Hoxadrine and Mitsuhide
Plot points/Scenes
Recap:
The next day the ball had been unveiled, Mitsuhide made his first move and went to the outskirts of the outer ring, where the poor lived. Because they were poor, they lacked understanding to appreciate magic and the power it held, so most magical items were regarded as curses and were thrown away deep into the forest here. Mitsuhide asked questions to the villagers there, with his sly smile and the offer of a heavy pouch of gold made it easy enough. He was pointed to the direction of a humble, but sturdy looking shack - it is said that there is where Hox the blacksmith lives.
So he knocked it once, twice, three times, and finally the door whipped open, showing an angry looking person with purple blemish skin and eyes like molten lava. "What," they'd said. "I'd like to discuss with you a trade of secrets," he smiled. Hox shifted their weight uneasily and reached for the sword at their hip, "I don't do secrets. tell me why you're here and go."
"Fine," Mitsuhide said. so he told them about looking for.... a certain magical item that's been banished deep into the forest and requests their aid. "Why me?". "like calls to like," he said. "Magic will attract magic. and are you not otherwordly?"
It was not meant to be praise and neither was it condemnation. It was a bait strung on a thin string of logic and greed, and he knew which would win. "fine," they'd said, "only if you tell me what we're looking for. I have something I want, too, but I'm not gonna risk my life to help you find yours. this is for my own convenience as well." "Fair enough," Mitsuhide said, and they both started walking into the woods with no path.
The heat settled into the soles of their feet and the unending green was a passing blur of time when it was dyed the colour of sunset. Hox cut through the leaves as if they were pest, "what are you looking for?". "A mirror," he said. "don't seem like the type to fawn over yourself, now,"
He chose not to grace that with a reply, because information that was unnecessarily spilled should only be useless, so he said, "and what are you looking for?". The blade caught the light of the day filtering through the trees and Hox slashed another bush open, creating a path. "none of your business". "then take care to take your own words to heed," he said.
Right when Hox was about to propose giving up, they reached a swampy area with a loosely built shack and with an unstable looking foundation, as it had been built from below the swamp water as well. "A shack," Hox said, and their golden eyes filled with delight, "maybe this is where....no. maybe not. it's rude to intrude". Meanwhile, Mitsuhide decided that manners weren't on his list of priorities and bust open the door of the shack.
"Good evening," he said, even though it was not good, and it was not evening. "You... idiot! it's rude to barge into someone's house just like that!" Hox yelled. They knew better than to disturb strange things, because they themselves were a 'strange thing'. "Doesn't look like much of a house, does it?" Mitsuhide scanned his eyes over the old cabinets, minding his steps around the big black... pot thing that settled heavily against the wall. "Something temporary. a magical being... maybe even a witch lived here."
Hox eyes glowed once more, and he saw that seesaw of logic and greed again. "A... witch?", "Yes. it seems so." He turned a trinket here and there, careful not to open or click any buttons. Curiosity was only good in sprinkles, and it seemed that Hox did not know this, because they opened their mouth and said, "Which witch? do you see any dolls nearby?", "Which witch doesn't matter. what matters is that like calls to like, magic calls to magic, and you've taken us here without you realising." he smiled. "it's close."
However, it appeared what they were looking for was not inside this house, so the white haired man simply turned around and left the premises. Hox took one last look around the shack as if searching for something, before following Mitsuhide out, politely closing the door behind them.
They continued down the murky swamp that seemed to stretch on for way ahead behind the house. Mysterious vegetation sprouted all around them, with plenty of empty patches as if there was once something growing there, only to have been harvested. Mitsuhide looked tense as he trailed behind Hox, who sliced down any vines that tried to entangle them, or branches that would slap their face if they tried to walk right through them then.
They happened upon what looked to be a bog. They stared at its bubbling surface with curiosity, Mitsuhide seemed most intrigued by it. "So this is where you led us to," he murmured. Hox looked around them. "But there's nothing here that's out of the ordinary," they said, turning where they stood, as if they might suddenly discover a magical tree, or a grove of fairies or the like. But when Hox turned back around they found Mitsuhide waddling into to the bog, his legs already having been swallowed by the murk.
"What are you doing?!" Hox shouted, immediately getting down and reaching out for him. But Mitsuhide, the man in the bog, simply stared back at them like they were the strange one. "I believe this is what we've been looking for.", "a bog?", "not just any bog, but a special one - you'll know what i mean when you come in.".
Hox found themselves lost for words. Mitsuhide was neck deep into the bog now, sinking in further and further like he had been descending stairs, and now he was just a head with a mop of white hair talking to Hox.
"Perhaps what you're looking for will be in this bog too?" and at that, he went down, disappearing into the bubbling liquid. Hox stifled their panic. maybe this was not something ordinary after all. Besides, the man was definitely not ordinary, so it would make sense that a non-ordinary person would find something in a non-ordinary place. Making a face as if they were regretting their life decisions, they sheathed their blade and dived headfirst into the bog, sinking completely.
Expecting a mouthful of swamp water, Hox's hands found something solid instead. It couldn't be- Mitsuhide's drowned corpse!?!? Nope, it was just the water's bank. They broke from the water, except it was no bog, only a crystal clear pond, so clear if they looked under the water's surface they could see their own body. Rubbing their eyes, they saw Mitsuhide already standing - sopping wet - facing what was ahead.
Emerald green trees blanketed before them, surrounding what appeared to be a giant castle that sprawled across a mountainside. In the sky, pinpricks of figures dressed in colorful clothing, were flying around with ease. "Is this.... the realm of witches?" Hox whispered, mainly to themselves. They had heard rumors of it, the witch they were seeking for in particular had come from this place, a hub of witches that practiced their magic freely. Apparently they once existed in the same land as everybody else, only to have seemingly disappeared after a conflict with the witch Hox had been looking for - a graduate.
But the witch race did not die out after all, they had merely hidden themselves away right under their very noses. "The realm of witches," Mitsuhide repeated after Hox. It was hard to tell if this had come as a surprise to him, or whether he had known all along and simply didn't know how to get to it. "I heard witches like to hoard things," he said. "they are fascinated by objects with magical origins.". "yes," Hox climbed out. "they're a studious bunch. so are you saying-". But Mitsuhide started walking ahead towards the castle, giving Hox their answer. Perhaps the most elusive of magical items can be found inside this academy of magic.
The entrance was already open, thankfully, so Mitsuhide strolled in with confidence instead of trying to bust it down - not that Hox believed a mortal could even open the door with force - and a scene of school life unfolded before them. Witches roamed around with their noses stuck in their books, some were casting spells in the hallways. Emblazoned on a banner above them was what appeared to be a beautiful white loaf of bread covered in warts.
For this school was the legendary academy of magic, BREADWARTS - reserved for only the best, of course. In fact if you looked closely, each witch seemed to have a different word written on their robes. Their bready houses; Rye, Sourdough, Brioche and Bagel - were each student's pride and joy.
