Hunter and Eda sat on a bench beside a slayground, in the middle of Bonesborough. Several baby-track Hexside students were there, playing. A sign at the front read "THE SLAYGROUND funded by by the Bonesborough department of parts & wreck". A sign above the bench they were sitting on read "ALL BLOODTHIRSTY MONSTERS MUST BE LEASHED".

Hunter watched as King stood on top of a slide, demanding the other kids to bow for him - however one did a handstand and the other a backbend.

"You think he'll be alright?" Hunter asked Eda, who snorted.

"What trouble could he get into here? He's more likely to make the kids cry." Eda said, amused.

King yelled, apparently having been pushed down the slide, and ran over to the two of them.

"Eda! That monster took my throne!" King said, clutching onto Hunter's leg.

"You mean the baby?" Eda asked.

"No, the usurper." King replied. "I want you to go over there and blow him up! Kaboom!"

Said usurper was riding a spring rider. "Kaboom!"

Eda unscrewed Owlbert from her staff. "Yeah, I'm not using Owlbert to blow up a five-year-old." She said, as Owlbert hooted. "He's got better things to do. Like this..."

She pet him gently, and Owlbert warbled.

"Aw." Hunter said. "How'd you get him, by the way? Did you carve him, or-"

"Yup. Made Owlbert from the branch of an ancient tree." Eda said, as Owlbert hopped onto Eda's hand and hooted. "He's my palisman and we're bonded for life. I'd annihilate anyone who tried to hurt him."

Owlbert hopped onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.

"Fine. Don't help. Revenge will taste all the sweeter if they fall by my hand alone." King said, laughing. The usurper came over and shoved him.

"Tag, you're it!" They said, laughing and running away.

"Oh, man. Here we go. King's squeak of rage." Eda said with a giggle.

King stood up, grunting, before punching and kicking in the air in tantrum-like motions while squealing a lot like a tea kettle. He ran after the usurper, still squealing.

"He's like a little tea kettle." Eda said with a laugh. Owlbert scratched at his face, and Hunter noticed something under Owlbert's foot.

"Hey, what's that?" Hunter asked. He'd never read about any hole in a palisman's foot in the book about palisman he'd read.

"That's his interlock. So he only fits onto my staff. Every palisman has one." Eda said. Suddenly Eda fell unconscious.

"Wha - Eda? Eda!" Hunter said, lightly shaking her. Owlbert tried to nudge her. After a few seconds of worry increasing in Hunter's gut, Eda suddenly sat up, accidentally smacking Hunter.

"Ow..." He said, massaging the area where she hit her. "Are you okay? You just fell unconscious all of a sudden."

"What? Oh, no. The curse." Eda said. "Hey, we have to get home. Now!"

She picked up her staff and left, Hunter heading towards King.

"King, we have to go." Hunter said.

"Five more minutes, please!" King said.

"King!" Hunter said. King sighed.

"Fine." King said. He turned to the usurper. "This isn't over."

King slid down the slide and the two of them hopped onto Eda's staff with her, riding away.

+.*.+

Eda tossed her staff to the couch, yawning and flopping onto it herself face-first.

"I'll go get your elixir." Hunter said, but Eda stopped him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go get it in a bit." Eda said, her voice muffled by the couch.

"Do you need me to stay home and take care of you?" Hunter asked. Eda sighed.

"Look, I appreciate it, but I know how to take care of myself. I've had this curse longer than you've been alive." Eda said.

"So... how'd you get it?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know." Eda said with a grunt.

"You don't... know?" Hunter asked.

"Somebody gave it to me. I don't know who and I don't care because I'm fine, alright? Anyway, don't you have plans with Tweedledum and Twerpledee?" Eda said.

"Yeah - Willow, Gus and I are heading to a grudgby game between Hexside and Glandus High." Hunter said.

"Since when are you into sports?" Eda asked, screwing Owlbert back on her staff.

"Since I realized the Boiling Isles has their own magical ones." Hunter said. "But I could still stay and help around if you want."

"Gross. Sympathy. Go! Go have fun at sport." Eda said.

"Alright." Hunter said. "King, don't spend all night plotting revenge."

