Chapter 3: Growing Up

When he began his magic training with Raine, he found that he could cast magic without a spell circle. He discovered this on his first day when, after repeated attempts at casting magic, he grew frustrated, unable to even form a spell circle. He then shouted, "JUST WORK ALREADY!!!" Soon after, a massive explosion occurred in front of him. Suffice it to say, since then, he tries to remain calm and think more carefully before he speaks.

While experimenting to find the type of magic that suited him best, he created some questionable things. With plant magic, he made a sword out of a blade of grass. Unfortunately, the grass had a mind of its own and wouldn't let go of his arm.

When it came to healing magic, whatever spell he cast would drain the life out of his target instead of healing them, healing him instead. To avoid a potential disaster or further mistakes, he decided to focus solely on bard magic. It was the only type of magic that seemed safe for him. All it did when he used it while playing the viola was levitate people and objects around him. He couldn't wait to be enrolled at Hexside, where he could learn the proper way to use all types of magic without destroying everything around him.

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He made a few friends, and for a time, those two friends were the only ones that mattered to him. One of them was Willow Park, one of the girls who had waved at him when he was walking home from the hospital that day. The other was Amity Blight, the daughter of some industrialists. How they became his friends, however, is quite a story.

While Raine was busy with coven work, he told me to go outside and play in the park until he was done. When I got there, I saw a few kids playing in the sandbox and jungle gym, and one girl looking at the flowers. I decided to walk up to her and introduce myself. Unfortunately, I must have surprised her, because when I tapped her on the shoulder, she screamed, and a giant vine shot out of the ground, grabbing me and holding me upside down. Confused and panicked, I shouted, "Vines!?" which caused another giant vine to sprout up, grabbing Willow and holding her upside down as well. After we both looked at each other, scared for our lives, we heard someone call out.

"Willow!" Amity yelled, concerned for her best friend. "Don't worry, I'm going to save you both." Soon after, she summoned a big, purple, mud-like creature, which grabbed both of us, broke the vines, and lowered us to the ground. "Are you both okay?" she asked, worried about her friend and the new kid next to her.

"Yeah, we're okay," Willow said, feeling sorry for having caused the whole ordeal.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing broken," Finn said, not wanting to seem weak.

Willow began to introduce herself. "I'm sorry about the vines earlier. I'm not exactly great at controlling my magic," she said, clearly embarrassed.

Amity quickly added, "And I'm Amity, Willow's best friend and future greatest witch of the Boiling Isles," she said with an air of confidence that most kids wouldn't even begin to understand.

Not wanting to be rude, Finn introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Finnian, but most people just call me Finn," he said as politely as he could.

This marked the beginning of a great friendship, filled with laughter, fun, and crazy adventures. Unfortunately, these happy moments wouldn't last very long, after a certain birthday party.

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Both Finn and Willow were invited to Amity's birthday party at Blight Manor. On the walk over, they were discussing what gifts they had gotten her. Willow was carrying a small box, while Finn had his viola in hand.

Willow was proud of her gift. "Behold, possibly one of my greatest gifts ever! It's a handmade picture frame with a photo of all of us, taken after that disaster when Amity tried to teach us how to make abominations." The picture showed Willow, Amity, and Finn smiling while covered in abomination goo. "I still can't believe you can cast magic just by saying a few words, and how unstable it can be," Willow said, laughing.

Finn smiled, but he was less confident in his gift. Even though he had been friends with both of them for over a year, he still didn't quite know what to get someone who basically had everything she could ever want.

After much deliberation, he went to Raine for help. Raine suggested that he write a song. With that idea in mind, Finn spent weeks getting everything just right, and when he was finished, he felt satisfied with the result.

Raine commented, "Heh, I had no idea you had these types of feelings about your 'friend'," he said playfully.

"What do you mean? What feelings are you talking about?" Finn asked, confused by Raine's words.

Raine grinned. "From what I can tell, your lyrics are about you and her alone, together. How every moment you're apart, you're sad beyond words," he said, amused at Finn's obliviousness.

The song itself was great in Finn's opinion, but after Raine's comments, he decided to look over the melody and lyrics again. After reading them over and over, he realized something important: all of the lyrics could be taken in a more romantic way. Panicked, he said, "I… I have no idea what to do now."

