AN: Sorry that this chapter was a bit delayed, school started up in full swing and I was trying to find time to type this up. Anyways, welcome back and I hope you enjoyed the nice twist I put last chapter and now I hope that you get to enjoy this chapter as well!
Chapter Summary: But who's to say that the monster is truly malevolent?
His voice was ragged, hoarse, and weak as if it were torn and remade anew with too many scars littering the surface. Even with through the soft warbles of pain and the thin line of blood dribbling down the side of his mouth, there was something in his voice that made her pay rapt attention to the man. The feeling that welled up from within the confines of her mind was something that she was well accustomed to at this point, but it gave her no end of trouble when it arose.
The feeling of being judged, of being held under immense scrutiny, of paying due respect. It was like her parents when they talk to her. But at the same time, it was not.
There was a tempered softness to his manner, a gentleness that gave way to the authoritative aura that exudes each time he spoke a word. His voice sounded genuine in his concern and there was no admonishment towards her question, only worry for someone that Amity has an inkling to who he was referring too.
"Y-Young Amity, please," Belos uttered weakly towards her, the mentioning of her name bringing the full bearing of her focus. He tried to struggle more out of his bed but froze in pain, grumbling in pain as he slowly laid himself onto the bed once again. Amity quickly made her way back to her assigned duty as caretaker, Mora's words repeating in her head as a mantra to reassure herself that she won't be left alone with a dying witch. A soft groan draws her fretting towards the grimacing face of Belos, his eyes fluttering between sleep and awareness.
"Please t-tell me," He starts again, his eyes closed with his breathing laboured, "Where is Kikimora?"
"Do you mean, Ms. Mora?" She asks as she cleans the small droplets of blood splattered along Belos' bare chest. She tries to keep her panic at a minimum as Belos stares at her with his striking cobalt eyes, noticing that his right eye was dulled from a scar lining it, "Don't worry, she should be here any moment. She is just getting the materials for the mixture needed for your treatment."
"I see." Belos visibly relaxes, letting out a long exhale. He brings an arm to wipe away the blood lining his lips and points to a small wooden cupboard on a nearby wall, "There is a small, purple ceramic jar in there. I need you to get it for me please, Young Amity."
"What is it?" Amity asks as she makes her way towards the cupboard with swiftness in her step. She slightly winces at the creak of the wooden boards when she opens the boards but the beating of her rapid heart forces her to quickly scan for the specified item. Her eyes were then drawn past the clutter of cups and jars to a dust-covered jar slightly cracked and chipped from past use. Grabbing it tightly and holding it close to her chest as she makes her way back to Belos, she barely notes that what was once a rich purple has faded into a faint mauve.
"Just s-something to treat me until Mora returns," Belos replies feebly, beckoning Amity to give it to him. As he gently grabs it from her, Belos removes the cork covering the opening of the jar and retrieves from inside a reddish green ball. With a grimace, he puts it into his mouth and swallows it with little difficulty.
"I must ask you though, Young Amity," Amity looks in wonder as Belos straightens himself and his voice regains some semblance of strength. It seems that whatever that ball-like thing Belos ingested acts fast. He clears his throat before continuing, causing Amity to tense in anticipation, "Do you have any questions? I'm afraid that Mora may take some time to return. Even she can only do so much on her own. I also have no doubt that you are surprised."
Amity's mouth felt dry but that didn't stop her from opening her mouth to speak, "What happened to you out there?! And Are you even Lobos or are you Belos?"
"I see," Belos sighs tiredly as he closes his eyes in contemplation, "I expected as much. For your second question, we are one and the same, Young Amity. We are cursed to share an existence as an intertwined creature. Lobos is much as I as I am Lobos."
Amity was taken aback, her eyes raised in surprise, "But how? Nothing like this ever happened on the Isles before. Even if something like a curse did this, there was nothing made to cause two creatures to bond permanently! The worst that would happen is that it causes the host to turn into a mindless beast!"
"Not in this age, Young Amity. We've been afflicted with a something not even the greatest of hexes or curses could possibly do." Amity latches on to those words and draws a breath as her mind relays back to her training sessions with Mora and when she made the startling realization.
"You're from the Age of Emperors too, aren't you? Like Ms. Mora?"
