Chapter Text
“Why don’t you just leave, Half-a-Witch?” A girl jeered. “You can’t even master more than two tracks!”
“Yeah, no one wants you at this school!” Another agreed.
A third girl kept a neutral face as the subject of her friend’s teasing turned and fled, tears already flowing from her eyes. She watched as the girl ran up the steps of Hexside, passing the elderly Bump leaning heavily upon a cane. Bump looked upon their group and shook his head with a frown.
He wouldn’t do anything; her friends’ parents had made that clear.
“Hah! We sure showed her!” A girl said, shaking her large wings out like a vain woman’s hair.
The girl hummed noncommittedly. She turned to see another student frown and glare at the group before entering Hexside. The girl felt guilt gnawing at her.
“Yeah! She’ll think twice before… What was it she did?” The second girl asked the first, scratching the scales on her head.
“Titan, do I have to explain everything!?” The winged girl griped as she led the other away.
The girl took the opportunity to slip away, crossing the grounds and entering the woods by Hexside. Wandering into the woods with no destination in mind, she thought on what had happened.
Guilt continued to gnaw away at her as she walked. Shaking off the thoughts she looked up and gasped.
An enormous tree stood proudly before her. It seemed to be many trees twisted around together to form one trunk, the leaves a beautiful pink color. It was unlike any other tree she had seen, and yet it was familiar.
“It’s quite impressive, isn’t it?” A voice called from behind the trunk.
“It is,” The girl followed the trunk towards the other side. There standing before a cliff, a demon seemed to be admiring the view. It was dressed in a fashion she wasn’t too familiar with, though it could have been some unknown human fashion she had yet to learn of, and idly held an ornate cane in its hands. Somehow, she doubted the demon needed the cane like the wizened Bump did. “Did you plant it?”
“Oh, no, no,” The demon chuckled. “This tree was created long ago by two lovers. I just like to come here and feel the magic.”
“Magic?” The girl looked around. “I don’t see any magic?”
“You don’t see any spells, child,” The demon chuckled as he softly corrected. “Magic, however, is everywhere. In the trees, and grass, and water and even the air.”
“And you can feel it?” The girl asked, reaching down and running her tan hand through the grass.
“If one is at peace then yes,” The demon nodded. “It’s possible.”
“Oh…” The girl frowned.
The demon turned slightly to regard the girl. Tanned skin and soft brown hair framed the frown on her face, her slightly small pointed ears twitching. “I take it something’s the matter?”
“It’s stupid…”
“If it’s causing you stress then it isn’t stupid,” The demon spoke matter of factly.
“It’s just,” The girl started looking out over the sea. “My friends can be so mean, but if I try to call them out on it, they threaten to make school hell. I don’t want to be mean…”
“Hmm,” The demon hummed. “Pardon this old demon’s view, but they don’t sound like such good friends.”
“Well, they’re my friends,” The girl sighed. “At least that’s what they tell me.”
She took a mocking tone, mocking the winged girl, “You’re our friend because we’re from the three most powerful lineages on the Boiling Isles. And we have to belittle and terrorize the school so no one forgets it. And if you don’t get in on it, we’ll make sure the whole school hates you. UGH!”
The demon chuckled. “Well, she seems delightful,” It snarked. “Have you talked to your parents about this?”
“I tried,” the girl sighed. “But they seem to think I should have no problems making friends because of my name. Like, just because you named me after an ancestor who was renowned for her friendships doesn’t mean I won’t have trouble Mom! That’s not how name magic works…”
“Indeed,” The demon nodded along to her rant. “Parents can often be misguided by good intentions. They are, sadly, not perfect.”
The girl scoffed, “You can say that again…”
“If I may?” The demon asked. “You seem like a bright and kind witch, and you want others to like you. Which is something everyone wants, of course. But I have found you can’t please everyone.”
The girl waited patiently.
“So, the question remains. Do you want to please your small group of friends by letting such bullying continue? Or would you rather it stop and help your other classmates?”
The girl scoffed, “You make it sound so easy…”
The demon chuckled again, “It usually is easier than it seems, child. Your classmates will, most likely, appreciate your help. I’m sure making friends would be a simple matter afterwards.”
“I suppose,” The girl thought on it.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” The demon said. “Go home, think on it. I’m sure you’ll know what you want when the time comes.”
“Ok,” The girl nodded. “I will.”
“I’ll even pray to the Titan for you if you’d like, Miss…?”
“Oh, Amity,” The girl smiled as she introduced herself. “Amity Noceda.”
“Ah, a Noceda,” The Demon chuckled and turned fully towards her. Its Eyeless face smiled at her, “Well, Miss Noceda. You may call me Albion.”