An hour has passed as Eda was leading Maxwell to the dueling theatre and King and Luz were worried about what was coming.
"Eda, are you sure about this?" asked Luz.
"I'm as sure as this duel will probably not be easy." answered Eda.
Maxwell looked worried as they were getting closer. Luz hugged Maxwell before she and King were headed for the stands.
"Don't let Maxie get hurt." warned Luz.
"I can't make any promises on this." informed Eda.
King and Luz went to sit in the stands as there was a lot of people in the stands. King and Luz sat next to where Gus and Willow were seated. Eda lead Maxwell out into the dueling grounds. On one side stood Lilith while Eda and Maxwell stood on the other side of the arena.
"Eda, what am I going to do? I'm terrified." Maxwell whispered to her.
"Calm down, you see those markings?" Eda whispered as she pointed out with her eyes.
There were what looked like thin markings on parts of the arena floor and Maxwell could see them but no one else could. They looked like lines that formed Xs but they looked like they covered up to try and make them unnoticeable.
"Get her to land on them or step on them and the magic traps will be sprung." whispered Eda.
"But that's cheating. My father was a cheater, big time. I'll be just like him if I do that." whispered Maxwell sadly. "My dad even cheated on women that he was in a relationship with."
"No one will know, they'll think your performing magic or at least it'll keep you safe from Lilith's worst wrath. Besides, your not like your dad, he cheated for the wrong reasons, this is more like for the right reasons to stay alive." Eda whispered back. "Your nothing like your dad."
"If I win this way, than I'll know it's all a lie." whispered Maxwell worried.
"That's the spirit, big boy." said Eda with a grin. "You might want to prepare for bloodshed if something goes south."
Maxwell did not like the sounds of this. They turned to see Lilith as she had looked like she was announcing something to the people.
"Beloved citizens, the emperor's coven proudly presents a demonstration of what sort of witch or wizard is superior and how we enforce discipline on humans, witches and wizards who even defy those are with the emperor." announced Lilith. "I'll be showing the demonstration where it's me versus some human boy."
Everyone in the stands saw Maxwell and so many murmurs were heard from this while some demons were muttering insults.
"That's a human." said a male demon.
"Human's can't do magic." insulted another male demon.
"He's not Lilith." insulted a female demon.
King tossed what looked like an apple at those three demons and when they looked back at him, he shook his head at them as if to shame them which got them silent. The bell had a mouth on it and it rang while a scream was uttered by it to begin the duel. Lilith and Maxwell stood forwards.
"You'll be begging for mercy soon, dumb monkey." Lilith insulted.
"I'm not a monkey." Maxwell defended.
Lilith used her fingers to form a hole in the floor and it used purple light.
"Abomination, rise." called Lilith.
A towering large abomination came from the hole and it looked to be hulking and ten feet tall. Maxwell was wide eyed at this.
"Show me what you got, human." dared Lilith.
"Que mierda." yelled Maxwell.
The towering creature stomped it's way to him as Maxwell saw it prepare to use a huge fist to slam him but luckily for him, he dodged it by jumping backwards. They all were surprised at how he dodged the move. It tried to hit Maxwell again but he jumped into the air to dodge it and this time, he jumped twenty feet into the air.
"Whoa." called the audience.
Maxwell fell but was caught by Eda as she helped him back on his feet.
"There's no way a human can jump like that." called Lilith.
The towering figure walked towards Maxwell but stepped on one of Eda's invisible traps in the ground and within an instant, the towering figure was crystalized like water freezing and it was stuck, unable to move. The audience murmured at seeing this as they didn't know what to think.
"What did you just do?" said Lilith loudly.
Maxwell ignored her as he walked towards the crystalized figured and he felt a burp coming on and suddenly, he burped loudly but fire came out of his mouth like he was a dragon as the fire melted and destroyed the abomination. The burp stopped and the fire went out.
"He breathed fire, impossible!" called a few people from the stands.
"I don't know how you did that but looks like more drastic measures are needed." threatened Lilith.
Lilith had formed a blue flame circle as she brought out her staff and she teleported. Maxwell was wondering where she went to till she saw her teleport briefly to slap him across the face. He tried to dodge it but Lilith kept teleporting fast to slap him on the face, or even hit him on his back and was hitting him harder on his face.
"No fair!" Maxwell yelled.
"What's the matter, human? Can't defend yourself? Or is it because you don't know magic and you can't hit a lady?" Lilith taunted.
Lilith teleported once more and used her staff to swing at Maxwell and it struck him on his side, knocking him to the ground as he struggled to get up. He let out a cough which a few drops of blood came out of his mouth, anyone who saw the blood were shocked to see this.