Belos gives a low, bitter chuckle, a hand placed on his stomach as he rumbles with mirth, "It seems that Kikimora was every bit as truthful when she says that you are a keen pupil." Amity vaguely smiles in pride to hear the praise, but she stomps the enjoyment just as quickly as she must remain attentive. She still leans forward a bit to listen intently to the words of her charge, "But to answer you're question, yes, I am from the Age of Emperors. However, this curse of mine was not made from anything that ancient time produced."
"Really?" With the myths and legends surrounding the lost era, she somewhat expected some grandiose spell turning Belos into Lobos. She ponders slightly at the prospect, "Then what caused it, if you're willing to share that is."
The injured witch then released a remorseful sigh as he stares past Amity, as if he were seeing a ghost from an age long past. His eyes cloud over as his hands grip the mess of bandages like a lifeline, "It was a punishment for something I did long ago when I was young and foolish. I have still yet to atone for that mistake so here I continue this life."
It was Amity's turn to look downcast, pity and sorrow for Belos growing, "…I'm sorry if I brought up anything terrible, Mr. Belos. I didn't mean to cause you any harm."
"Now, Young Amity, there is nothing to be ashamed of. It was only natural to inquire something after seeing what happened." Belos reassured, careful in his words as he navigates the mire of emotions, "As for you're first question, I'm afraid we have to wait until Kikimora returns. It will be better for us if I relay it once."
Amity perks up but deflates once she hears the answer. She feels a tinge of annoyance for the foreseeable wait, but she reminds herself that it is rude to forgo her patience that easily. Instead, she then focuses on something else to keep her mind preoccupied, "Why do you call Ms. Mora that name anyway? Is that her full name?"
"I suppose so," Belos replies, a fond tone overtaking his sullen voice, "Kikimora was always adamant in her decision to change her name so that no one would recognize our past connection. The name must have been retained after we lived so long in isolation." He then gestures to himself, "As for myself, I did not to change my name as being forced to live in a gelert with a separate identity has its own benefits."
"What about the Age of Emperors? Can you tell me anything about that?" Her thirst for knowledge began to show once again for the chance to unearth lost lore related to the Isles past. Her eyes widen in excitement as she begins to imagine the possible information that could be revealed, a welcome distraction from the earlier mess.
However, Belos looked hesitant to reply to such a question. His mouth was pursed, and his eyebrows were furrowed with concern as he looked at Amity. He then closes his eyes, as if reliving a lost memory, before he opens his mouth to respond, "I am sorry, Young Amity, but I can tell you right now that there is a reason why there is little remaining vestiges of that bygone age."
"Why is that Mr. Belos?"
"There are things in this world that shouldn't be experienced again," He states cryptically, "However, I can tell you that the age I grew up in was not as pristine as you make it out to be, Young Amity. Strife and chaos were a fairly common occurrence for the everyday witch back then. Make do with that information as you will."
Amity gulped. She can already imagine the rampant bedlam of that time and with the way Belos said it, it was much worse that it seemed.
A rapid thudding from outside abruptly drew their attention to the door, the noise growing louder as Belos gave a low chuckle, "Brace yourself, Young Amity. You will be needed once more."
Amity could not reply as the door swung open with a heavy crash, slamming into the wall with no tact. Inward strode Mora with an assortment of plants and herbs gathered in a large wicker basket on her back. She was breathing heavily, and her face was flushed with heat but there was no pause in her step as she made her way into the room.
"Ms. Blight, I've returned," She announced loudly as she placed her ingredients to the side of the wall, the urgency in her voice returning in full force as she began conjuring tools into existence, "Come here, I need you to help me with making the salve."
"Yes, Ms. Mora," Amity answered without hesitation. She leaves Belos' side and makes her way to Mora who was hastily preparing the ingredients and sorting them into piles.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Start with the berries and herbs," Mora directs, taking a mortar and pestle and showing Amity what needs to be done, "I need you to form a paste while I tend to Lobos."
"Come now, Kikimora, has your vision declined since we've last saw each other?"
"Sir Belos!" Mora abruptly rushes towards Belos, leaving Amity to her own duties. Nevertheless, Amity did not neglect to catch the unusual amount of emotion laid into Mora's face and voice as the demon began talking to the injured witch.
