Don't be scared. It's okay."

A small child with a scar on his cheek and magenta eyes stared with frightened eyes, up at a face that was too blurry to see. There were sounds of fighting and spells being thrown about.

"Whatever you do, just keeping running through that door, and don't stop, okay?" The person said, putting their hand on the small child's shoulder. They stood up, removing their hand, but the small child clung to the leg, tears in his eyes. The person kneeled back down to comfort the child.

"Hunter, don't worry. Everything will be fine. Keep running, and don't look back. Can you do that for me?" They said. The child reluctantly nodded, sniffling. The person wiped his tears away with their finger. "You can do this."

The child nodded, a determined look in his eyes - but there was still a glimmer of fear. He turned around and ran, as fast as he could, through the door. But the child looked back - and saw someone behind them, someone about to attack, and he screamed and ran towards the door, trying to save them - but the door closed.

The child was left to cry in the rain, scared and alone.

+.*.+

Hunter sat up, gasping for air, shaking.

What was that? He thought. He'd never had a dream like that - so raw, so real. The fear from the child in the dream still left its traces on Hunter when he awoke. But, thankfully, he took some deep breaths to calm himself down.

King was still asleep on him, cuddling with Francois, but Hunter managed to slowly slip out of the sleeping bag and walked towards the open window, filtering in the daylight of the sun's morning sky.

He'd almost forgotten that he'd decided to stay here.

But that dream still stuck out to him, though.

Was that... a memory of mine? He thought, still staring outside through the window. Was that the day I met Camila, Manny and Luz?

"GOOD MORNING!" Hooty burst up through the open window, and Hunter screamed, waking up King.

"Hooty, don't scare me like that!" Hunter said, clutching his chest and trying to calm himself down.

"Guys, its so early in the morning... why are you guys up...?" King asked sleepily.

"Fine. Sheesh. I was just wishing you a good morning." Hooty said, retreating back downstairs.

Hunter sighed, heading downstairs for breakfast.

He spotted Eda sipping from a mug, looking tired.

"Morning. What are you drinking? Coffee?" He asked.

"Morning." Eda replied, taking another sip. "Also, I have no idea what that is, but no. This is apple blood."

"Do you mean apple juice?" Hunter asked. Eda shook her head.

King sat in a high-chair, stabbing at a yellow blob that was his breakfast.

"So, you said that I could stay here if I helped around, so..." Hunter said. "What's my first task?"

Eda took another sip. "Hm. Well, you seem very eager to help." She said. "Well, sometimes I sell some human stuff, like I did yesterday - but, on most days I sell some potions and elixirs." She pointed at a bag in the corner. "Follow me."

She lead Hunter to a balcony, where they could see a town ahead.

"Today you'll deliver packages and sell potions to that town over there, Bonesborough. You'll have to be careful. I have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down and you along with it." Eda said. "Also, King's coming with you to make sure you don't die."

"What? But I just found the perfect spot!" King called from inside the house. Hunter and Eda headed back inside.

"Do you want to start paying rent?" Eda asked. King groaned but got up, walking over to the door while Hunter carried the bag and followed.

"Be back by nightfall or risk mortal peril." Eda said.

The door closed behind them, with Hooty wishing them a good trip.

King sighed. "Let's get this over with."

+.*.+

Walking around the streets of Bonesborough, they passed under an archway, the walls of which were covered in wanted posters. Various types of demons passed them, which Hunter stares at in awe.

"Hey, it's rude to stare." King said.

"Sorry, sorry." Hunter said, looking down at King. "It's just that I've never seen magic or demons at all. So it's pretty jarring."

"Eh, I can understand that." King said. "Why, when I lost my power and size, it was equally jarring for me to adjust to how big the world around me is."

+.*.+

After they'd delivered most of their packages, they headed over to their last customer.

...Which turned out to live in a large castle. Hunter just stared at it.

"Uh, are big, lavish homes a good thing in the Boiling Isles?" Hunter asked, following King as he headed for the door.

"Nope. Big houses always belong to big whackjobs. Let's kick the package inside and get outta here." King said.

Hunter couldn't put his finger on it, but something about big castles made him feel uneasy.

"You said it." He said, opening the door a crack. He threw the last package inside, but suddenly the lights turned on and a wizard descended from the grand stairs.

"I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars. And who might you be, with eyes full of curiousity?" The wizard said.

"NOPE." Hunter said, immediately slamming the door. If anything, his eyes would be filled with unease, not curiousity.

"Finally - a teenager with a brain." King said. "That guy looked like a weird old man in jim-jams."