"Face it, human. Those who raised you didn't want you, no one wants you here, you can't fight back because your weak. And we all know if you hit me back, you'll be seen as a brute." Lilith taunted.
Maxwell fought hard not to break into tears and cry his eyes out from how cruel Lilith was being. Eda didn't like this at all, neither did Luz, King, Gus or Willow.
"Your mean." Maxwell said in a shaky voice.
"Knock it off, Lilith! It's a duel, not a trash talk battle." Eda defended.
"What do you care. He's just a dumb country bumpkin." Lilith mocked.
The audience gasped loudly as many of them put their hands over their mouths. Calling a young southerner that word was like saying a prejudice word towards someone of their race. A rage kicked into Maxwell when he heard her call him that insulting term as a lot of voices were heard in his head from so many people he could remember that taunted, mocked, or bullied him and he eventually screamed in a loud rage as he found the strength to get up on his feet. A look of rage was on his face. He spat out blood that landed on the ground and the source of the bleeding in his mouth looked like it was healing almost instantly.
"Fuck you, Lilith!" shouted Maxwell.
The audience fell into a shocked silence, so many people had wide eyed shocked expressions from what Maxwell just said to Lilith. Eda was even shocked to hear someone Maxwell's age say such words. Lilith was both surprised but annoyed.
"What did you just say to me?" said Lilith looking angry.
"I said fuck you, as in go fuck yourself." Maxwell snapped back.
"He just said a swear word." said one of the shocked witches.
Maxwell's eyes turned gold and a powerful gold energy formed all around him as he let out a powerful lion like roar. Lilith stepped back a bit as the audience was almost speechless. Maxwell started to try and land a punch on Lilith as she dodged them, he was proving to be very fast or faster than he could run. Eda looked thrilled.
"That's my boy, take her down a peg!" cheered Eda.
"This is not possible!" shouted Lilith.
"Where's your sass mouthing going to get you know, princess?" Maxwell snapped.
Lilith dodged his next move and both were sent back from a distance.
"Don't call me princess!" spat Lilith.
"Princess, a princess. Lilith's a short tempered princess." mocked Maxwell.
Lilith screamed in a rage and charged at him with blue flames ready to take him down but she stepped on one of Eda's traps and an explosion had set up a flame in front of her that didn't last long but she dodged the flames. Lilith tried charging at him from all directions but she stepped on more traps and she got blasted with water, sprayed with sand that she dodged, she almost caught fire and almost got a barrage of stones to strike her. She stepped back and started to think for a moment and grabbed one of the stones on the ground and tossed it near Maxwell which triggered one of the traps Eda set up. Causing spikes from the ground to form. The audience gasps and Lilith smiled as she saw what just happened.
"What the hell, Spikes?" Maxwell shouted and he saw Eda give him the thumbs up.
"Oh Eda, looks like you lose for cheating and the human comes with me." Lilith smugly stated.
Maxwell's form had changed and he turned back to normal faster than the moment was over. A look of horror was upon his face. His heart sank.
"Whoa there, it was not my idea to do this. I tried to stop it." Maxwell babbled.
"Who would believe a stupid little monkey like you. I've known cry babies who don't cheat." insulted Lilith. "You know the deal we've made, come with me human, your power is mine to do as I please. Lets go."
Maxwell's heart sank as he looked back at Eda, desperate for her help as Eda came to his side like a mother to her child.
"I'm waiting." said Lilith getting impatient.
Eda looked at Maxwell and she winked at him as if to give him an idea. Maxwell didn't know what to do as he shook all over. Eda than looked at Lilith with a serious look.
"No." said Eda crossing her arms.
Lilith's smug look faded and turned to defied shock.
"No?" said Lilith in disbelief.
"That's right, Lilly. Maxwell's done taking your abuse. He's not going anywhere with you, not now, not ever." Eda said sticking up for Maxwell.
"And what's he going to do about it? He lost, he cheated, he's mine. What's he going to do? He can't stand up for himself even if his life depended." Lilith argued.
"Why don't we let him decide and see whose right or wrong." dared Eda.
The idea of that sent a bit of pressure on Maxwell's part while Eda and Lilith both were keeping their eyes on him. Maxwell was a bit afraid.
"Human, get over here, now." demanded Lilith.
"Don't do it, Maxie. She's only going to hurt you more." Eda advised.
"Human, get your butt over here now!" demanded Lilith getting aggressive.
"Think about this, she hurt you, she beaten you up, verbally berated you and she bullied you, she's not the type of person you should be with. Don't listen to her." Eda kept advising it.