"It's been far too long since we've last seen each other," Mora says as she carefully begins checking Belos for any further injuries. Yet, her eyebrows furrow when she sees the areas where there should be wounds are now crusted over and no longer bleeding.
"Indeed, it has," Answers Belos, nostalgia filling his voice as he lays down, "Any more injuries that I should be aware of?"
"None whatsoever," She answers, checking once again past the bloodied bandages only to find a crusted wound, "I shouldn't have been gone that long for the wounds to be like this. Tell me, what did you do?"
"Why do you believe that I have done something wrong?" Belos questions as Mora eyes him with scrutiny. Amity was wise to continue her work in silence, but she keeps her ears open to the rest of the conversation.
"I've known you for long enough when you are hiding something, my liege." Amity perks up at the last word. Liege. An odd word. She racks her for the meaning, but nothing clicks in her mind. She then shrugs, continuing with her task as she adds in another handful of berries, but she could not escape the feeling that it was important.
"Sir Belos, what is this doing here?" At the accusing tone, Amity turns around and she gulps when she sees Mora holding the purple ceramic jar that Belos told her to get. Though, where Amity was worried, Belos was calm in the face of annoyance as he carefully inspected the jar with his eyes.
"The panacea?" Belos inquires, his voice flat but a hint of mirth lay behind the veil, "I do believe that you already know why it is here, Kikimora."
Mora sighs with exasperation, "That explains why the lacerations from Lobos were mended like that. You know you can't keep taking these, Sir Belos. You know what the side effects would do to you."
"I know," Belos replies gently, "But if I hadn't, I would be in a much worse condition at this very moment."
"I know," Mora echoes sincerely, "I know. I'm grateful that you are okay. Now let's get you fixed up. Ms. Blight, have you finished with the mixture?"
"I think so," Amity pipis up once she gives one final mash into the soft mush of herbs and berries. The process was familiar when she was handcrafting her Abomination mixtures, but she was not as well versed in making healing tonics like what she presumes to be holding. Thank the Titan that Mora was here to show here how it was done.
"Good. Bring it here so we can begin." Amity briskly walks over and hands over the mixture to Mora. Mora gives an appreciative hum as she gives the mixture a onceover, nodding at eh state of the mixture.
"Excellent work, Ms. Blight. Now, watch carefully as I apply the salve," Mora dips her talons into the salve, "Consider this an impromptu lesson in your studies, Ms. Blight. It is not uncommon for a witch to find themselves injured and without their magic in the wilds." Amity nods, absorbing every word that Mora says.
"The salve that you've made was with ingredients common in overgrown forests. Pay attention now, I will only say this once." Mora then begins to regale Amity about the various components of the salve and Amity is itching to write it down. Belos chimes in as well at times past the hisses of discomfort after each appliance of the paste.
Once the initial wave panic wore itself away from Amity, things began to feel calm and in control. Amity even learned how to bandage someone up now from Mora's demonstration with Belos even if the man was still muttering words in discomfort.
Then, Mora began saying something that sounded like gibberish to Amity, a string of sounds and syllables that were no less foreign to her. With the way Mora was focused at the task she was doing, Amity thinks that Mora was just muttering instructions to herself to keep herself calm. Yet, when Belos began speaking in the same strange manner as Mora, Amity soon realized that they were talking in a different language, one that must be extinct by now.
Amity soon found herself done with what she was tasked to do by Mora and quietly took a few steps back, observing the way Mora was interacting with Belos. They were still conversing in what Amity can presume to be an ancient language and she could tell that behind the fretting and stern words exchanged, that they were close. Perhaps the countless passage of time does that to people but there was no denying that they both cared for each other.
It was odd. There is a small feeling in her chest that was burning quietly when she looks at the kind words between the two. It was different than the time when she was Willow. It was certainly different to the feeling she gets when she was with Eda and Luz. It was like a gentle candle flame burning delicately in the waning light of the day. Amity gives a small huff, imagining a small fantasy of what could have happened if she was raised by these two, one a demon herbalist and the other an ancient witch.
A memory of her parents flashes in her, their admonishment and disdain when she was injured when practicing was faint, but it hurt all the same. She closes her eyes tightly to will it away, her parent's voices serving burning reminder of what she has been through.