"And it isn't even night - how would he be reading the stars, exactly?" Hunter said, as the two of them left.

+.*.+

Heading back to the Owl House, Hunter and King sat on the couch. Eda came into the living room and looked a little surprised to see them there.

"Oh. Done already?" Eda said, sitting down beside them. "Huh. I underestimated you two."

"He got his hand bitten by several doorknobs. I'd say you got the right amount of estimation." King said.

"Wha - hey!" Hunter said.

"Anyway, we ran into this whackjob wizard." King said, eating a scone. "Gotta hand it to Hunter, without me even saying anything he slammed the door in his face. Smart."

"I - when did you get a scone?" Hunter asked. "We didn't even head inside."

"Well, I will forever elude you, because this information will forever be kept a secret." King said, just before he swallowed the last of the scone.

Hunter felt something like paper in his pocket. He reached in, and pulled out what looked to be a map.

"What the...? How did this get here?" Hunter asked. King bent over to look.

"How did what get here?" Eda asked, also leaning in to see what it was.

"It looks like... a map?" He said. "A lake with a Celestial Staff..."

"Hah! If there really was a Celestial Staff I'd have stolen it already." Eda said. "Maybe the wizard slipped it into your pocket without you noticing. Never trust a man in casual drapery."

King snorted. "Wow, this map is garbage. It's so bad that it's funny!"

"Why would that wizard even want to give me that map anyway?" Hunter asked.

"Probably some wild goose chase. Or a trap." Eda said. "Still, something doesn't sit right about this wizard..."

Hunter stuffed away the map in his pocket. "Well, I'm gonna go see if there are some interesting books around here." He said.

"Alright, nerd." Eda said. Hunter got up, walking upstairs to the storage room - which was now his bedroom. There was a bookshelf in there that he could search through. Maybe he could find out some useful information on the Boiling Isles? It might not link directly to his past - or where Luz could be - but it was a start.

Although, the sound of the map crinkling against the inside of his pocket annoyed him.

So, Hunter got it out and just left it on the floor near the window, before looking through the bookshelf to see what he could read. He found one book interesting, though. It was called From Bones to Earth: A Study Of Wild Magic.

He didn't know what wild magic was, but was pretty excited to find out. So, he spent the next few hours reading page after page, completely lost on the book.

"Huh... by providing fire and ice with magic to make steam, along with sleeping nettles, a witch can make a sleep-inducing smoke!" Hunter said out loud, engrossed in the information.

"Kid, are you done being a nerd yet? I want to teach you how to play Hexes Hold'em!" Eda called from downstairs. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Coming!" He said, closing the book and putting it back in the bookshelf. He eyed the map on the ground, before sighing and picking it up. But when the sunlight hit the back of the map, a secret message appeared.

"Huh?" He said, squinting his eyes to read it. "The chosen one... The path will only appear to the worthy."

Hunter snorted. As if any of that was real.

Luz would love something like this, though.

Hunter scrunched up his face. The Boiling Isles reminded him so much of his sister. He barely had any memories of her.

Maybe I could just play along? For some closure on Luz? He thought. This place made him miss her more than ever, and suddenly his logic was just chucked out of the window. I'll be back before Eda and King know I'm missing. It's fine.

He opened the window, climbing through and yelping when he fell onto the ground. "Ow..."

When he got up, he looked at the map again, before running off in the distance to find the Celestial Staff.

+.*.+

"Kid, hello?!" Eda yelled from the living room. "Are you coming or not?!"

King ran downstairs.

"King, have you seen Hunter? He said he'd come so I could teach him how to play Hexes Hold'em." Eda said, a full deck of cards on the table.

"Uh... I walked past his room and saw the window swinging open..." King said. Eda groaned.

"Why the heck is he running away? Does he hate card games or something?" Eda said, standing up from the couch.

"I think it might have something to do with that wizard we saw earlier." King said. "When we were delivering the package to him, Hunter seemed pretty worked up over what the wizard was saying. I'm not sure why, though."

"Alright, personal baggage. Well, was the wizard's map in the room? If not, we can just follow the map to find him. I have photographic memory, so it shouldn't be too hard." Eda said.

"Nope, I didn't see the map anywhere." King said. He hopped onto Eda's shoulder.

"Alright, time to catch up with him, then." Eda said, heading outside.

+.*.+

Hunter walked over a log, scanning the forest around him before looking back at the map.

"Okay, I should be heading near a village..." Hunter muttered to himself, and he looked up to see the village he'd just mentioned. A bunch of cats wearing clothes and walking on two legs were going about their day, and Hunter noticed a witch leaning against a fountain in the town square, a sword hanging from his waist.