"Human, get over here now!" Lilith raised her voice. "If you don't get over here right now, you'll face severe consequences."
Maxwell felt like a lot of pressure was under him and he at first didn't know who to listen to. He was terrified of Lilith, nervous around Eda and he had no idea how to get himself out of this one till a bit of defiance kicked into him, he looked up at Lilith with a serious look.
"No." said Maxwell finally. "I'm not going with you Lilith."
The audience was in shock to see someone standing up to someone like Lilith. Eda looked thrilled to hear this while Luz, King, Willow and Gus were both shocked and amazed at the same time.
"Are you telling me no?" Lilith rhetorically.
"Yes I am." said Maxwell almost shocked.
"Last chance human, get your butt over here or else." threatened Lilith.
"Make me you crow." snapped Maxwell crossing his arms. "What makes you think I should go with you?"
"The everlasting oath says otherwise." Lilith reminded.
Maxwell's confidence and courage sank really fast like a boat in the ocean, his arms fell to their sides as he looked towards Eda and Lilith while Eda herself knew this wasn't fair to poor Maxwell. The audience knew about everlasting oath spells and they sort of expected one of them to have sealed an agreement before the duel started.
"B-b-but I." Maxwell weakly defended.
"No buts, you cheat and you lost, so your coming with me, whether you like it or not." Lilith snapped.
Maxwell was feeling his heart break from this. He really didn't want to go with Lilith but the oath was forcing him to go. He looked towards Eda with a look of desperation which Eda was at a loss.
"It's ether me or the emperor, human." said Lilith getting impatient.
Eda took one look at Lilith and saw something on her that was barely noticeable. She saw what looked like a piece of paper on her chest.
"Hey princess, you got something on you." said Eda as she walked towards her.
Eda reached for where the paper was on Lilith as Lilith tried to get her hands off her but Eda pulled a piece of paper off her and saw it had a symbol on it everyone saw what was going on.
"A power glyph from the construction coven." Eda called out.
Everyone was murmuring more than usual and some of them even made a comment. Maxwell suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief, shock and surprise as his heart almost skipped a beat from finding out about this.
"I knew it!" said Luz, King, Willow, Gus and others.
"Looks like perfect prissy Lilith cheated again and the boy stays with us." Eda mocked Lilith.
"I only did that because I knew you would cheat." snapped Lilith.
"You still cheated, how's it feel to be lower than my level and to be beaten by a child?" Eda kept mocking her.
"Stop it, right now." growled Lilith.
"Guess who got beat by a child? You did." laughed Eda.
Some people from the audience started laughing at Lilith's expense. Eda was even doing a victory dance that got her shaking her butt at Lilith, this caused Maxwell to stare at Eda as he blushed, he was staring at Eda's butt for a bit as he noticed it bounce a bit, than he looked back at Eda's face as a grin formed on his face and his heart raced from excitement as if he was watching a hot girl dance.
"Stop it, your making a scene. Stop acting like a child." Lilith demanded.
"I know you are, what am I? What are you going to do about it, princess?" mocked Eda. "Princess Lilith of the short tempered."
As Lilith growled in anger, she saw Eda making her way towards Maxwell as Eda gotten an idea to make Lilith lose her temper even more. A grin formed on Eda's face.
"What are you about to do?" asked Lilith.
Eda placed her hands on Maxwell's shoulders and smiled at him. Eda placed her right hand on Maxwell's right cheek and was lifting his face up to face her. Lilith started to catch onto what was about to happen.
"Don't you do it!" snapped Lilith.
"Don't do what? This?" giggled Eda.
What Eda did made everyone gasp and even Lilith burn with extreme rage as she planted her full maroon lips to Maxwell's lips in a deep and passionate kiss.
"Whoa." half the audience said while blushing.
Maxwell felt like fireworks were going off in his head from what was possibly his first kiss, his heart was beating very fast and he felt like he was shaking all over. Eda eventually pulled her lips off him after giving him a good, long kiss and a pop was heard. Maxwell was stunned as he blushed and smiled from this as he went limp in the body and Eda laid him down against the wall.
"Face it Lilith, I'm not listening." teased Eda.
"That's it!" shouted Lilith.
Lilith got her staff out while Eda summoned her staff as both of them looked like they were about to battle it out. As they were about to battle it out, Maxwell was slowly looking up and he looked towards Eda with a grin, his heart raced rapidly for Eda. Eda and Lilith both were sending huge fire balls at each other with their staffs and ether they deflected them or dodged them. The whole audience was amazed at such a battle going on while Maxwell was just sitting at the edge of the wall and he kept his eyes on Eda as his heart was racing faster as if with excitement or for the thrill of seeing Eda prevail.