"Amity, are you alright?" Amity opened her eyes quickly to find Mora looking at her with concern. Belos, too, was watching, his blue eyes filled with sympathy.
"I'm fine," Amity chokes out, keeping a strong face in the rising tide of emotion, "Why do you ask? I thought that we were helping Belos, not me."
"You just looked troubled, Ms. Blight. I was just concerned." Mora puts down the mortar holding the last of the salve down to Belos' bedside and pulls a chair to sit, "Would you like to sit down?"
"No, I'm okay. Thank you though, Ms. Mora." Amity leans along the wooden walls of the cabin while Mora takes a seat upon the offered chair. Amity takes a breath and crosses her arms, making herself comfortable before she turns her attention to Belos, "So…, what exactly caused all this? You've said before that you would mention whatever hurt you once Ms. Mora returns and those heavy wounds mean it must have been something big," Amity gives a small sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose, "It better not be some type of slitherbeast as I am still trying to internalize that the gelert I've known for a while is actually a witch from an ancient time. Not to forget to mention that Mora is also actually a part of this age."
"So aptly put," Belos says flatly, "But not without its own merit. You are correct in your assumptions that something vicious hurt me so, but it was nothing like the slitherbeast that you've mentioned. Unfortunately, it was something far more distressing."
"What is it?" Amity grips tightly the cloth of her shirt, imagining already another great beast in her mind, "What hurt you?"
"I'm afraid that we already know the answer to that question," Belos turns to look at Mora remorsefully while Amity remains confused.
"Has it already progressed that fast?" Mora asks Belos worriedly, the unease evident in the way that she was leaning towards Belos, "I thought that the sickness wouldn't exhibit any of this?"
'Sickness?' Amity thinks, her interest piqued, 'Who are they referring to?'
"I'm afraid that this is no jest, Kikimora," Belos sits up from his makeshift bed and looks directly at Amity, "I suggest that you sit down, Young Amity, because I am afraid you are now an unwilling contender in all this.
GGGGRRRWWWAAAAARRGGGHH!
A bestial cry pierces the shroud of the forest, its shrill wail echoing loudly under the glowing red sky. From every corner of the forest, creatures of all shapes and sizes flee their homes with fear in their hearts, their primal instinct flaring that something was there. Watching. Prowling. Claiming. No animal was foolish enough to stay to challenge such dominance of the wilds, so they leave to survive another day and to someday return.
Shame that two venturers dare to challenge such bravado. One witch and one demon, cloaked under a silence spell and equipped with satchels filled with full bottles, trek carefully into the woods like a watchful hunter stalking its prey. Armed with only their wits, magic, and various handcrafted potions and elixirs, they continue to march ever closer to the unknown beast.
GRAGGHHH!
The green-haired witch shuts her eyes and covers her ears in pain, the beast's cries sounding like shattered glass. In her lapse of pain and inattentiveness, she nearly finds herself tripping over the gnarled roots of the aging system of trees. She catches herself just in time to brush the tip of her nose on the dirtied bark.
"Stay focused, Ms. Blight," The cloaked demon says, maintaining her pace and forcing the witch to scramble to catch up, "Any mistake in our approach will lead to a fate worse than what fell upon both Lobos and Belos."
"Yes, Ms. Mora. It won't happen again," The young witch, Amity, says quietly as she carefully maneuvers through the overgrowth. Unlike Mora who weaves through the vegetation like a fish in water, Amity was catching herself being tugged or struck by outlying plants or branches, muttering a small curse in her head for each hit.
GRRAAGGWWAGH!
The roars were getting louder with each step they take. Amity's heart was pounding, her grip on the brown strap of the satchel laid across her chest slick with sweat and her breathing laboured with a barely restrained dread. She takes solace in the fact that Mora leads onwards in front of her with a calm and controlling visage, as if this were nothing.
"We are getting close, Ms. Blight," Mora digs through her satchel and brings out a round flask filled with a swirling, orange liquid, "Are you ready?"
Amity gulps and nods, "Yes. At least, I hope so." She digs through her satchel and brings out a round flask like Mora but this time, this bottle was filled with a light blue liquid, "I hope this works."
"It shall. If it won't, we won't be the only ones facing the consequences." With a heavy heart and a tense grip on the round flask, Amity sets out with Mora to deal with the threat roaming around the woods.