"That drooly-faced heathen will know my wrath!" King replied in a song-song voice, as Hunter headed out the front door.

+.*.+

Hunter headed over to the front steps of Hexside, seeing a dragon bus and a bunch of students gathered around, wearing yellow and blue. Hunter looked down at his yellow sweater.

"Good thing this what I wore when I stepped through the portal." Hunter said, walking towards the group of students, searching for Gus and Willow. He spotted their hands waving towards him, and he headed over.

"Whoo-hoo!" Willow cheered.

"Game day roar!" Gus said.

"By the way, what do we even call ourselves? Hexsidians? Hexies? Hexoleos?" Hunter asked.

"Actually, most people call us winners." Willow said determinedly.

"Smooth." Hunter and Gus said at the same time.

"Grudgby games are the best. The players go through these action-packed trials." Gus said. "And the audience get to wave flags. Look, I practiced."

Gus pulled out two small blue flags, spinning in a circle as he waved them with a grin.

"Am I supposed to specifically wear something for Hexside, or can I just stick with this sweater?" Hunter asked.

"Hm... maybe you could get a hat." Willow suggested. "There's a lost and found box in the cafeteria."

"Thanks!" Hunter said, heading inside to the cafeteria. He opened the lost and found chest and pulled out a hat, putting it on and closing the chest.

However, when he arrived back outside, he noticed Willow and Gus standing there alone, the dragon bus flying in the sky.

"Uh, where is everyone?" Hunter asked. "Why didn't you board the bus?"

"We weren't going to leave you behind." Willow said.

"I was." Gus said. Willow elbowed him. Hunter sighed.

"Sorry for keeping you guys waiting." He said. "Can we walk to Glandus?"

"We'd never make it in time. Glandus is all the way out in the middle of the island." Gus said.

"And my parents are working, otherwise I'd see if they could give us a ride on their staff." Willow said. Hunter's eyes widened.

"Eda has a staff. Plus, she's busy at home resting because of the curse, so she won't need it anyway..." Hunter said. "Come on!"

He grabbed their hands and ran towards the Owl House, pulling them along.

+.*.+

Hunter knocked on the door, opening it. "King, are you home? Is Eda up?"

King scurried downstairs. "Who? Oh, that Eda. No, no, she is out like a light." He said. Hunter heard growling from upstairs. "Wow, can she snore."

"Oh, no. I wanted to ask if I could borrow her staff but I get that she needs rest." Hunter said.

"Oh, I'm sure it's fine. It's fine, just take it." King said, taking the staff and handing it over.

"Are you sure?" Hunter asked, staff in his hands. He heard a screech from upstairs.

"Well, there's your permission. Off you go." King said, in a rushed tone.

"Fine... but only for the afternoon." Hunter said. King nodded, slamming the door. Hunter blinked, before turning to Willow and Gus.

"Alright, let's go." Hunter said, climbing on the staff, Willow and Gus doing so as well.

"Boys, prepare to fly." Gus said, talking to his flags.

"Uh... how do I work this thing?" Hunter asked. "Um, Owlbert? Fly...?"

Owlbert squawked and rushed forward, the three of them yelling, as they did a full loop-de-loop and ran into several trees. The staff finally hit one tree, the trio screaming as they got rocketed off. Willow and Gus landed directly in a bush, while Hunter got caught on a branch - he managed to free himself though and fell to the ground with a yelp.

Owlbert fell down directly on his head, and hoots at his now cracked head. Hunter got up with a groan.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked. Owlbert twisted himself off Eda's staff and flew off into the forest. "Wait, Owlbert!"

After Hunter made sure Willow and Gus were okay, the three of them ran into the forest after Owlbert.

"Owlbert!" Hunter called, as the owl palisman hooted and flew into a foreboding cave. The trio stopped running, panting.

"Woo, Hunter can run fast." Willow muttered under her breath.

"Maybe the lack of magic makes him lighter." Gus added, trying to catch his breath.

"He went through those trees. Come on." Hunter said, starting to run again, but Willow stopped him.

"We have to be careful. It's really easy to get lost in this part of the forest." She said.

"This is Eda's palisman, Willow. She'll kill me if we don't get it back." Hunter said. "Let's go."