"You kissed a human, an actual human!" shouted Lilith in anger.
"Jealous much? I know you never got kissed by any guys, when the only kiss you got was the pictures of the guys you never could get a date with." taunted Eda. "You cheated, Lilith cheated, she got defeated, a child has you beated."
Lilith shouted with rage and Eda used her fingers to draw a brown circle in the floor and what looked like a snake like body came out of the circle with an owl's head as she used the head to snake it's way towards Lilith but Lilith kept dodging it and teleported which fire would flash out on the ground and it nearly got towards those in the audience, causing the whole audience to flee as it got too dangerous. Luz, King, Willow and Gus managed to get out but they hung around somewhere to wait for it to be over.
"You love struck witch!" shouted Lilith.
"You burning jealous witch." taunted Eda.
Eda used her fingers to trace what looked like gold circles into the snake like body to what looked like an idea she had in mind. Lilith teleported and reappeared to try and strike Eda but she used a huge gold shield to deflect Lilith's blue flames. Eda grinned and winked as the owl that was perched on top of her staff came to life as it's eyes glowed a yellow light and it flew to get in Lilith's face and it pulled her away by her hair.
"Not the hair, not the hair!" said Lilith.
"Say good night, sister." said Eda defiantly.
She spun her staff and Eda jabbed the bottom of her staff at the snake like body and another owl's head came from the side of the body and it opened it's mouth to use it to trap Lilith in it. The owl flew back to Eda and it was on top of the staff, turning back to it's staff head form.
But this was short lived as a hole formed on the side of the owl's head and it had blue flames forming. Lilith teleported out of it and reappeared at Eda's position and just when Lilith was about to strike Eda, that's when Maxwell got up fast and he teleported in a puff of gold smoke and reappeared in front of Lilith.
"Mama said knock you out." Maxwell commented.
Eda turned to see Maxwell punch Lilith in the face and it sent her flying several feet away, hitting the wall and leaving some cracks in it. Lilith managed to surprisingly get up and she stood her ground and stood up on her feet.
"You just hit a lady?" Lilith said in shocked anger.
"Eda's more of a lady than you'll ever be! She's more of a witch than you'll ever be!" shouted Maxwell in defiance. "Suck on that!"
A look of shock was on Lilith's face while Eda smiled as she felt a sense of pride. Maxwell was showing defiance as he was standing up to Lilith for the first time.
"You take that back!" Lilith shouted.
"Never! Make me you old crow." mocked Maxwell.
"Yes! My boy has done it, Lilith! He's finally standing up to you, BURN!" Eda said as a comeback.
Lilith growled and teleported. Their smiles disappeared as they looked around to see where Lilith was coming from this time. Maxwell was a bit nervous but he kept his guard up.
"Where are you hiding, princess!" taunted Maxwell.
Lilith reappeared finally behind Maxwell and she grabbed him from behind as she used her arms to pin Maxwell's arms to his sides and her grip was very strong. A sense of fear appeared on his face.
"Now I got you." said Lilith with a grin.
Eda turned to see the position Maxwell was in as she looked afraid for his safety and his life. Maxwell was gasping in fear.
"Eda, help me!" Maxwell cried. "Lilith, don't do this."
"Eda can't help you now, your mine." giggled Lilith evilly.
"Lilith wait, please don't do this to him." Eda pleaded. "He's just a child."
"Give me an excuse not to unleash my wrath upon this sass mouthing, cowardly spineless wimp." snapped Lilith. "His fear is just so satisfying like feeding on your favorite prey."
Eda saw the look of fear and desperation on Maxwell's face as tears formed and streaked down his face as if about to face his own death. Lilith let out a small, evil laugh.
"Lilith, you can't kill or hurt him because...I'm carrying his baby." Eda lied as she put on a sympathetic look.
Lilith face went from evilly defiant to wide eyed shock. She looked at the tearful Maxwell who nodded as he played along.
"You're pregnant?" said Lilith in disbelief.
"I showed signs two months ago and he's the biological father, you wouldn't hurt him if he was your own, would you?" asked Eda trying to inject the compassion in Lilith.
Lilith started to have a look of guilt and she raised her hand to use her finger to draw out a blue circle, calling off the oath she forced upon him. She let go of Maxwell and Maxwell ran towards Eda as both of them hugged each other. Maxwell was relieved to be back with Eda like a lost child reunited with their mother.
"Eda, I...I didn't know. I would've never caused you or him any harm if I had known that you were pregnant with his baby if I-ahhhh" Lilith was cut off.
