NOVEL WEB Chapter 11: Defend Your Elders
[The Boiling Isles, Three Years Ago...]
Somewhere over the woodlands, a ten year old boy was clinging to a magic staff
being flown by a yellow bird that was moving so fast, it was practically breaking the sound barrier.
"WE'RE GONNA FRICKIN' DIIIIIIEEE!" screamed Olivier Clawthorne
With a whistling sound that only grew louder, the speeding staff finally crashed landed
onto the ground in an earth shattering explosion, leaving a deep crater in it's wake.
Owlbert flew over to see both Olivier and the Yellow Bird Palisman
laying within the crater with arms/wings spread, both looking disoriented.
"titan almighty." spoke Olivier, finally.
"I think we left my stomach back there. oh, wait...THERE it is. Ugghhhh..."
The Yellow Bird soon recovered, and hovered over Olivier. chirping with urgency.
"alright, Alright! I'm getting up." said Olivier, as he began to rise up from the crater.
"You had better have a good reason for nearly killing us both just now."
The Yellow Bird circled around the boy, and then hovered away in a manner
that implied that it wanted Olivier to follow it somewhere.
With reluctance, Olivier followed the Yellow Bird with Owlbert close behind.
He soon came to a clearing...and gasped upon seeing what looked like
a bearded old man surrounded by biped demons dressed in bandit garbs.
"holy-Is THIS what you want to show me?!" exclaimed Olivier.
The Yellow Bird responded with a flash in it's eyes.
Olivier grimaced. "that poor old man...someone should help him!"
The boy looked around...but then widened his eyes, followed by a frown. "crap. "someone" is ME, isn't it?"
The old man was holding a bare wooden staff tightly.
a stern, determined look in his weary eyes as he faced his attackers.
"don't make us hurt you, old one." spoke one of the Bandits.
"Now hand over whatever is in your bag...and we MIGHT leave you alone."
"NO." replied the old man. "You can't have what's inside...it is too valuable."
Another Bandit smirked. "GOOD. Then we'll get a HUGE payout for it."
As the Bandits began to close in...something was then thrown between them and the old man.
Whatever it was, it burst. spreading out a thick cloud of smoke that obscured everyone's vision.
"WHAT THE-(*KOFF!, ACK!*) WHAT IN THE INFERNO IS-!?"
Suddenly, someone dropped down from up high. Slamming a staff against the ground.
This caused an intense shockwave that forced everyone backwards.
The Old Man covered his mouth, and tried to see into the smoke.
He managed to make out what looked like a child dressed in a Hexside school uniform.
...a child with hair as red as the autumn leaves.
"eh-edalyn?" spoke the man, in disbelief.
The smoke cleared, and the old man saw the child was a boy. CLEARLY not Eda.
But he then saw a familiar looking owl fly to the staff he was holding, and link with it.
"is that...Owlbert?"
At that moment, the yellow bird flew to the Old Man and perched onto his shoulder.
The two then watched as the Bandits all approached the mysterious boy.
"I don't know who you are, KID...but you just made a BIG MISTAKE." said one of the Bandits.
"YOU'RE the one making a mistake!" exclaimed the boy (trying to sound brave.)
"I am OLIVIER CLAWTHORNE!, Son of "Eda the Owl Lady", and this is *OUR* Forest: NOW, GET LOST!"
(Eda: "Did he REALLY say all that?")
(Dell: "Every single word.")
(Eda: "Ha-Hah!, That's my boy...I'm so proud of him.")
This statement made the old man widen his eyes even further. "edalyn's...Son!?"
"Like INFERNO, you are!" snapped a Bandit.
"No, WAIT!...look at his Palisman." spoke another Bandit. "THAT is the Owl Lady's palisman."
"You SURE?, could be a replica." spoke another Bandit.
"No way...I've nearly caught the Owl Lady myself." the prior Bandit.
"And, I'll never forget what her staff looks like after she swung it at me!"
"It's true...she TOTALLY knocked your block off with it!" laughed another Bandit.
"WHATEVER!" snapped the Lead Bandit. "Point is, if this kid has the Owl Lady's Palisman
then he probably *IS* her kid! (*grins*) meaning we have ourselves one inferno of a bargaining chip."
The bandits all snickered, realizing what their leader was planning.
"oh, wow. Elderly Harassment, and now Child Kidnapping...Wanna add Candy Theft to that, too?" snarked Olivier.
The Old Man smirked at this. There was no doubt that this child was Edalyn's boy.
"I am going to ENJOY THIS more than I should." said the Lead Bandit, grinning wickedly.
"Bring it on, Horn Face!" retorted Olivier, ready to fight.
"I'm sorry, son..." Olivier looked back to see the old man approach. "But I can't let you endanger yourself."
"I can handle these Dum-Dums', sir." said Olivier.
"I am sure you can...But Edalyn would be furious if I did nothing while my Grandson got hurt."
Olivier widened his eyes. "say, what-?!"
The Old Man then took Olivier's magic staff, and drew a spell circle around himself and the boy.
This encased the two in a bubble of pure energy, which pulsed as it charged before emitting a blinding flash.
When the Bandits vision returned...The Old Man and Boy were gone.
a perfect circle burned into the ground where the two once stood.
"did they...just escape?!"
The Lead Bandit threw his weapon down in anger. "TITAAAAAN-DAMMIT!"
[Elsewhere..]
In another part of the woods, an orb of pulsing energy suddenly materialized.
And in a blinding flash, young Olivier and the old man then appeared.
"WHO-WHAT-WHERE-HOW!?" exclaimed Olivier, disoriented.
