safe with his staff.

The safe resisted at first, probably because of an old protection spell. After a few moments of shaking, the door flew open to reveal a collection of private diaries. "Perfect! Let's definitely take these with, do you have that weird bag spell?" I asked and found a small bag Belos probably used to transport his important papers. I held it up and he carefully formed the familiar spell above its open top. "There we go, now let's grab these books and go." He said and began stuffing the many diaries into the never-ending bag. The ground shook beneath our feet suddenly, showing the first late warnings of the spell taking affect. "Let's get moving before this whole place collapses-." He said with clear stress, shoving the last book inside and sealing it shut. I quickly followed him as he ran out, trying my best not to trip on the mossy old stairs. I just barely saw the others running quickly out of the building to safety, which forced me to run even faster. Inevitably in all of the rush in panic, Edric tripped and landed face first on the floor. His glasses flew forward and tumbled across the floor, shattering as they were swept aside.

I hurriedly pulled up the disheveled and disoriented witch, forcing him out of the door before the castle could collapse on us. There was this strange rumbling of a vocal kind that echoed from the building, indicating a more serious threat than a collapsing building. I pulled Edric back away from the entrance just as the ceiling collapsed. The entire castle began to crumble and fall to pieces, with towers and walls sending bricks and beams flying across the land. Large black fleshy corruption sprung from the chaos, bring glowing blue eyes with it. My body seized at the sight of such familiar terrors. I stared in terror as my muscles froze completely. This was every nightmare I have ever had bundled into one. The enormous power hungry entity ripped out from the destruction, revealing its familiar blondish gray hair that helped me to remember what exactly it was. Not that my countless traumas couldn't remind me enough.

Its huge arms hoisted up its decayed form, helping to reveal its twisted, disgusting face. Its many eyes swept across the landscape, in a frenzy to kill anything it spotted. No doubts my uncle had failed his mission and gone into a furious fit of the largest kind. Its spiteful eyes full of years of hatred and despair locked on to the population of betrayed witches, bringing the monster's torment upon them. The population began to scatter in an attempt of self preservation, but its fury was coming upon them as the large beast moved over in a slow, aching way. "Oh my god." Emira breathed out, never more terrified in her life. Everyone was chilled to the bone with fright, stuck still with fear. "I-I have to stop him." I uttered, though my trembling legs and shaky words showed I would be no use. "What? You can't do that Hunter, not alone. I don't think any of us could stop him." Daryl pointed out and gripped my shoulder. I nervously fidgeted and took quick breaths.

I felt like my heart would explode, I had never been so scared in my life. "I have to stop him, I have to." I repeated and tried to breathe as Rascal tweeted encouragement. He landed in my hands and changed into a staff. Clearly he believed in me, if no one else. "Well if you're going to do it, I'm going to help you." Edric told me and placed a hand on my back. I smiled slightly and stared at the caring boy. "But you don't even have your glasses." I replied with a growing smile. He grinned and shrugged. "Who needs sight when you can just hit whatever's closest?" He chuckled and winced when Emira jerked on his ear. "You aren't going anywhere you imbecile, especially not without your glasses. We don't know if dad or Mittens are okay, and I can't lose you too." She remarked with clear worry. He frowned and sighed, rubbing his pale arm. "You're right, I know I shouldn't go. But.. maybe we'll go check on Amity, and you and your friend can go take care of your uncle?" Edric suggested, disappointed that he couldn't help me when I needed him. I kept an assuring smile and looked at Daryl. "Go help your sister and the human, we can do it." I said with more confidence. Daryl nodded in approval and mounted Rascal with me. "We will meet back here, of course. Don't get yourself killed kids." Daryl reminded the twins and hugged me loosely. "You can do this Hunter, I'm here." He hummed comfortingly.

I waved to Edric with a bashful smile, eager to spend time with him after all of this was over. I finally have a friend my age, and he has the same interests as me. But.. this isn't the time to think about that, I need to take down my crazy uncle once and for all. I watched as Edric took off with his sister, kicking off on my own adventure with Daryl. I flew closer to the massive monster terrorizing the witch population, growing fire in my heart. He was being a terrible person, and I needed to stop him. "Hey! Uncle!" I exclaimed and stared at the disgusting mass of black and green flesh. His many eyes turned to me and a snarl curled on his malicious, malformed lips. A deep voice rumbled from his throat, resembling a growl of some sort. "... Hunter..." He growled in a deep tone. His deformed arm swung towards me, missing easily as I teleported away. I was much closer to him now, which would make spells and attacks easier for me. "Daryl, can you-." I was cut off as his clawed hands forcefully pushed me out of my own palisman.

I was thankfully caught my another person, but I felt so betrayed. I was shoved roughly behind them onto the staff, getting a better view of my savior. Raine was riding Owlbert with a focused expression, very pissed and rightfully so. I looked over to the rivaling flier, Daryl. He was struggling to control Rascal, who clearly wasn't having any of his nonsense. Raine circled around high above my uncle, or whatever disturbing mass of goo was left of him. "Hunter are you okay?" They asked and turned to look at me for a moment. I nervously scratched my neck and nodded. "We need to stop my uncle before he can ruin anymore lives." I stressed and they nodded as well. "Speak to him, distract him from the civilians." They instructed me and continued to circle my uncle. I shouted down to the angry and disoriented monster. "Uncle! Stop doing all of this! Please, you don't have to do this!" I exclaimed at the angry creature. His huge slimy arm shot into the air towards me, swinging in my direction.

"YOU WILL NEVER... YOU WILL DIE!" His twisted, choking voice screamed with pure rage. I could faintly see near the ground that people were forming sigils below him, making one big circle to fight him with. "You don't have to do this uncle! I don't want to hurt you!" I yelled and yelped when he almost hit us. I continued to call out to him, though his attacks were getting uncomfortably accurate. Too much for my taste. "Uncle please! Give up!" I exclaimed once more. His melting form shakily sunk, forcing him to press against the ground. The witches that had been forming sigils scattered like sand in the water. He was very unstable and sickly, showing many signs of dying as his eyes slowly blinked. His husky breathing slowed as his form melted away. Raine flew down to the ground with me, stopping just in front of his liquidating head. His eyes dulled as his soul grew tired. I approached him quickly and hugged his decaying form. "You don't have to do this.. Please..." I begged as his size shrunk greatly. He returned to a more somewhat human form as his breathing worsened.

I hugged his messed up form and whimpered. "Please. Don't die. You don't have to go like this." I sniffled and tightened my grip on him. I lowered to the ground and rubbed his melty arm. Raine sat down beside me and soothingly rubbed my back. I leaned them and stared at my dying uncle. "Please don't die." I whispered and turned his head to look at me. He looked so weak and lifeless, his breaths were so strained and tired. I lightly rubbed his soft cheek and sighed. "Why did you have to do this..?" I spoke softly with tears forming in my eyes. Belos weakly leaned into my warm hand and wheezed. "Oh... Sweet child..." He barely spoke. He coughed and shook terribly, getting weaker by the second. "Shh.." He mumbled and weakly coughed. I bent down close to him and held his hand. "I don't want you to die." I sniffled. Raine coaxed me into a hug and let me cry on their shoulder. "Shhh... He's going to be okay. It's okay Hunter." Raine mumbled as they stroked my back. I gripped their clothing and choked out distressed sobs. I was so afraid. My uncle was the only person in my life that I felt I could trust for so long, and he was the closest thing that I had to a dad. Even if he was the worst person in the world, I still needed him.