Raine looked at his son, amused. "Finn, you wrote this song from the heart. I know these feelings are scary. It was the same for me at first, too," he said, looking into the distance with nostalgia. "But if you bottle these feelings up, you'll only hurt yourself. Let your feelings be known. The worst that can happen is that she doesn't feel the same."

After contemplating his song and his feelings for Amity, Finn came to understand why he always smiled when he saw her, or how his heart beat faster whenever she was near. He didn't want to admit it, but all the signs were there: he was in love. The thought of it made him happy, scared, and sick all at the same time. He hoped that after his performance, he would tell her how he felt.

When they arrived at Blight Manor, just before they could knock, Amity's older siblings, the twins Emira and Edric, called out to them. "Hey there, kiddos," Emira said with a smile. "So, you're here for Mittens' birthday party?"

Edric grinned. "Sorry to say, but Mittens asked us to guide you to her room before the party started."

Finn and Willow exchanged skeptical glances, unsure if this was real or some prank by the twins. With no other option, Willow hesitantly said, "Okay, lead the way."

To their surprise, the twins weren't lying. "I wonder what Amity wanted to talk about," Finn mused. "Maybe she wants her gifts early. I know I would," he added with a smile, thinking of how childish Amity could be at times.

"I don't know, but it must be important if she trusted the twins, of all people, to deliver the message," Willow said nervously. "I just hope it's not something bad," she chuckled weakly.

They didn't have to wait long. Amity entered the room, her voice unusually cold. "Good, you're here. I need to tell you—"

Willow interrupted excitedly, "Wait, wait, wait! Before you say anything, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Here, open this." She handed Amity her gift, eager to see her reaction.

Amity opened the box and saw the picture. A slight frown crossed her face, sadness in her eyes. "Willow, this is a ni—"

Finn cut in. "Hold on, before you say anything else, I need to tell you something. But not right now. I'll tell you after you get my gift—an original song by yours truly." He began to ready his viola but had only played a few notes when—

"STOP! STOP ALL OF THIS!!!" Amity yelled louder than either of them had ever heard her before. "You need to leave," she said coldly. "Just get out! We're not friends anymore." She pointed toward the door.

"Amity, why?" Willow asked, confused and hurt. "Is it because I still can't do magic correctly? Amity, I'm sorry I got us in trouble at the beach. I just… I can't get the spells right."

"I-I don't really…" Finn stammered, equally confused. "Was it because my gift was a song? I swear, I can do better. I'll get you something you'd actually like. I'll change everything about me, work harder to cast magic that won't explode if that's what you want."

Amity glared at both of them. "Willow, you can't do anything right because you're weak. You can't do magic, and I don't want to be your friend." She turned to Finn. "And you're just as bad—worse, even. You have all that power but no idea how to use it. Even the simplest spells backfire and explode. Just go! I never want to see either of you again." She turned her back on them.

Willow ran out of the room in tears. Finn stood frozen, his heart breaking. He couldn't think of anything to say, holding back his tears as he slowly walked out of the manor, wandering aimlessly until he somehow found his way home. When he entered, Raine was in the living room reading a book.

"Oh, Finn, you're home early. Did you have fun at the party?" Raine asked, noticing how upset he looked. "Finn, what's wrong? What happened?"

Finn remained silent, then suddenly ran toward Raine, hugging him as he started to cry uncontrollably. Raine returned the hug, holding him until he calmed down. When Finn was ready, he told Raine everything that had happened between him, Amity, and Willow—how they were no longer friends.

"It's okay, Finn. Maybe you can talk this out later. When everyone calms down, I'm sure you, Amity, and Willow will be best friends again before you know it," Raine said, trying to console him.

"No," Finn said, trying to hold back his emotions. "I will change. I will never be this weak again!" He stood up with a new conviction in his eyes. "I will surpass Amity. I'll show her that I'm superior in magic. And I'll crush anyone who gets in my way." His eyes darkened, glowing with a familiar green power.