Bats screeched as they entered the cave, and bones crunch under their feet.

"Wow. I keep stepping on a bunch of crunchy twigs." Willow said.

Hunter looked down. "Those are bones, Willow."

"Not if I never look down." Willow said, staring straight up.

A shadow passed them, and the three stepped closer together, watching the place with wary glances.

"This isn't any kind of forest I'm used to." Hunter said, poking a spiderweb with Eda's empty staff.

"That's because this isn't a forest... it's a nest." Willow said, as the Bat Queen's babies chirped and approached the three of them.

"Huh. These are the Bat Queen's babies." Hunter said, recognizing them. The babies screeched.

"Wait. The Bat Queen?" Gus said, backing away with Willow.

"I'd rather take my chances with Eda." Willow said.

Hunter walked forwards, towards the bat babies. "Um, we're looking for an owl palisman named Owlbert." He said, and spotted him in the distance. "Owlbert! There you are. Are you okay?"

Owlbert warbled and backed into the shadows. The Bat Queen stepped in front of Owlbert and into the light. Willow and Gus gasped.

"Hello, small human-palisman." She said coldly.

Human-palisman...? Hunter thought.

"It's the Bat Queen." Willow muttered, looking up at her with Gus.

"Um... hi, Bat Queen." Hunter said nervously. "Um, we're just gonna take Owlbert back and not bother you-"

He took a step forward, but the Bat Queen held a claw on him to stop him. It was weirdly gentle, though.

"To be careless with a staff, it's very serious. I protect him." The Bat Queen said.

"And that's really nice of you to do that." Hunter said, slowly lowering her claw away from him. "And I'm sorry about the whole staff thing, I've never used one before and it went badly. But Owlbert is Eda's palisman, and we need to get him back."

The Bat Queen stared at him thoughtfully. "Appreciate your honesty, human-palisman. But Owl Lady is careless. Her staff left her sight. He told me all."

The Bat Queen's eyes glowed yellow, and so did Owlbert's, before they went back to usual.

"Owlbert, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Hunter said. "Please trust me."

Owlbert flew up on top of the Bat Queen's head, both of their eyes glowing again, before the glow faded away.

"Trust must be earned..." The Bat Queen flew up to a perch. "Through trials!"

Fire burst from the ground with the final word.

"Hunter, the Bat Queen is well-known for her impossible trials. I've never heard of anyone winning against her." Willow said. Hunter took a deep breath,

"Then I'll be the first. I have to get Owlbert back." Hunter said, turning back to the Bat Queen. "I accept your challenge."

"And we'll be right here with you." Willow said.

"Let the flags raise you up!" Gus said, holding out his flags.

"I admire your resolve, human-palisman." The Bat Queen said, closing her claw. Webs encased Willow and Gus. "But no helpsies. Now, let the trials begin! Milk the spider demon."

A spider with udders approached Hunter, holding a bucket. It growled as Hunter glanced between Owlbert and the spider demon.

"Alright, let's do this." Hunter muttered to himself, walking towards the spider demon. It scurried away, and Hunter ran after it. "If you run, you'll just make this harder for yourself!"

+.*.+

"Remove the bees nest." The Bat Queen said, one of the flames extinguishing once Hunter had a bucket of spider demon milk.

Hunter climbed a tree, empty staff in hand, a giant buzzing bees nest sitting on one of the branches. He raised the staff to smack the nest, but it turned into the head of a giant bee and screeched at him. He yelped, falling out of the tree. He ran past Willow and Gus, getting chased by the clusters of bees.

"Come on. Almost got it." Gus said, and freed himself. "Yes! I am free! Bat Queen, you will rue the day you tried to trap-"

She trapped him again, this time suspended from the ceiling.

"Or you could just do that." Gus said with a sigh.

+.*.+

A second flame went out. "Give babies a bath!" The Bat Queen said.

Hunter was scrubbing one baby bat who was sitting on another, while the third was biting his shoulder. The three of them were covered in suds, but Hunter ignored the pain and tried to scrub them clean.

"Go, Hunter." Willow said.

"We're here if you need us." Gus said.

"Yeah. Cut us free. We can get Eda." Willow said.