Thankfully the students were so busy they didn't seem to notice that they had strangers within the building, a clear sign of a security breach. So Hox and Mitsuhide quickly hid in the shadows of the great hall - who exactly were they meant to look for? A school would have a headmaster... but where was this headmaster? With no choice, they decided to roam the giant castle in search for something that looked like they knew shit.
And so they roamed and roamed, Hox asking serious questions, and Mitsuhide playing ding dong ditch so that he could peek into the student's room when they opened their door in anger. Hox tried to approach one of the students at the cafeteria, but they merely nodded their heads meekly and ignored them. They really did stand out, though, with their deliciously grape condition and the sword at their hip. So they proposed to Mitsuhide and suspiciously, without them realising, he had already stolen two robes, one with a Brioche emblem and one with a Rye emblem.
Hox knew him for a shittier part of 24 hours, but they had already grown accustomed to his "ways" that they had simply sighed and accepted, wearing the Brioche robe. And then, the dreaded sound rang - it was the sound of the bell that signalled the start of class.
Hox tried to identify which classes did the Brioche students went to, meanwhile Mitsuhide decided that he was more lenient on academics and decided to walk into the teacher's office. "Who are you? I've never seen you before." A scary, tall looking mister with a burly moustache and a wack - a generous adjective - hairstyle asked. "I'm Mitsu–", "ryed! his name is... Mitsurye...der. Mitsuryeder. yes." The man raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Mitsuryeder? how come I've never heard or seen him before?". "He is–" Hox tried to lie and failed badly, "meek. shy boy?". "and you are?", "Bri... ochiadrine. yes. that is my name.".
"Interesting name.". "yes. my mother wanted me to go to this school, so she named me after one of the emblems, you see. the teachers here are so...." Hox looked at the man before them. Good looking? If you're drunk, maybe. Smart? Debatable. "good. so good. yes. I've always... admired... the integrity of your system..." The man's chest ballooned and Hox wondered what it would be like if they popped it with a needle, "heh," he snided, "we're very good, yes.". "yes." Hox glared at Mitsuhide, who was ungratefully trying to sneak into another room. That ungrateful bitch, they thought.
"If you don't, mind, I have class to attend. So... thank you." Hox tried to walk away, but was stopped by the stern note in the teacher's voice. "What subject do you have right now?", "Oh babey," Hox did not said, because they were not having a good time. "Dough masseur?" sometimes all you needed was to sound smart to trick someone. But it was hard to sound smart when you did not know what smart was in another, theoretical world with witches. "you're not from this school," the teacher snarled, "SECURITY!!"
"oh bABEY..." Hox breathed out, and broke into a run to catch up with Mitsuhide, "HEY! YOU FOX FUCK! OUR COVER IS BLOWN, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
They ran and ran and turned into a corner, only to run into someone. "Terribly sorry, miss," Hox mumbled, but the girl in question gripped their arm. "Do you need help?" The question in itself did not sound laced with concern, or sincerity. It was nothing but curiosity. But Hox was so tired, and their companion for the past day was a tight-lipped bastard that almost got them killed. Or worse, even expelled. "yes," They breathed out. "so much.". "then leave it to me."
And in the blink of an eye, Hox felt their body shrunk, and their line of sight was the rough lines of a palm. They turned to their right, and saw there was only a small, white fox clawing at the skin. Had they... been turned into animals?
Swiftly, the girl spun on her feet and shut the door of their room behind them, "You're safe now," she said, and gently nudged both Hox and Mitsuhide onto the bed. "My name's Lyra. And yours?", "Hoxadrine..." Hox murmured. They looked at the little fox. "That one is Mitsuhide.". "Hox and Mitsuhide," Lyra smiled at them. At this moment, there was a knock on her door. Setting the two animals aside, Lyra went to open the door. The scary mister was standing outside, though he was rubbing his hands in apology. From where they sat, Hox couldn't hear what was being said, but they watched as Lyra opened the door a little wider as if to show the man that there were indeed two small animals sitting on her bed.
The man looked at them, then bowed his head, before leaving. "So," Lyra closed the door. "We don't usually get people from outside coming into Breadwarts, especially people who aren't looking to be witches. What brings you here?" Hox sighed, and began to tell their woeful tale. About how they were searching for magical items, items that may be here, and how difficult it was to make it here. "we were thinking of meeting the headmaster and asking them, but this school is way too big."
"Oh, that's easy, i'm the headmaster.". "you're the what", the two animals stared at Lyra. "everyone here calls me the Great Witch Lyra, but you can just call me Lyra," the young witch beamed at them, a little shy at introducing herself with a grand title. "if you tell me what you're looking for, maybe-" Her sentence was cut short by a earthshaking crash followed by shouting and the running of feet. "THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN!" voices called out.
Lyra dashed from the bed to the window, throwing them open - they were big too, almost reaching the ceiling - and leaning out to see something the two animals couldn't. They hopped onto the window sill and something so fast sped right across them that the wind sent both of them rolling right into Lyra's arms. There was a green blur, a young witch riding on a broomstick, a wand in hand. She was called the Witch of Reptiles, a Sourdough student that specialised in... well, reptiles. However she was not, as one might would expect, bonding with a reptile.
She raised her wand and blasted a spell at her opponent - a dazzling blue dragon, an eyepatch covering an eye, baring white sharp fangs and talons, coiled and danced through the sky like a ribbon to avoid the projectile. Mitsuhide the fox, and Hox - a little lizard - stared back at the majestic beast. Lyra rubbed her forehead as if she was used to this sort of conflict. She tightened her grip on the two animals, leaned out further, took a deep breath, and yelled at the witch, "STOP FIGHTING WITH OUR FAVOURITE CHEF!"
"YEAH NO ONE PICKS A FIGHT WITH DOKUGANRYU MASAMUNEEEE" The dragon bellowed back as he swatted the witch out of the air with a single flick of his tail. She went flying towards the woods, but like a shounen protagonist charged back at the dragon despite the fact she was probably the size of a single claw, and headbutted her tiny head squarely at the dragon's nose. White and black sparks danced across his vision as he felt temporarily disorientated. He clutched at his nose to stop the needle-like pain, and to avoid his hands the witch latched onto his noodly whisker, hanging on it as if it was a rope and swinging upon it.
Some students were already standing under them as if to watch the show. Some cheering for the dragon, others cheering for the witch, others stuck their heads out from the side of the castle's windows from class, watching the fight. But Lyra was not going to have this shit so early in the afternoon, so she raised her finger and made some motion that made no sense to Hox or Mitsuhide, making the Witch of Reptiles disappear, leaving behind a sniffling dragon who was still testing whether his nose was still usable. She gave them the magical Middle Finger.