The day after the incident, Finn went to Willow's house to talk to her about what had happened. He called out to her window, "Willow? Willow!? I know you can hear me. Your dad said you're in your room." His voice was sad. "I know what happened yesterday was bad. I was hurt, you were hurt, and now everything is just terrible." Still, no response. He continued, "Come on, Willow, will you just talk to me? I really need a friend right now."

He spent the entire day trying to talk to her but decided to leave when the sun began to set. He felt betrayed. Amity had explained why they couldn't be friends anymore, but Willow had just ignored him. It would be a while before he could trust others again.

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A few weeks after the incident, Finn made some unusual acquaintances. It all started one day when he was walking through the market alone. He spotted an unusual stand with a large banner behind it that read, "Human Collectables." Intrigued, he made his way over and saw shelves lined with strange and peculiar objects. The strangest thing, though, was the owner herself. She was tall, with ivory skin, claw-like nails, golden eyes, and thick layered hair. Standing beside her was some kind of dog with an exposed skull and horns.

She immediately took notice of Finn. "Hello there, young man. Are you interested in any of my fine wares? How about this handheld black mirror that lights up if you press the buttons on the side? Or maybe this fine human weapon—It's a wooden hammer with a spike at the top, and it even comes with its own sheath. There's a string attached so you won't lose it!" She rattled off items so bizarre that they made no sense.

"Where did you get all of this junk?" Finn asked, unimpressed by anything she was selling.

"Junk? JUNK!?" the woman exclaimed. "I'll have you know that all these fine valuables were personally collected by yours truly from the human realm," she said, trying to sound as though she had gone on a dangerous expedition. "For I am Edalyn Clawthorne, the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, also known as The Owl Lady!" She gave herself a grand introduction.

Looking over the objects again, Finn spotted a book. "The Good Witch Azura?" he read aloud, confused, feeling like this book was oddly familiar.

"Oh, you've got good taste, boy. This book tells the tragic tale of a witch lost in the human realm, forced to do the bidding of an old man in sandals," she said as dramatically as possible. "So, you want it? Only 100 snails," she added with a smirk.

"Five," Finn replied, clearly uninterested.

"What?" The Owl Lady looked confused.

"I said I'll give you five snails for that book," Finn repeated, still bored.

Annoyed, the Owl Lady began to yell. "Five, FIVE!? I don't think you heard me the first time—it's 100 snails for this fine piece of literature!"

"Five snails, and I won't call the coven scouts on you for being the most infamous wanted criminal on the Boiling Isles," Finn said, half-smiling while pointing at a nearby wanted poster with her picture on it.

Surprised, the Owl Lady said, "You know, I hate that a kid your age would use blackmail, but I can't help being happy that the next generation isn't full of goody-goodies following the rules all the time." She handed him the book. "You know, kid, I see a lot of potential in you. If you ever think about learning some real magic, give me a call. I promise to give you a discount on my teaching fees," she said with a grin. "For now, you can have this book on the house—for entertaining me. Now scram! I have other suckers to sell this stuff to." She shooed him away as fast as she could.

After that interesting encounter, Finn headed home. During dinner, he decided to tell Raine about his strange new acquaintance. After he finished his story, Raine had a strained smile on his face.

"Finn," Raine began, "I actually know her. Her name is Edalyn. She and I used to date when we were younger," he said, clearly embarrassed. "She always dragged me on these crazy adventures of hers, with no regard for rules, laws, or personal safety." He began to smile. "I'm kind of glad she hasn't changed much."

Not wanting to hear any more about Raine's past relationships, Finn quickly said, "I think I'm full now, so I'll be in my room for the rest of the night. Please don't talk to me until tomorrow—imagining you two together is freaking me out." He rushed to his room as fast as he could.

Once inside, his eyes fell on the new book he had bargained for from Raine's ex. He stared at it, feeling like he had heard of it before, but he couldn't remember anything. Frustrated, he decided to read it, hoping it would jog his memory. It didn't help him recall anything, but he did gain a new favorite book series to read.

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Finn even gained a Palisman, a rare find for someone so young. It all started one day while he and Raine were practicing the viola together. Finn had been surprised by how quickly he learned to play an instrument he had never touched before. He enjoyed it; it was one of the few things that helped calm him down.