Maxwell had formed his hand to show his index finger and pinky finger up with the rest of his fingers closed up and he quickly bent his hand down and a large white ball blasted towards Lilith, landing on her face as it turned to out be silk webbing from the feel of them and it blinded her whole face but not her nose and mouth. Lilith caught onto the fact that Eda lied to her.
"I can't see." growled Lilith.
"Blind as a bat." taunted Eda.
"And old as a crow." taunted Maxwell.
"How you like that." said Eda and Maxwell in unison.
Eda and Maxwell did a fist bump in an act of victory and Eda took hold of Maxwell's hand and lead him out of the arena to the exit as they left.
"You tricked me. Just wait till I get my hands on you, you little." Lilith said trying to get the webbing off her face.
"Looks like this one is a draw and my baby wins." called Eda laughing.
Eda lead him down the hallway to reunite with Luz, King, Willow and Gus where they were near the front entrance of the Covention Center. Luz, King, Willow and Gus hugged Maxwell as they couldn't believe he was still alive and well.
"Yeah, Maxie did it! He stood up to Lilith! Oh happy day!" cheered King.
"I can't believe a human kid took on Lilith, won, and lived to tell about it." said Luz as she couldn't belief it but was thrilled.
After they released their arms from him, that's when Maxwell blushed a bit but also was shocked himself. He hardly ever stood up to anyone before as he was so meek but he couldn't believe it when he stood up to someone who hurt him.
"First time I ever stood up to a bully or anyone when they saw me in public when they saw my face." said Maxwell taking a breath.
"How's it feel to stand up to a bully?" asked Luz.
"I'm shaking, probably from almost getting killed. That was terrifying but I can't believe it. I did it with the help of Eda. If this is what standing up for yourself is like when you stand up to a bully or someone who keeps hurting you, than it's no wonder they feel empowered." Maxwell said surprised. "Boy am I tired."
"That's my boy. That's my Maxie." said Eda feeling proud.
Eda pulled Maxwell into her arms and planted her soft lips on Maxwell's cheeks and his lips. She held the kiss to his lips for a bit as he was surprised by this and he blushed. This left the others surprised.
"Wow!" said the others.
Eda pulled her lips off him in a loud pop and Maxwell was stunned as he froze there, he grinned, giggled a bit and fainted backwards which they caught him before he fell. Eda pulled him up into her arms and carried him bridal style as Maxwell was out like a light.
"So the owl lady smooched Maxwell. I didn't expect that." said Gus as if he was shocked and thrilled.
"We got to go." Eda advised.
"What happened to Lilith and how did you two escape her?" asked Luz curiously.
"Lets just say that she got blindsided because we pulled one over her eye." joked Eda as she laughed and snorted. "Wait, I got a better one. She's insane in the membrane."
Gus and Willow hugged Luz before they left and Luz stopped for a moment as she saw Maxwell being carried in Eda's arms.
"Eda, will Maxwell be alright? If he's got this power that could possibly make him more powerful than anyone, do you think there's a chance he can control it?" asked Luz. "I'm worried about him, we didn't find the man we're looking for but what if Maxwell can't control it and something bad happens to him? I can't bare to see him hurt."
Eda stopped as she knew Luz was really worried about Maxwell's well-being and so was King and Eda herself as she looked at Luz, than King and Maxwell as the young boy was regaining his consciousness slowly. She turned to face them.
"I have to say, I'm worried about him too. Those red marks and bruises on his body from what I saw, the fear I see in him at times, the way he's struggling to be functional in the surroundings and society he's in like a person who was kept in isolation set free for the first time. That demonic clown doesn't look like the first person who hurt him, so somebody did this to him." Eda stated. "But if we can't find this man he spoke of, than maybe I can help him control this power. I'm the most powerful witch on the boiling isles, and if he needs to be looked after by those who care about him, than who better to do that than us."
Luz and King looked at each other and nodded as they grinned. Luz and King caught up with Eda and they all walked off while Eda carried Maxwell.
"Now lets go before Lilith finds out that I tied the laces to her pointy shoes together and before she finds out I drew on her face." advised Eda with a grin.
"Ahhhhhhh" came Lilith's screams of anger sounding like a crow. "She drew a mustache on me!"
"Lets bounce." Eda advised.
As they walked out the door of the place and got quite a distance away from the place, they saw Maxwell was slowly waking up but looking tired as he probably heard what they were talking about. They giggled from how peaceful he looked. Lilith couldn't catch up to find out where they were going as they were out of earshot and out of sight. After such a day, Maxwell was tired but his heart was beating fast for someone.