The dragon, as if already knowing his saviour, flew towards Lyra. Not even half of his face was framed in the window when he stared into it. "WITCH OF CRYPTIDS" he greeted. "HONESTLY YOU SHOULD STOP LETTING HER GO SOME DAY-" he jabbed a claw at his eyepatch, "SHE TOOK MY EYE OUT REMEMBER?" Lyra laughed, "You're being dramatic. Only because it was infected and she was the only one who knew anything about reptile eye removal.". "STILL," Masamune huffed, "I MISS MY EYE- OH?" The dragon leaned in. "WHO ARE THESE TWO? DON'T SMELL LIKE THEY'RE FROM HERE. FRESH POTION INGREDIENTS?" he looked at the fox, "SOMEONE'S DINNER? HE'S A LITTLE SMALL, NOT ENOUGH MEAT."
Lyra chuckled at the suggestion of stuffing Mitsuhide in a pot to stew, but instead of offering him as an ingredient for dinner, she waved her hands over the small fox and lizard, transforming them back into their human-shaped selves, still donning the robes of the students. "OOOOOOH," Masamune made a noise of interest, his eye practically bulging to get a good look at them. "VISITORS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, FINALLY SOME ADVENTURERS!", "This is Hox, and this is Mitsuhide, they're here to look for... things."
"HOX AND... MITSUHIDE..." the dragon narrowed his eyes. The name sounded familiar to him, but he wasn't sure why. For some reason there was a strange taste in his mouth when he said it, the taste of something burning. He did not like it one bit - it was alcohol. "WHAT THINGS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?" Masamune asked. "NOT TO BRAG BUT I HAVE BEEF ON EVERYONE HERE. EVERYONE. IT MEANS THAT I COOK FOR THEM BUT I ALSO KNOW EVERYONE."
"We're looking for a magical mirror," Mitsuhide said. Lyra cocked her head. "Aren't you talking about the magical mirror that can peer into hearts of people? Such a dangerous item, why would you want it?". "It is precisely that it's dangerous that I want it". Lyra considered this for a while, looking at Hox, then Mitsuhide, then Masamune. "I am the headmaster, but not everything is in my control, so I can't help it if some of my students are sneaking around." she smiled brightly and clapped her hands. "If Masamune steals you away from here, I'll turn a blind eye!". "HEY," Masamune roared. "WAS THAT INTENTIONAL.". "Not at all! please, lead our guests the way underground, got it Masa? And no getting into fights, either.", "NO PROMISES," he said.
And so the three of them walked alongside one another; a blue dragon with one eye, a Mitsuhide, and an unknown entity with grape skin. "THE MAGICAL MIRROR IS GUARDED BY THE WITCH OF MIRRORS," Masa explained. "BE NICE TO HER, BECAUSE SHE'S BLIND," he continued, "I FEEL FOR HER," his voice sounded emotional. "Oof," mumbled Hox. Still hot though, they thought. "Will she allow us to take the mirror from her possession?" asked Mitsuhide. "IF YOU ASK NICELY, THEN MAYBE."
"how do you ask for something from a witch?" asked Hox. "YOU DON'T," said Masa. There was a quote, long ingrained into the history of the witches. it went something like - 'Aren't we all bottoms? Wanting to get dominated by 2D men?. "SO IF YOU ASK CONFIDENTLY, SHE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, PROBABLY." Hox felt their mental image of Creaky shatter into pieces. "Creaky... the great witch Creaky is a bottom..." they sounded a lot like the voice of despair. "BUT REMEMBER TO BE GENTLE," Masa reminded them, "SHE'S BLIND, AND KIND OF SAD, AND LOSING YOUR EYE(S)?? IS SAD OKAY"
Hox didn't know if dragons could cry, but it sounded very much like he was about to. "There, there," Hox murmured, and patted the dragon on his side, trying their best to comfort him. But Mitsuhide, like always, did not give a shit and barged into the room of mirrors, where the Witch of Mirrors resided. "Witch," he exclaimed, "You don't need mirrors. give me the magical mirrors that I know you possess." Masamune felt that burning sensation on his tongue again. It also came with the thought that "wow, this guy's pretty stupid," and there was a wash of nostalgia that he'd never experienced before. The Witch of Mirrors, offended and angry, screeched and casted spells and strange incantations, and a wheel of broken shards of glass surrounded her, poised and angled at Mitsuhide. "You piece of shit," Hox seethed.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?" Masa asked. "BE NICE TO BLIND THINGS!" Masamune, thankfully, came to the rescue and breathed a thunderous roar - spitting fire and shielding both Mitsuhide and Hox from the glass. "I'M SORRY, FRIEND." he said, "THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE RESPECT YOU HAVE FOR THE MIRRORS.". Meanwhile, Hox felt it was a pretty emotional scene and dragged Mitsuhide out of the room. Once they were out, Hox gave him a scolding, "what were you thinking?!" But Mitsuhide simply smiled and showed them a shard of glass in his hand, and Hox gasped.
"Is that... the magical mirror?". "I don't think so. but it surely has magic imbedded in it, and this piece..." he turned it over here and there, light reflecting off the smooth surface, "Will surely help us somehow. it's magical. like calls to like." While Hox gaped at Mitsuhide's unexpected wit, Masa walked out of the room, the magical mirror snug in his mouth. "SHE SAID TO TAKE CARE AND USE IT WELL.". Mitsuhide hid the broken shard in his sleeve and - for the first time - gratefully accepted it. "Thank you."
They were in no hurry to return home, and at Lyra's invitation, decided to stay for dinner. Masamune was elated at the idea of cooking up food for guests, although his specialty was curry - he was very good at making spicy foods - he decided he was going to go ALL OUT because of his special guests.
Hox watched with awe as Masamune led them to the castle's kitchen. Made big enough to fit him while he stood, where pots and pans floated all around him with magic, a magical open flame under them all as he hummed a song to himself, engrossed in his own cooking. As a dragon of his size, it was easy for him to make a batch of anything large enough to feed the entire student body. While his hands were distracted by stirring pots with surprising delicacy, his tail wielded a blade like an expert, chopping away at vegetables with such precision that they were small enough to be eaten by normal humans, all done without his singular eye having to supervise himself.
Hox, intrigued by the large vat of broth, climb up onto a ladder to peer into it. Masamune seemed delighted at their interest and gripping the tiniest ladle - for him - with two claws, spooned some for Hox to drink. It was the most delightful thing that Hox had ever tasted.
Needless to say, dinner that night was rowdy - but probably because both Hox and Mitsuhide were not used to dining with several thousand students at the same time. Masamune, with only his front body sticking out from a door to eat while the rest of him was coiled up in the room next to the dining hall, lapped away at a large bowl of soup with a forked tongue. Mitsuhide, his bowl of mash - he literally grabbed whatever was near and just mixed it all together- half eaten, reached for his cup. "Dragon, the soup is pretty salty, you can't just keep drinking that all night. here, try some of this."