(*KLACK!*)
Olivier looked to see the old man drop his mother's magic staff.
He staggered, and nearly collapsed had the boy not rushed over and caught him.
"are you okay, sir?!" spoke Olivier.
"I am...f-fine. that ss-spell took a lot from me." spoke the old man.
"but, there is no need for any "sir's." Not between family."
Olivier stared, and then remembered what the old man had said earlier.
After helping him to sit on a log, he saw Owlbert perch into his should and rub his head against him.
"hello there, owlbert...it's been awhile."
"You know owlbert?" spoke Olivier, bewildered.
"of course...I carved him with your mother when she was no younger than you."
Olivier stared, unsure if this man was telling the truth.
Though, given how quickly Owlbert took to him...it was hard not to believe him.
"are you...r-really my grandfather?"
The old man smiled, and reached behind his long beard.
He then showed Olivier a locket, and opened it...revealing a small photograph.
Olivier looked at the photo, which was of a family.
a Woman who resembled his mother, but with shorter hair that was brown.
a man with a shorter beard that was fiery red, and two children. Both girls.
Olivier instantly recognized the girls to be his mother (And, his Aunt Lily.)
"My name is Dell..." spoke the old man. "Dell Clawthorne (*smiles*) but you can call me: "Grandpa Dell."
Olivier's eyes watered...and then he hugged the man tightly.
Dell smiled, and hugged his grandson back.
"I have a grandfather..." spoke Olivier, in disbelief. "I...I have a grandfather!"
"And, I have a Grandson." said Dell, stroking Olivier's hair.
"Now, tell me: What were you doing out in the woods by yourself?"
Olivier stepped back to look at his grandfather. "I was...g-going to go visit my Aunt Lily." said Olivier.
"Lilith...I have not seen her in a long time."
Olivier looked his Grandfather. "and...what were you doing by yourself, Grandpa?"
The boy then blushed, still amazed that he had a grandfather that he hadn't known about until now.
"For this..." Dell pulled out a cloth bag, and opened it up.
Olivier looks inside the bag, and saw hundreds of strange looking seeds.
"what are they?" asked Olivier.
"Palistrom seeds...which can grow into Palistrom trees." explained Dell.
"The wood of which, can be carved into Palismans like Owlbert...and Waffle, here."
The Yellow Bird (whose name was apparently "Waffle") from before appeared, perched upon Dell's shoulder.
"Palisman Wood Carving is a Clawthorne Family Tradition...one that is almost forgotten."
"Wooow...I had no idea!" exclaimed Olivier.
"that's a pity." said Dell, a little sad.
Olivier looked at his grandfather. "G-Grandpa...how come mom never mentioned you before?"
Dell looked a little hurt (but, only a little.) "well. you probably know about her...condition." spoke Dell.
Olivier nodded sadly. "I do."
"Well, she's had it since she was your age." continued Dell.
"and back then, it was harder to control. I...unknowingly triggered it, and-"
Dell then showed his grandson his forearm...which had deep scars upon it.
Olivier gasped as he stared at the arm that was shaking uncontrollably.
"I never blamed her for what happened...but SHE did." continued Dell.
"And when she ran away from home when she turned fourteen, she just...disappeared.
For years she never tried to contact us, and me and her mother have often searched for her."
Olivier perked up at hearing 'her mother', indicating he also had a grandmother.
But he decided not to interrupt his grandfather, and let that slide for now.
"Edalyn has...different reasons for avoiding Gwendolyn." continued Dell.
"But with me, she avoids me not out of anger...but shame at something she had no control over."
Olivier was silent for a moment.
"I've...seen her transformed before." spoke Olivier. "But she never hurt me, even as a Beast."
"Then I am glad to hear she has gained some control over it." said Dell.
"I wish I could help my mom..." continued Olivier. "I know I could lift her curse,
If only I was stronger and could use magic without-" Olivier paused for a moment.
"Without what?"
Olivier looked up at his grandfather. "I...have my own condition.
It's different from my mom's curse, but it's still a big problem for me."
Dell looked down at his grandson, Now concerned.
"I...I don't have a bile-sac." confessed Olivier, looking away in shame.
"I suppose it is from me being only HALF Witch, but I don't have one.
Yet I can still do magic...but if I use too much, it can drain my life energy."
Dell widened his eyes. "sooo...If you were to cast a spell that was too powerful-"
"It could kill me." said Olivier, his eyes getting moist.
"When I was younger, I...sometimes passed out after casting too many spells.
Once, I cast an advanced spell while Aunt Lilith was tutoring me, and I fell unconscious for DAYS."
"oh, you poor boy." spoke Dell.
"Mom dotes on me alot...treating me like I'm made of paper sometimes." continued Olivier.
"I get why, but I'm not weak. Sometimes I feel I could be the most powerful witch ever!
And I know I could be. I could even break my mother's curse! (*deep sigh*) if only I could...Endure it."
Dell managed to smile weakly. "you sound a little like your grandmother.
SHE wants to lift Eda's curse as well. though her methods can be...Questionable."
Olivier looked up at his Grandfather.
"Olivier...could you perhaps help an old man return home?" spoke Dell.
"I need to recover after that little incident. AND, I have something I want to show you."
Olivier grinned.
"If you were any other old man asking me that, I'd hit you where sun don't shine, and run away screaming.
But since you ARE my grandpa, then...Yeah!, I'd love to visit my grandparents house! I can see Aunt Lily later."
Dell smiled. "Good, good...Fortunately the Clawthorne Manor isn't far from her-"
"The Clawthorne-WHAT!?" exclaimed Olivier, stunned.
[End of Part Eleven]