"I see. So you're the Chosen One." The witch scoffed, when Hunter walked out of the trees. "The Celestial Staff should've picked me, Nevareth Bladestrife, Teen Prince of Angstmore."

Hunter just stared. "Wow. Luz really would love it here." He muttered, trying to hold in a gag.

+.*.+

"Alright, this is where we met the wizard - woah!" King said - but the shimmering castle he and Hunter had seen before wasn't there. It was replaced by a decrepit old castle, in ruins. When Eda and King headed inside, a bunch of scrolls were scattered all over the floor, each one a map to the Celestial Staff, with the glowing words 'The Chosen One' on each scroll.

"I really don't like this." Eda said.

+.*.+

"After my village was consumed, my heart knows nothing but vengeance." Nevareth said, walking with Hunter alongside a flying onion with bat wings.

"...Why did you just spill out your entire backstory to me? I literally never said anything." Hunter said. "But the flying onion is cool."

The three of them walked on to a bridge, but a creature jumped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Hum-di-diddle, to pass the bridge, you must first pass my riddle!" The creature said while dancing. Hunter just stared uncomfortably.

"Uh... okay? What is it?" Hunter asked.

"Your quest shall stop if you fail this game. So tell me, my dear, what is my name?" The creature said. Hunter noticed a name tag on it that said 'Chris'.

"Um... Chris...?" He guessed.

"That's it. You may cross the bridge. And please take this, Chosen One. It shall help you on your journey." Chris said, handing a small ring.

"Thanks... I guess." Hunter said. "Ugh, this is so stupid. This probably a really bad idea..." Hunter mumbled the last part to himself, stuffing the ring in his pocket.

"Do you need a cape?" Nevareth asked. Hunter shook his head.

"Nope, I don't-"

"You can use my shirt." The witch said. Hunter glared at him.

"Don't even think about it." He said.

+.*.+

"Oh, no." Eda said. King and Eda were walking around in the cat village, but it was all destroyed and filled with an ominous fog.

"Are you sure he came here?" Eda asked, as King sniffed around.

"Can't mistake his smell. Like palistrom wood and... trauma." King said.

"Palistrom wood? King, how would that kid smell like palistrom wood? He hasn't been anywhere near the stuff." Eda said. "Although the trauma one checks out - he does seem pretty cold and reclusive."

Eda walked up to the fountain, broken and covered in vines. A cat was wrapped in the vines in the lower basin.

"Hey! Wake up, you." Eda said, flicking the cat's head. "What have you done with hunter? Whats your endgame?" She shook the cat.

"To find your pupil and still your wrath, look ahead and follow the path." The cat said, cackling as it disintegrated in Eda's hands.

"Hm... he isn't actually a pupil but that might not be a bad idea. I'll give the idea some thought after we rescue him." Eda said.

"Eda, it's a trap - these guys want you to follow him!" King said.

"Yeah... but I have an idea." Eda said.

+.*.+

"The Celestial Staff is just up ahead!" Chris said, pointing in the distance.

"Farewell, Chosen One!" Nevareth said, and the other quest companions waved as Hunter walked forward.

"I am so glad they're gone." Hunter muttered. "They were really patronizing..."

Up ahead was a staff on a pedestal, in the middle of a lake. Rays of moonlight shone through the tree's leaves, casting a heavenly glow on the staff.

"Okay, this does actually look pretty cool." Hunter said after a few moments, continuing to walk towards the staff.

After a few moments of just standing there, looking at the staff, he took a deep breath. "For Luz."

He grabbed the staff and tugged upwards, lifting it from the ground as blue swirls of energy erupted from it. After a few moments of just holding it in his hands, the staff disintegrated. Hunter sighed.

"Why am I not surprised?" He said, watching as everything around him wilted and drained. He crossed his arms.

+.*.+

Eda and King flew on Eda's staff.

"I know this guy. He's no wizard. He's what you'd call a puppeteer, a demon who specializes in scamming and manipulating people. He's trying to use Hunter to get to me." Eda said.

"Yeah, and we're flying directly into his trap. Hurray." King said.

"Well, if you can think of a better plan, I'd love to hear it." Eda said, before she lightly smacked her staff. "Hey, faster you."

+.*.+

Fog rolled in as Hunter looked around.

"Man, I really wish I'd brought some kind of weapon..." He thought. "Why do I never think things through?"

That wizard from earlier emerged from the fog in front of him. But, it turned out to be a puppet of an octopus-looking monster.