Because for some reason, Mitsuhide felt the extreme urge to dump his glass of white wine right into the dragon's mouth. Not noticing the contents of the glass, the dragon opened his maw wide, and the white-haired man tipped the glass upside down. And as soon as the, to Masamune, spoonful of alcohol touched his tongue, his singular eye seemed to roll back into his head, knocking the giant serpent out of commission. "Oh~" Mitsuhide was intrigued by the reaction. He nudged the dragon's cheek with his foot - no response. Hox immediately jumped to their feet, trying to shake the dragon awake to no avail.
Truly an eventful night, Lyra was enjoying the company of her guests. In fact, she was feeling a little sad that they were going to leave soon now that they had retrieved the item they had come for. Night time after the banquet, Lyra, Hox and Masamune were sitting outside in the gardens, overlooking the moon - it wavered above them like the surface of water, they were in a pocket dimension after all.
"So, will you be leaving when morning comes?" Lyra asked. "Probably," Hox replied, staring to slip into a food coma. Mitsuhide had already retired to his temporary room, if he even was still inside the bedroom and not wandering around the school halls in the dark. "I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS..." Masamune sighed. "I LIKE BEING HERE, DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'VE BEEN HERE MOST OF LIFE BUT I WANT SOMETHING MORE.", "EVEN IF ITS JUST COOKING FOR THE KIDS OR FIGHTING WITH THE WITCH OF REPTILES, OR HANGING WITH THE WITCH OF MIRRORS, WHEN YOU DO THAT FOR A LONG TIME IT'S A LITTLE... EH, BORING...?"
Hox looked up at the dragon, whose singular eye seemed to convey melancholy. They could understand how he felt. They remembered the beginning of their life, wandering endlessly near the Shores, seeing just the same scenery over and over. It was only after they left the realm of the Shores, to the world 'out there' did they experience what humans would call joy. Maybe joy was what Masamune needed. "What about you come with me?" Hox suggested. "i travel all the time."
Masamune seemed taken aback. "ARE YOU SURE? WITH ME? I-I'M QUITE BIG FOR A TRAVELLING COMPANION." Hox wasn't bothered by this, "I don't think that should stop you from doing what you want to do though.", "WHAT I... WANT TO DO..." he rested his head over his front legs, contemplating his options. Lyra tilted her head, even she was glad that the academy's resident dragon, who had clearly been suppressing his own desires to live with the academy for as long as he may live, was finally given the opportunity he had been wishing for. "If you want to go then I won't stop you" Lyra said.
Masamune's eyes sparkled as he saw the gateway to freedom and happiness beyond open before his very eyes. His decision was made.
When the son rose, Lyra and some of her finest students stood waiting by the water's edge, sending their farewells to Mitsuhide - who looked like he couldn't care less about this ceremony - Hox and Masamune. The Witch of Reptiles, despite having attacked Masamune the previous day, was bawling her eyes out. "I'M GOING TO MISS YOU YOU STUPID LIZARD" she sobbed out. Masamune patted the girl with his tail. "THERE THERE, I'LL COME AND VISIT YOU KIDS SOMEDAY - IF YOU DON'T DIE FROM NOT EATING MY MEALS FOR A WHILE."
Lyra approached the dragon with a fond, motherly smile. She beckoned him closer, and he leaned his mighty head towards her. She undid his eyepatch and... a singular Magical Ball fell out. "Ah.", "AH", "I THOUGHT YOU THREW THIS ORANGE THING AWAY" Masamune yelled out. "IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAFEST PLACE TO HIDE IT AND THERE WAS NOTHING THERE ANYWAY" the Witch of Reptiles cried out. "THAT WAS A MOURNING SPOT FOR MY INFECTED EYE", "BUT-"
"And i'll take that" Mitsuhide leaned over and grabbed the ball, giving it a good dusting before tucking it into his sleeves, his thin smile showing nothing. "A souvenir for my troubles, now I really have all I wanted." Hox turned to Mitsuhide, "wait but what about what I was looking for-", "you never told me what it was.", "...". Mitsuhide grinned at Hox before sliding into the pond like a water snake, disappearing under it. Hox wasn't too mad at him - mysterious individual aside, who did just take a Magical Ball, in return they managed to bring along a GIANT FUCKING DRAGON.
"Listen," Hox asked Lyra. "i've been looking for something called Creaky's Patreon... i figured it probably isn't here, do you happen to know where it might be?", "the former Witch of Herbs?" Lyra said, surprised. "oh, that one is actually still relevant?" a voice sighed from behind the headmaster. It was the Witch of Poisons, a rival to the infamous Witch of Herbs. The Witch of Poison rolled her eyes. "You won't find any Patreons here, we don't believe in that stuff. anyway, that's a lost item. I heard she keeps it hidden away well somewhere, you're definitely not looking in the right direction.". "mind the way you talk about our precious former students," Lyra snapped back. even as the headmaster of a school that said witch had bombed and attempted mass genocide, she was quite forgiving of Creaky.
Hox hid their disappointment, but Masamune beamed a toothy grin at them. "THAT MEANS WE GET TO ADVENTURE MORE, GOOD FOR US, EH?" They supposed it was.
And so Lyra gifted Masamune a new eyepatch - a new glass eye fashioned from precious rocks and magic that made it seem like it was a part of his body. He could blink with it, move it from side to side, Masamune could have jumped for joy if the mere action didn't cause earthquakes. "Take care of it," she said. "it'll suppress your powers.". "WHAT POWERS?". "We decided to use the Ball to block it out, but when we cut out your eye we replaced it with something that might be useful to you - our collective powers. The power of the Witches." Also known as a SANS eye.
"Don't forget us Masamune" the witches cried out. "we'll really miss you.". "And my last parting gift," Lyra smiled. She waved her hand and before their very eyes the giant dragon became smaller and smaller, small enough to wrap around your arm. A tiny but ferocious dragon now stood before them, about half a leg tall. He looked at his new body, astonished, and instantly climbed up his new companions leg, resting comfortably around their shoulder like a luxurious scarf. "I. love. it." His voice was now suitable for human ears.
Waving goodbye to newfound friends and old allies, Hox and tiny Masamune waded their way into the water, and taking one last look, dived deep into the depths, emerging back at the swamp. Most people would find it disgusting, but Masamune was already impressed by the change of scenery.
Hox's search for the elusive Creaky's Patreon would continue, but now they had a companion - perhaps a lifelong one, if they wished hard enough.