After practicing for a few hours, a sudden downpour of boiling rain began, trapping them in the house. With nothing else to do, Finn decided to take a nap. But as he was about to drift off, he heard a noise coming from his room. Curious, he opened the door and saw her—a creature with a long, snake-like body, rainbow-colored scales, and the head of a pink unicorn with a flowing blonde mane. She was thrashing around his room, knocking over everything in sight.

Alarmed, Finn grabbed his blanket and carefully threw it over her to calm her down. Once she stopped moving, he noticed burn marks covering her body, likely caused by the boiling rain. Feeling sympathy for her, he gently carried her to Raine. After a quick glance, Raine understood what needed to be done. They had just enough potions to heal her injuries.

For the next few hours, Finn stayed by her side, playing music, sharing food, and playing games while they waited for the rain to stop. When the skies finally cleared, Finn opened a window, expecting the little creature to fly back home. But when the time came for her to leave, she hesitated. She felt safe and loved, having received so much care from Finn and Raine. A bond had formed between them, and instead of returning to the wild, she chose to stay. She had decided to become Finn's Palisman.

Finn was ecstatic to have his very own Palisman. The mighty Lady Rainicorn, as she managed to communicate to him through their new bond, was the perfect companion. She wasn't just capable of flight—she had the ability to become intangible, manipulate colors and light, and even project energy for attacks. Strong, fast, and full of unique powers, she was everything a witch could ask for in a partner.

For the first time in a long while, Finn felt like he could open his heart to new friends.

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Finn's school life was mostly uneventful. While he enjoyed reading about different types of magic and learning bard magic from Raine, he craved more. Eventually, he told Raine that he wanted to attend Hexside, where he hoped for more freedom to explore his magical interests.

Upon arriving at Hexside, Finn was excited, thinking he'd be able to study any magic he wished. But his hopes were quickly dashed when he learned that each student had to choose only one type of magic to focus on for their entire time there. His dreams of mastering multiple types of magic shattered, he settled for the one he was most confident in: bard magic. It wasn't surprising to anyone. After all, his father was part of the bard coven, and most assumed the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

On his first day, Finn's introduction to the class was a bit daunting. The teacher, after introducing him, asked for a display of his magic.

"Class, this is Finnian Whispers," the teacher announced, "and as is tradition for the bard track, he will now play a solo for all of us."

The teacher clapped his hands, signaling for the other students to do the same. Finn took up his viola, holding it horizontally and placing it on his left shoulder. He raised his bow over the strings and, after a moment's pause, closed his eyes and began playing a soft, delicate melody. The notes flowed with ease, as though he had played them a thousand times before. It was gentle yet deeply moving, almost enough to bring tears to someone's eyes.

As the music played, a green wave of magic pulsed from him, lifting everyone in the room off their feet. But none of them felt scared; they were entranced by the sound, as if the music held them in a peaceful, protective embrace.

When Finn finished, the entire class slowly drifted back to the ground. Opening his eyes, he bowed slightly. "Thank you for listening," he said modestly. "I still have a lot to learn here at Hexside."

The classroom erupted in applause, everyone giving him a standing ovation. One student, in particular, caught Finn's attention. She was still clapping enthusiastically long after the others had stopped. She had dark skin, gray eyes, and pinkish-gray and deep mauve hair pulled up in a ponytail. Finn couldn't help but notice her energy.

After the applause died down, the teacher assigned Finn to the seat next to hers. As soon as he sat down, she introduced herself.

"Hi! My name is Skara," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "I loved the piece you just played. How did you come up with that?"

Caught off guard by her enthusiasm, Finn responded, "Oh, um, hi. My name is Finnian, but you can call me Finn. Thanks for the compliment. That piece was something my dad used to play for me when I had nightmares and couldn't sleep." He felt a little embarrassed, his eyes shifting away from her as he spoke.

"That's so sweet!" Skara cooed, completely ignoring his embarrassment. Then, without skipping a beat, she asked, "Hey, do you want to be friends? Bard buddies!" She beamed at him.

Put on the spot, Finn hesitated, but the words tumbled out before he could stop them. "Ah, okay, sure."

He had no idea that this simple agreement would lead to a few headaches in the future.