"You knew this was all fake, and yet you still played along? How pitiful." The monster said. It lifted the rest of its tentacles to reveal the other questing companions.

The ring flew from Hunter's pocket and turned into chains, wrapping around him, causing him to fall on his knees.

"What's the point of all this, anyway?!" Hunter yelled. "I'm not actually the 'Chosen One' like this whole charade said I was."

"Well, your mentor - Eda the Owl Lady - has been stealing customers from my potions business for years. She must be destroyed." The octopus monster said. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"You really think you can beat her? She's the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles." Hunter said confidently. He knew it was probably just Eda being egotistical, but he wanted to try and discourage the octopus thing - and also to try and make Hunter feel better about the situation.

"Adegast!"

Hunter turned and saw Eda and King landing on the other side of the lake, where Hunter came from.

"Eda! I have you now!" The now named Adegast said. Two cat puppets erupted from the ground, wrapping around Eda and King.

"That's right. You have me. Now release Hunter." Eda said.

"I didn't have to be a part of this!" King yelled, trying to wriggle free.

"Oh, he can leave. If he wants to. But he would've left a while ago if he really wanted to." Adegast said. Hunter looked at the floor.

Ugh! Why was I so stupid? Of course it was a bad idea! He thought. Why did I ever think playing along with a fake quest was ever going to end well?

Hunter was suddenly free of his restraints, but the other quest companions surrounded him.

"Before any of you say a single word, the answer is no! I'm not staying here!" Hunter yelled. He punched one of the puppets and ran towards Eda and King.

"Hunter, what are you doing? Just run!" Eda yelled, when Hunter started kicking and tugging at the cat puppets restraining Eda and King.

"Do you really think that's going to happen after what I did yesterday?" Hunter said, punching off the restraints on Eda. The cat puppet fell back into the ground where it came from. Eda stood up and grabbed her staff, poking off King's restraints.

Suddenly the other puppets behind Hunter grabbed onto him, but he tried to struggle out of their grip.

"Hey! Hands off my pupil, you slimy octopus!" Eda yelled, drawing a circle with her finger and sending flames at the puppets. Hunter was set free.

"Wait, pupil?" Hunter asked.

"I'll explain back at the house." Eda said to Hunter. She turned to Adegast. "Now! You really think you can attack Eda the Owl Lady and her trusted companions and get away with it?"

She pointed her staff at Adegast. "I don't think so."

Drawing a spell circle, she zapped Adegast's big octopus head with a burst of lightning, and he screamed, shrinking to a tiny little octopus. She walked over and picked it up in her hands.

"Well, that's the last time I take an outside referral." Eda said, before popping the octopus in her mouth and swallowing. "Mmm. Oh, did you want some of that?"

"Uh... no." Hunter said, looking at the ground. Eda frowned.

"Look, we're gonna have a talk when we get home, okay? We have some things to discuss." She said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Now, hop on the staff."

Eda held out her staff, and Hunter and King climbed on, as they set off for the Owl House. The whole ride there, Hunter didn't say a word.

+.*.+

"Alright kid. Why'd you run off to go on that quest when you knew it was fake?" Eda asked, sitting beside him on the couch. Hunter sighed.

"Well... when I first arrived in the human realm, I got adopted. And I had a little sister, named Luz." He said. "She loved the idea of magic and adventurous quests. She went missing a year after I was adopted."

Eda frowned, letting her hand rest on his shoulder comfortingly.

"The Boiling Isles just... reminds me so much of her. When I saw that wizard, he just... I don't know." Hunter said. "I thought maybe going on that quest would make me feel better, but I think it just made things worse."

After a few moments of silence, Eda spoke again.

"Well, I'm sorry about your sister. But there could be a chance that she's still alive, somewhere on the Boiling Isles." Eda said, extending her hand from his shoulder to pull him a little closer.

"Yeah... maybe." Hunter said quietly.

"But until we get any leads, I have something for you. Regarding the whole 'pupil' thing." Eda said. Hunter looked up from the floor at her. "I think, since you're a witch and all, that you should get some spells under your belt. So, you're becoming my apprentice, so that I can teach you how to use magic."

Hunter smiled. "Really?"

"Yup. You were pretty much defenseless back there, and I'm not always gonna be around to save you, so might as well." Eda said. "Plus, it could give you something to do other than read. Like a nerd."

She ruffled his hair and he chuckled a bit.

"And I can teach you all about demons - their strengths and weakness, and how to command an army of them! From a king with firsthand experience!" King said, climbing up onto the couch next to Hunter.

"Yeah. I'd..." He smiled. "I'd like that."