Naga and Halley, who had passed the test of loyalty put out by Rachel, had seen one of the magical balls in her possession. Mina is being a sneaky bitch and her assistant, Mitsuhide, rises to the scene
The next day the ball had been unveiled, Mitsuhide made his first move and went to the outskirts of the outer ring, where the poor lived. Because they were poor, they lacked understanding to appreciate magic and the power it held, so most magical items were regarded as curses and were thrown away deep into the forest here. Mitsuhide asked questions to the villagers there, with his sly smile and the offer of a heavy pouch of gold made it easy enough. He was pointed to the direction of a humble, but sturdy looking shack - it is said that there is where Hox the blacksmith lives.
So he knocked it once, twice, three times, and finally the door whipped open, showing an angry looking person with purple blemish skin and eyes like molten lava. "What," they'd said. "I'd like to discuss with you a trade of secrets," he smiled. Hox shifted their weight uneasily and reached for the sword at their hip, "I don't do secrets. tell me why you're here and go."
"Fine," Mitsuhide said. so he told them about looking for.... a certain magical item that's been banished deep into the forest and requests their aid. "Why me?". "like calls to like," he said. "Magic will attract magic. and are you not otherwordly?"
It was not meant to be praise and neither was it condemnation. It was a bait strung on a thin string of logic and greed, and he knew which would win. "fine," they'd said, "only if you tell me what we're looking for. I have something I want, too, but I'm not gonna risk my life to help you find yours. this is for my own convenience as well." "Fair enough," Mitsuhide said, and they both started walking into the woods with no path.
The heat settled into the soles of their feet and the unending green was a passing blur of time when it was dyed the colour of sunset. Hox cut through the leaves as if they were pest, "what are you looking for?". "A mirror," he said. "don't seem like the type to fawn over yourself, now,"
He chose not to grace that with a reply, because information that was unnecessarily spilled should only be useless, so he said, "and what are you looking for?". The blade caught the light of the day filtering through the trees and Hox slashed another bush open, creating a path. "none of your business". "then take care to take your own words to heed," he said.
Right when Hox was about to propose giving up, they reached a swampy area with a loosely built shack and with an unstable looking foundation, as it had been built from below the swamp water as well. "A shack," Hox said, and their golden eyes filled with delight, "maybe this is where....no. maybe not. it's rude to intrude". Meanwhile, Mitsuhide decided that manners weren't on his list of priorities and bust open the door of the shack.
"Good evening," he said, even though it was not good, and it was not evening. "You... idiot! it's rude to barge into someone's house just like that!" Hox yelled. They knew better than to disturb strange things, because they themselves were a 'strange thing'. "Doesn't look like much of a house, does it?" Mitsuhide scanned his eyes over the old cabinets, minding his steps around the big black... pot thing that settled heavily against the wall. "Something temporary. a magical being... maybe even a witch lived here."
Hox eyes glowed once more, and he saw that seesaw of logic and greed again. "A... witch?", "Yes. it seems so." He turned a trinket here and there, careful not to open or click any buttons. Curiosity was only good in sprinkles, and it seemed that Hox did not know this, because they opened their mouth and said, "Which witch? do you see any dolls nearby?", "Which witch doesn't matter. what matters is that like calls to like, magic calls to magic, and you've taken us here without you realising." he smiled. "it's close."
However, it appeared what they were looking for was not inside this house, so the white haired man simply turned around and left the premises. Hox took one last look around the shack as if searching for something, before following Mitsuhide out, politely closing the door behind them.
They continued down the murky swamp that seemed to stretch on for way ahead behind the house. Mysterious vegetation sprouted all around them, with plenty of empty patches as if there was once something growing there, only to have been harvested. Mitsuhide looked tense as he trailed behind Hox, who sliced down any vines that tried to entangle them, or branches that would slap their face if they tried to walk right through them then.
They happened upon what looked to be a bog. They stared at its bubbling surface with curiosity, Mitsuhide seemed most intrigued by it. "So this is where you led us to," he murmured. Hox looked around them. "But there's nothing here that's out of the ordinary," they said, turning where they stood, as if they might suddenly discover a magical tree, or a grove of fairies or the like. But when Hox turned back around they found Mitsuhide waddling into to the bog, his legs already having been swallowed by the murk.
"What are you doing?!" Hox shouted, immediately getting down and reaching out for him. But Mitsuhide, the man in the bog, simply stared back at them like they were the strange one. "I believe this is what we've been looking for.", "a bog?", "not just any bog, but a special one - you'll know what i mean when you come in.".
Hox found themselves lost for words. Mitsuhide was neck deep into the bog now, sinking in further and further like he had been descending stairs, and now he was just a head with a mop of white hair talking to Hox.
"Perhaps what you're looking for will be in this bog too?" and at that, he went down, disappearing into the bubbling liquid. Hox stifled their panic. maybe this was not something ordinary after all. Besides, the man was definitely not ordinary, so it would make sense that a non-ordinary person would find something in a non-ordinary place. Making a face as if they were regretting their life decisions, they sheathed their blade and dived headfirst into the bog, sinking completely.
Expecting a mouthful of swamp water, Hox's hands found something solid instead. It couldn't be- Mitsuhide's drowned corpse!?!? Nope, it was just the water's bank. They broke from the water, except it was no bog, only a crystal clear pond, so clear if they looked under the water's surface they could see their own body. Rubbing their eyes, they saw Mitsuhide already standing - sopping wet - facing what was ahead.
Emerald green trees blanketed before them, surrounding what appeared to be a giant castle that sprawled across a mountainside. In the sky, pinpricks of figures dressed in colorful clothing, were flying around with ease. "Is this.... the realm of witches?" Hox whispered, mainly to themselves. They had heard rumors of it, the witch they were seeking for in particular had come from this place, a hub of witches that practiced their magic freely. Apparently they once existed in the same land as everybody else, only to have seemingly disappeared after a conflict with the witch Hox had been looking for - a graduate.
But the witch race did not die out after all, they had merely hidden themselves away right under their very noses. "The realm of witches," Mitsuhide repeated after Hox. It was hard to tell if this had come as a surprise to him, or whether he had known all along and simply didn't know how to get to it. "I heard witches like to hoard things," he said. "they are fascinated by objects with magical origins.". "yes," Hox climbed out. "they're a studious bunch. so are you saying-". But Mitsuhide started walking ahead towards the castle, giving Hox their answer. Perhaps the most elusive of magical items can be found inside this academy of magic.
The entrance was already open, thankfully, so Mitsuhide strolled in with confidence instead of trying to bust it down - not that Hox believed a mortal could even open the door with force - and a scene of school life unfolded before them. Witches roamed around with their noses stuck in their books, some were casting spells in the hallways. Emblazoned on a banner above them was what appeared to be a beautiful white loaf of bread covered in warts.
For this school was the legendary academy of magic, BREADWARTS - reserved for only the best, of course. In fact if you looked closely, each witch seemed to have a different word written on their robes. Their bready houses; Rye, Sourdough, Brioche and Bagel - were each student's pride and joy.