'Take heart, Young Amity, to not let the beast charge at you,' Belos' warning echoes in her mind as she moves past another grove, 'It may not look like it, but it has enough strength to render trees into kindling.'
'I also suggest avoiding being struck by its claws,' Amity rubs her hand over several slash marks deeply engraved onto both wood and stone, 'I was lucky to have only been grazed. Nevertheless, unless you want to be gouged out by talons the size as long as knives, please dodge them.'
'Wait, if this creature was too dangerous for you to even handle, what makes you think that I can do this with Mora?' Amity takes a few steadying breaths to calm herself, thumbing the dried leather of the satchel to keep herself grounded. There were no cries from the creature for the past few minutes and she can feel the silence starting to suffocate her. She was beginning to feel the fear.
'Last time, I was…careless. I let my guard done before I could defend myself or stop it. But now we know what to do to stop it before it can go on a rampage.' Her grip on her flask tightens, the sloshing of the liquid providing some type of comfort in the silence. She takes another deep breath and takes a step forward to her fate.
'Both Kikimora and I have prepared for this moment, something that we wish that we didn't have to do. In your satchel, Young Amity, are sleeping potions, the ones with the blue liquid in them. Toss the flask onto the ground to cause a reaction, releasing a gas potent enough to knock out the largest of beasts. You also have other potions at your disposal if things go awry and when you can't cast a magic circle in time.' Amity checks her satchel for what feels like the tenth time in the past hour. Flasks filled with a variety of colourful liquids fill her visage. There were mostly the sleeping flasks but there were black flasks for smokescreens and green flasks for summoning vines to restrain the creature.
'Hey, I don't see that yellow one Ms. Mora has in my satchel. What is it and is it really okay for me to not have it with me?'
'Don't worry, Ms. Blight, it is nothing to concern yourself with,' Mora beckons Amity closer, her face blank with a hard focus and quickening her step, 'Its something that I've resolved myself to do and I don't want you to have the burden to doing it.'
'How will I recognize the creature though?' Mora pauses in her step before a thick covering of leaves and branches, raising a hand to stop Amity to come any closer and to wait just behind her, 'You two keep telling me what to avoid and how to stop it but you haven't really told me what it looks like.'
'I can assure you that it won't be hard to recognize,' Carefully, Mora moves the overgrowth in front of her to the side and Amity's heart leaps to her throat, 'It's not something that you would think to live in a forest after all.'
There it was in front of them, the beast that injured Belos and cleared the entire forest with it's cries. Surrounded by broken trees and unearthed ground, the beast was laying on the ground as if it were resting. Belos' words rang true, it was something that wouldn't look like it would live in this cramped forest. At first glance, it looked chimeric in nature, a jumble of creature that looked stitched together. Its large, furred mass rose and fell with each breath and its yellow talons relaxed and lying on top of the ground. Its face was covered by its feathery wings, but Amity can both see the sharp teeth jutting from its maw and the dotting of scales along its wings and body. Its tail was also akin to a viper, scaled and swishing left and right infrequently during its sleep.
"Ready?" Turning around carefully, Mora whispers to Amity. Amity nods, "Good. On one, throw as many of the sleeping potions at the creature. Understood?" Amity answers with a determined nod and taking as many of sleeping potions that she can fit in her hands.
"Alright, on my count," Mora quietly moves to closer with Amity following. Mora then takes with her other hand a sleeping potion and raises it to throw.
"3." The beast stirs, still in its sleepy daze and giving a low grumble of content.
"2." SNAP! Amity's stomach flips when she looks down and sees a couple of broken twigs beside her shoes. The beast gives a series of broken snorts and it's wings begin to move.
"1!" Amity tosses the potions at the cue, the hymn of breaking glass filling the clearing with a growing blue cloud accompanying the noise. The beast finally sits up from its slumber, shaking unsteadily as it retracts its wings, revealing a monstrous, feline-like head in all its glory.
GGGRRRAAWH!
Beading brown eyes stare into Amity and she feels herself freeze, her muscles locking in place as the creature tenses.
"Amity, move!" The creature charges with mouth agape and claws outstretched. Amity's closes her eyes, and she feels something crash onto her side, knocking her aside and drawing out her breath.