"No. I wasn't careful, and I hurt Owlbert because of it. I need to do this myself to make up for it." Hunter said, dumping a barrel of water of the baby bats.

The bat babies screeched, but turned around to show they were now clean.

+.*.+

The third flame went out, and Gus wriggled free again, landing on a handstand.

"Yes, I am free again. I-" Gus said, but was immediately encased in a web again. He screamed, muffled, wiggling his legs in the air.

"Okay, Bat Queen. That's the last one." Hunter said. "I've proved my dedication to Owlbert."

He looked up slightly to see Owlbert still on the Bat Queen's head. "I'm really sorry for the pain I caused you, Owlbert. I promise to be more careful. Will you come back home with me?"

Owlbert nodded and hooted. He flew off the Bat Queen's perch and to the staff, where he twisted himself back on.

"You have proven trustworthy to him. You may go." The Bat Queen said, freeing Willow and Gus. But Hunter noticed an interlock on one of her claws.

"Is that an interlock? Were you a... palisman?" Hunter asked. The Bat Queen looked at the claw with an interlock on it and sighed, turning away.

"Yes, I was once part of a grand staff. A staff made for a giant. But I was broken, discarded." The Bat Queen said.

"So that's why you were protective of Owlbert." Hunter said.

"I protect... all!" The Bat Queen said, and her eyes glowed again. Behind her, dozens of eyes glowed. Countless broken and scarred palismen of every type were in the trees. "I made home in forest. I'm here to take the lost. The forgotten."

"I understand." Hunter said. "...Do you know what happened to your owner?"

"It has been thousands of years. I have forgotten." The Bat Queen said.

"If you ever want to search for the truth, I'll help you." Hunter said.

"Thank you." The Bat Queen replied, and the trio gave a wave and walked out of the forest.

+.*.+

"I can't believe you took on the Bat Queen!" Willow said, hugging Hunter, making his ears go red.

"And we're not dead!" Gus said, dancing.

"Thanks for helping get Owlbert back. I'm sorry we missed the game." Hunter said.

"Are you kidding? That was better than any grudgby match. There were action-packed trials. I got to do my flag wave, and I'm slightly traumatized. Hooray!" Gus said.

Hunter chuckled. "Let's get this little guy home." He said, looking at Owlbert on the staff.

+.*.+

In the Owl House, Hunter put on a small bandage on Owlbert's cracked head.

The door swung open, revealing Eda and King. Owlbert hooted.

"Owlbert, why are you off the staff?" Eda asked. Owlbert warbled, flying over to Eda. "Hunter took you to get ice cream? Aw, that's... a horrible lie."

Owlbert hooted again, and Hunter gulped.

"Well, lucky for you both I don't care right now. I'm going to take a nap." Eda said, walking off.

"I'll, uh, be at the playground." King said, walking away as well.

Owlbert flew back to Hunter's shoulder, nuzzling against his cheek, warbling. Then Owlbert flew back onto Eda's staff.

Hunter walked up to his bedroom, sitting down on his sleeping bag and scrolling through pennstagram.

+.*.+

"Babies, to bed." The Bat Queen said, and her babies perched on a branch, softly screeching. "And now its time to have book before sleeping."

The Bat Queen burped out of her mouth. Instead of reading it, however, she ripped of pages and fed them to the three babies.

"Yes, consume. Grow wise. Avoid paper cuts." She said. She heard a chirp, and looked to see a red cardinal palisman with a scar on its left eye flew up to her. It chirped again.

"You've finally found someone after all these years?" The Bat Queen asked. The bird chirped again. "Then go. I wish good luck on you."

And the red cardinal palisman flew off.

+.*.+

Hunter heard tapping against his window, along with a few muffled chirps. He got up and opened the stained glass window to see the red cardinal palisman.

"Oh, hey. You were one of the palismen in the Bat Queen's cave." Hunter said, as the red bird flew onto his shoulder. It chirped again, nuzzling against him, and he chuckled.

It flew off his shoulder, turning into a staff that landed in Hunter's hands. His eyes widened. "You chose to be my... palisman."

He looked out the window, holding the staff close to him.

"I'm happy you did."