Thankfully the students were so busy they didn't seem to notice that they had strangers within the building, a clear sign of a security breach. So Hox and Mitsuhide quickly hid in the shadows of the great hall - who exactly were they meant to look for? A school would have a headmaster... but where was this headmaster? With no choice, they decided to roam the giant castle in search for something that looked like they knew shit.
And so they roamed and roamed, Hox asking serious questions, and Mitsuhide playing ding dong ditch so that he could peek into the student's room when they opened their door in anger. Hox tried to approach one of the students at the cafeteria, but they merely nodded their heads meekly and ignored them. They really did stand out, though, with their deliciously grape condition and the sword at their hip. So they proposed to Mitsuhide and suspiciously, without them realising, he had already stolen two robes, one with a Brioche emblem and one with a Rye emblem.
Hox knew him for a shittier part of 24 hours, but they had already grown accustomed to his "ways" that they had simply sighed and accepted, wearing the Brioche robe. And then, the dreaded sound rang - it was the sound of the bell that signalled the start of class.
Hox tried to identify which classes did the Brioche students went to, meanwhile Mitsuhide decided that he was more lenient on academics and decided to walk into the teacher's office. "Who are you? I've never seen you before." A scary, tall looking mister with a burly moustache and a wack - a generous adjective - hairstyle asked. "I'm Mitsu–", "ryed! his name is... Mitsurye...der. Mitsuryeder. yes." The man raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Mitsuryeder? how come I've never heard or seen him before?". "He is–" Hox tried to lie and failed badly, "meek. shy boy?". "and you are?", "Bri... ochiadrine. yes. that is my name.".
"Interesting name.". "yes. my mother wanted me to go to this school, so she named me after one of the emblems, you see. the teachers here are so...." Hox looked at the man before them. Good looking? If you're drunk, maybe. Smart? Debatable. "good. so good. yes. I've always... admired... the integrity of your system..." The man's chest ballooned and Hox wondered what it would be like if they popped it with a needle, "heh," he snided, "we're very good, yes.". "yes." Hox glared at Mitsuhide, who was ungratefully trying to sneak into another room. That ungrateful bitch, they thought.
"If you don't, mind, I have class to attend. So... thank you." Hox tried to walk away, but was stopped by the stern note in the teacher's voice. "What subject do you have right now?", "Oh babey," Hox did not said, because they were not having a good time. "Dough masseur?" sometimes all you needed was to sound smart to trick someone. But it was hard to sound smart when you did not know what smart was in another, theoretical world with witches. "you're not from this school," the teacher snarled, "SECURITY!!"
"oh bABEY..." Hox breathed out, and broke into a run to catch up with Mitsuhide, "HEY! YOU FOX FUCK! OUR COVER IS BLOWN, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
They ran and ran and turned into a corner, only to run into someone. "Terribly sorry, miss," Hox mumbled, but the girl in question gripped their arm. "Do you need help?" The question in itself did not sound laced with concern, or sincerity. It was nothing but curiosity. But Hox was so tired, and their companion for the past day was a tight-lipped bastard that almost got them killed. Or worse, even expelled. "yes," They breathed out. "so much.". "then leave it to me."
And in the blink of an eye, Hox felt their body shrunk, and their line of sight was the rough lines of a palm. They turned to their right, and saw there was only a small, white fox clawing at the skin. Had they... been turned into animals?
Swiftly, the girl spun on her feet and shut the door of their room behind them, "You're safe now," she said, and gently nudged both Hox and Mitsuhide onto the bed. "My name's Lyra. And yours?", "Hoxadrine..." Hox murmured. They looked at the little fox. "That one is Mitsuhide.". "Hox and Mitsuhide," Lyra smiled at them. At this moment, there was a knock on her door. Setting the two animals aside, Lyra went to open the door. The scary mister was standing outside, though he was rubbing his hands in apology. From where they sat, Hox couldn't hear what was being said, but they watched as Lyra opened the door a little wider as if to show the man that there were indeed two small animals sitting on her bed.
The man looked at them, then bowed his head, before leaving. "So," Lyra closed the door. "We don't usually get people from outside coming into Breadwarts, especially people who aren't looking to be witches. What brings you here?" Hox sighed, and began to tell their woeful tale. About how they were searching for magical items, items that may be here, and how difficult it was to make it here. "we were thinking of meeting the headmaster and asking them, but this school is way too big."
"Oh, that's easy, i'm the headmaster.". "you're the what", the two animals stared at Lyra. "everyone here calls me the Great Witch Lyra, but you can just call me Lyra," the young witch beamed at them, a little shy at introducing herself with a grand title. "if you tell me what you're looking for, maybe-" Her sentence was cut short by a earthshaking crash followed by shouting and the running of feet. "THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN!" voices called out.
Lyra dashed from the bed to the window, throwing them open - they were big too, almost reaching the ceiling - and leaning out to see something the two animals couldn't. They hopped onto the window sill and something so fast sped right across them that the wind sent both of them rolling right into Lyra's arms. There was a green blur, a young witch riding on a broomstick, a wand in hand. She was called the Witch of Reptiles, a Sourdough student that specialised in... well, reptiles. However she was not, as one might would expect, bonding with a reptile.
She raised her wand and blasted a spell at her opponent - a dazzling blue dragon, an eyepatch covering an eye, baring white sharp fangs and talons, coiled and danced through the sky like a ribbon to avoid the projectile. Mitsuhide the fox, and Hox - a little lizard - stared back at the majestic beast. Lyra rubbed her forehead as if she was used to this sort of conflict. She tightened her grip on the two animals, leaned out further, took a deep breath, and yelled at the witch, "STOP FIGHTING WITH OUR FAVOURITE CHEF!"
"YEAH NO ONE PICKS A FIGHT WITH DOKUGANRYU MASAMUNEEEE" The dragon bellowed back as he swatted the witch out of the air with a single flick of his tail. She went flying towards the woods, but like a shounen protagonist charged back at the dragon despite the fact she was probably the size of a single claw, and headbutted her tiny head squarely at the dragon's nose. White and black sparks danced across his vision as he felt temporarily disorientated. He clutched at his nose to stop the needle-like pain, and to avoid his hands the witch latched onto his noodly whisker, hanging on it as if it was a rope and swinging upon it.
Some students were already standing under them as if to watch the show. Some cheering for the dragon, others cheering for the witch, others stuck their heads out from the side of the castle's windows from class, watching the fight. But Lyra was not going to have this shit so early in the afternoon, so she raised her finger and made some motion that made no sense to Hox or Mitsuhide, making the Witch of Reptiles disappear, leaving behind a sniffling dragon who was still testing whether his nose was still usable. She gave them the magical Middle Finger.