"Amity, are you alright?" Amity hesitantly raises one eye and sees Mora looking down at her, concern plain as day.
"I-I'm not dead?" Amity says breathily, the world slightly spinning as she tries to get up.
"No but we will be if we don't restrain the creature now." Amity fully refocuses and gets back on her feet. She sees the creature dazed, barely able to prop itself from where it crashed and keeping itself from falling to the ground. She promptly takes out two flasks, one a sleeping potion and another that will conjure vines, and throws it without hesitation.
In a cloud of green and blue, the beast was enveloped in a veil of sleeping gas and a tangle of vines pinning the beast to the ground. The beast with its remaining strength thrashed against the vines, screaming with guttural shrieks and yells. Yet, its efforts were in vain as the large saturation of sleeping gas took its toll, weakening every blow against the sturdy vines. Soon enough, the beast was asleep, slumped on the ground with no signs of waking up soon.
"It's over?" Amity carefully walks towards the beast, raising at the ready one sleeping potion, "That seemed too easy."
"We were lucky," Mora called out, taking a place beside Amity with the golden liquid-filled flask in hand, "If it wasn't already trying to rest before, we would have had a greater fight ahead of us."
"Thank the Titan for that," Amity says gratefully, nearly collapsing to her knees as all the energy she had disappeared in seconds, "So, are you going to use that elixir now? The things finally asleep."
"Yes, I will," Mora says oddly clipped. The demon walks towards the beast and stops in front of its head, causing Amity to become wary of what is to come next. Soon enough, Mora does not shatter the bottle in front of the beast but rather uncorks it. She then lifts the sleeping beast's jaw open and raises the flask to its open mouth, tilting it so that the golden liquid can flow through.
"I'm sorry, Amity, for what you are about to see." Amity looks at Mora, puzzled as to why she would feel sorry for the rampaging beast and for why Mora would say that so quietly. However, before she can ask, the form of the beast began to shrink and shift, slowly revealing someone that leaves Amity's mouth dry and her mind blank.
Hesitantly, she takes a step forward, not believing in what she was seeing. She then another step. And another. And another until she was in front of the shifted, sleeping creature. She crouches down carefully, not knowing what to do with this revelation.
'Young Amity, know that whatever happens at the end of this, know that it wasn't your fault.'
"Luz?"
"Welcome one and all for the spectacle of the lifetime!"
"Ngh…" A low grumble of discontent was answered with the thunderous roars of an excited crowd. With a yawn and a small stretch, the figure blearily opens their eyes.
"W-What's happening?" The figure says tiredly, trying to rub the sleep from their brown eyes.
"Luz, you're okay!" A voice beside her cried out, causing Luz to fully awaken. Out of habit, she immediately goes for her hood to put on but let's out a breath when she realizes that it was already on, covering her ears. She then turns towards whoever decided to call out her name and immediately brightens as to who it was.
"Amity!" Luz shouts in excitement, giving the green-haired witch a hug, "It's good to see you!"
"Its nice to see you too, Luz," Amity says warmly, returning the embrace. Amity shortly let's go and gives Luz a look, "You fell asleep you know."
"I did?" Luz looks at Amity curiously before looking out in front of her and gasping, her eyes bulging out of their sockets, "I did! Oh man, Eda is going to kill me! I was supposed to help with the show tonight! C'mon," Luz lunges and grabs Amity's hand, trying, and failing, to pull the girl, "I have to get ready before the show begins!"
"Luz, calm down!" Said girl stops in her tracks and gives Amity a puzzled look, silently asking her to explain, "Eda already knows as I told her what happened, so she told me to tell you to sit this on out. Here," Amity then gives Luz a decorative mask, "She also told me that you wouldn't want to miss the show. Now, put it on or else this secretive show will have one less secret. We can't be recognized, right?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Luz delightfully puts on her mask with a bright smile and grabs for Amity's hand, "C'mon! We're going to be late!"
Too bad for Luz that Amity put on her mask before she pulled the green-haired witch away.
If she was quick enough, she would have seen Amity look at her with sadness and sorrow.
AN: Feel free to ether yell, criticize, or say what you liked about the chapter in a review! Reviews are always a good read and lets me know what you guys think about the story. Anyways, until next time!