The dragon, as if already knowing his saviour, flew towards Lyra. Not even half of his face was framed in the window when he stared into it. "WITCH OF CRYPTIDS" he greeted. "HONESTLY YOU SHOULD STOP LETTING HER GO SOME DAY-" he jabbed a claw at his eyepatch, "SHE TOOK MY EYE OUT REMEMBER?" Lyra laughed, "You're being dramatic. Only because it was infected and she was the only one who knew anything about reptile eye removal.". "STILL," Masamune huffed, "I MISS MY EYE- OH?" The dragon leaned in. "WHO ARE THESE TWO? DON'T SMELL LIKE THEY'RE FROM HERE. FRESH POTION INGREDIENTS?" he looked at the fox, "SOMEONE'S DINNER? HE'S A LITTLE SMALL, NOT ENOUGH MEAT."
Lyra chuckled at the suggestion of stuffing Mitsuhide in a pot to stew, but instead of offering him as an ingredient for dinner, she waved her hands over the small fox and lizard, transforming them back into their human-shaped selves, still donning the robes of the students. "OOOOOOH," Masamune made a noise of interest, his eye practically bulging to get a good look at them. "VISITORS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD, FINALLY SOME ADVENTURERS!", "This is Hox, and this is Mitsuhide, they're here to look for... things."
"HOX AND... MITSUHIDE..." the dragon narrowed his eyes. The name sounded familiar to him, but he wasn't sure why. For some reason there was a strange taste in his mouth when he said it, the taste of something burning. He did not like it one bit - it was alcohol. "WHAT THINGS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?" Masamune asked. "NOT TO BRAG BUT I HAVE BEEF ON EVERYONE HERE. EVERYONE. IT MEANS THAT I COOK FOR THEM BUT I ALSO KNOW EVERYONE."
"We're looking for a magical mirror," Mitsuhide said. Lyra cocked her head. "Aren't you talking about the magical mirror that can peer into hearts of people? Such a dangerous item, why would you want it?". "It is precisely that it's dangerous that I want it". Lyra considered this for a while, looking at Hox, then Mitsuhide, then Masamune. "I am the headmaster, but not everything is in my control, so I can't help it if some of my students are sneaking around." she smiled brightly and clapped her hands. "If Masamune steals you away from here, I'll turn a blind eye!". "HEY," Masamune roared. "WAS THAT INTENTIONAL.". "Not at all! please, lead our guests the way underground, got it Masa? And no getting into fights, either.", "NO PROMISES," he said.
And so the three of them walked alongside one another; a blue dragon with one eye, a Mitsuhide, and an unknown entity with grape skin. "THE MAGICAL MIRROR IS GUARDED BY THE WITCH OF MIRRORS," Masa explained. "BE NICE TO HER, BECAUSE SHE'S BLIND," he continued, "I FEEL FOR HER," his voice sounded emotional. "Oof," mumbled Hox. Still hot though, they thought. "Will she allow us to take the mirror from her possession?" asked Mitsuhide. "IF YOU ASK NICELY, THEN MAYBE."
"how do you ask for something from a witch?" asked Hox. "YOU DON'T," said Masa. There was a quote, long ingrained into the history of the witches. it went something like - 'Aren't we all bottoms? Wanting to get dominated by 2D men?. "SO IF YOU ASK CONFIDENTLY, SHE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, PROBABLY." Hox felt their mental image of Creaky shatter into pieces. "Creaky... the great witch Creaky is a bottom..." they sounded a lot like the voice of despair. "BUT REMEMBER TO BE GENTLE," Masa reminded them, "SHE'S BLIND, AND KIND OF SAD, AND LOSING YOUR EYE(S)?? IS SAD OKAY"
Hox didn't know if dragons could cry, but it sounded very much like he was about to. "There, there," Hox murmured, and patted the dragon on his side, trying their best to comfort him. But Mitsuhide, like always, did not give a shit and barged into the room of mirrors, where the Witch of Mirrors resided. "Witch," he exclaimed, "You don't need mirrors. give me the magical mirrors that I know you possess." Masamune felt that burning sensation on his tongue again. It also came with the thought that "wow, this guy's pretty stupid," and there was a wash of nostalgia that he'd never experienced before. The Witch of Mirrors, offended and angry, screeched and casted spells and strange incantations, and a wheel of broken shards of glass surrounded her, poised and angled at Mitsuhide. "You piece of shit," Hox seethed.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?" Masa asked. "BE NICE TO BLIND THINGS!" Masamune, thankfully, came to the rescue and breathed a thunderous roar - spitting fire and shielding both Mitsuhide and Hox from the glass. "I'M SORRY, FRIEND." he said, "THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE RESPECT YOU HAVE FOR THE MIRRORS.". Meanwhile, Hox felt it was a pretty emotional scene and dragged Mitsuhide out of the room. Once they were out, Hox gave him a scolding, "what were you thinking?!" But Mitsuhide simply smiled and showed them a shard of glass in his hand, and Hox gasped.
"Is that... the magical mirror?". "I don't think so. but it surely has magic imbedded in it, and this piece..." he turned it over here and there, light reflecting off the smooth surface, "Will surely help us somehow. it's magical. like calls to like." While Hox gaped at Mitsuhide's unexpected wit, Masa walked out of the room, the magical mirror snug in his mouth. "SHE SAID TO TAKE CARE AND USE IT WELL.". Mitsuhide hid the broken shard in his sleeve and - for the first time - gratefully accepted it. "Thank you."
They were in no hurry to return home, and at Lyra's invitation, decided to stay for dinner. Masamune was elated at the idea of cooking up food for guests, although his specialty was curry - he was very good at making spicy foods - he decided he was going to go ALL OUT because of his special guests.
Hox watched with awe as Masamune led them to the castle's kitchen. Made big enough to fit him while he stood, where pots and pans floated all around him with magic, a magical open flame under them all as he hummed a song to himself, engrossed in his own cooking. As a dragon of his size, it was easy for him to make a batch of anything large enough to feed the entire student body. While his hands were distracted by stirring pots with surprising delicacy, his tail wielded a blade like an expert, chopping away at vegetables with such precision that they were small enough to be eaten by normal humans, all done without his singular eye having to supervise himself.
Hox, intrigued by the large vat of broth, climb up onto a ladder to peer into it. Masamune seemed delighted at their interest and gripping the tiniest ladle - for him - with two claws, spooned some for Hox to drink. It was the most delightful thing that Hox had ever tasted.
Needless to say, dinner that night was rowdy - but probably because both Hox and Mitsuhide were not used to dining with several thousand students at the same time. Masamune, with only his front body sticking out from a door to eat while the rest of him was coiled up in the room next to the dining hall, lapped away at a large bowl of soup with a forked tongue. Mitsuhide, his bowl of mash - he literally grabbed whatever was near and just mixed it all together- half eaten, reached for his cup. "Dragon, the soup is pretty salty, you can't just keep drinking that all night. here, try some of this."
Because for some reason, Mitsuhide felt the extreme urge to dump his glass of white wine right into the dragon's mouth. Not noticing the contents of the glass, the dragon opened his maw wide, and the white-haired man tipped the glass upside down. And as soon as the, to Masamune, spoonful of alcohol touched his tongue, his singular eye seemed to roll back into his head, knocking the giant serpent out of commission. "Oh~" Mitsuhide was intrigued by the reaction. He nudged the dragon's cheek with his foot - no response. Hox immediately jumped to their feet, trying to shake the dragon awake to no avail.
Truly an eventful night, Lyra was enjoying the company of her guests. In fact, she was feeling a little sad that they were going to leave soon now that they had retrieved the item they had come for. Night time after the banquet, Lyra, Hox and Masamune were sitting outside in the gardens, overlooking the moon - it wavered above them like the surface of water, they were in a pocket dimension after all.
"So, will you be leaving when morning comes?" Lyra asked. "Probably," Hox replied, staring to slip into a food coma. Mitsuhide had already retired to his temporary room, if he even was still inside the bedroom and not wandering around the school halls in the dark. "I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS..." Masamune sighed. "I LIKE BEING HERE, DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'VE BEEN HERE MOST OF LIFE BUT I WANT SOMETHING MORE.", "EVEN IF ITS JUST COOKING FOR THE KIDS OR FIGHTING WITH THE WITCH OF REPTILES, OR HANGING WITH THE WITCH OF MIRRORS, WHEN YOU DO THAT FOR A LONG TIME IT'S A LITTLE... EH, BORING...?"
Hox looked up at the dragon, whose singular eye seemed to convey melancholy. They could understand how he felt. They remembered the beginning of their life, wandering endlessly near the Shores, seeing just the same scenery over and over. It was only after they left the realm of the Shores, to the world 'out there' did they experience what humans would call joy. Maybe joy was what Masamune needed. "What about you come with me?" Hox suggested. "i travel all the time."
Masamune seemed taken aback. "ARE YOU SURE? WITH ME? I-I'M QUITE BIG FOR A TRAVELLING COMPANION." Hox wasn't bothered by this, "I don't think that should stop you from doing what you want to do though.", "WHAT I... WANT TO DO..." he rested his head over his front legs, contemplating his options. Lyra tilted her head, even she was glad that the academy's resident dragon, who had clearly been suppressing his own desires to live with the academy for as long as he may live, was finally given the opportunity he had been wishing for. "If you want to go then I won't stop you" Lyra said.
Masamune's eyes sparkled as he saw the gateway to freedom and happiness beyond open before his very eyes. His decision was made.
When the son rose, Lyra and some of her finest students stood waiting by the water's edge, sending their farewells to Mitsuhide - who looked like he couldn't care less about this ceremony - Hox and Masamune. The Witch of Reptiles, despite having attacked Masamune the previous day, was bawling her eyes out. "I'M GOING TO MISS YOU YOU STUPID LIZARD" she sobbed out. Masamune patted the girl with his tail. "THERE THERE, I'LL COME AND VISIT YOU KIDS SOMEDAY - IF YOU DON'T DIE FROM NOT EATING MY MEALS FOR A WHILE."
Lyra approached the dragon with a fond, motherly smile. She beckoned him closer, and he leaned his mighty head towards her. She undid his eyepatch and... a singular Magical Ball fell out. "Ah.", "AH", "I THOUGHT YOU THREW THIS ORANGE THING AWAY" Masamune yelled out. "IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAFEST PLACE TO HIDE IT AND THERE WAS NOTHING THERE ANYWAY" the Witch of Reptiles cried out. "THAT WAS A MOURNING SPOT FOR MY INFECTED EYE", "BUT-"
"And i'll take that" Mitsuhide leaned over and grabbed the ball, giving it a good dusting before tucking it into his sleeves, his thin smile showing nothing. "A souvenir for my troubles, now I really have all I wanted." Hox turned to Mitsuhide, "wait but what about what I was looking for-", "you never told me what it was.", "...". Mitsuhide grinned at Hox before sliding into the pond like a water snake, disappearing under it. Hox wasn't too mad at him - mysterious individual aside, who did just take a Magical Ball, in return they managed to bring along a GIANT FUCKING DRAGON.
"Listen," Hox asked Lyra. "i've been looking for something called Creaky's Patreon... i figured it probably isn't here, do you happen to know where it might be?", "the former Witch of Herbs?" Lyra said, surprised. "oh, that one is actually still relevant?" a voice sighed from behind the headmaster. It was the Witch of Poisons, a rival to the infamous Witch of Herbs. The Witch of Poison rolled her eyes. "You won't find any Patreons here, we don't believe in that stuff. anyway, that's a lost item. I heard she keeps it hidden away well somewhere, you're definitely not looking in the right direction.". "mind the way you talk about our precious former students," Lyra snapped back. even as the headmaster of a school that said witch had bombed and attempted mass genocide, she was quite forgiving of Creaky.
Hox hid their disappointment, but Masamune beamed a toothy grin at them. "THAT MEANS WE GET TO ADVENTURE MORE, GOOD FOR US, EH?" They supposed it was.
And so Lyra gifted Masamune a new eyepatch - a new glass eye fashioned from precious rocks and magic that made it seem like it was a part of his body. He could blink with it, move it from side to side, Masamune could have jumped for joy if the mere action didn't cause earthquakes. "Take care of it," she said. "it'll suppress your powers.". "WHAT POWERS?". "We decided to use the Ball to block it out, but when we cut out your eye we replaced it with something that might be useful to you - our collective powers. The power of the Witches." Also known as a SANS eye.
"Don't forget us Masamune" the witches cried out. "we'll really miss you.". "And my last parting gift," Lyra smiled. She waved her hand and before their very eyes the giant dragon became smaller and smaller, small enough to wrap around your arm. A tiny but ferocious dragon now stood before them, about half a leg tall. He looked at his new body, astonished, and instantly climbed up his new companions leg, resting comfortably around their shoulder like a luxurious scarf. "I. love. it." His voice was now suitable for human ears.
Waving goodbye to newfound friends and old allies, Hox and tiny Masamune waded their way into the water, and taking one last look, dived deep into the depths, emerging back at the swamp. Most people would find it disgusting, but Masamune was already impressed by the change of scenery.
Hox's search for the elusive Creaky's Patreon would continue, but now they had a companion - perhaps a lifelong one, if they wished hard enough.
Relations
Protagonists
Blacksmith Hoxadrine
Mitsuhide
Mitsuhide
Allies
Great Witch Lyra
Dokuganryu Masamune
Dokuganryu Masamune
Neutrals/Bystanders
Tsum Tsum Witch Creaky
Witch of Reptiles
Witch of Mirrors
Witch of Poison
Witch of Reptiles
Witch of Mirrors
Witch of Poison
Plot type
Character arc
Related Characters
Related Organizations
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