The construction of the portal was coming along nicely: it was ahead of schedule, there had been no setbacks and there had been exactly zero explosions…
Is what Emperor Belos would like to be told!
Is it too much to ask for good news?
Standing over a table that was only able to bare the weight of the dozens of blueprints and large pieces of equipment through the grace of magic, the Titan's herald resisted the urge to break something as yet another explosion rocked the lab, followed by another annoying scream.
"I'm okay…"
Perhaps sabotaging the education system wasn't my greatest idea ever…
It created loyal followers, but at the end of the day, what good was loyalty when you never knew if your loyal soldiers remembered how to breathe?
It was a shame Lilith Clawthorne had left the fold – yes, she was petty, stubborn, and ultimately treacherous, but she was also one out of three of Belos' agents who had a brain between their ears. If she was here, then perhaps progress would be less… what was a good word? Frustrating? Pathetic? Slow?
BOOM!
"I'm not okay…"
Scratch that, it would definitely be quicker – treacherous or not.
At least it wasn't over budget – though, considering Belos was ready to pour every resource in his empire into completing the portal, it would never be over budget.
And speaking of his empire, somewhere in Belos' mind, he knew he had other things to do. When running a nation like the Boiling Isles, there was only so much work you could delegate before you started running out of semi-reliable options.
It would be incorrect to describe the Emperor as panicking as he poured over the blueprints (which had been the fourth set drawn up that day). Panic was like a tempest of fear and terror, whirling around a person's mind, breaking all reason and logic against the cliffs of despair. This was more of a… bubbling. A potion of worry, bubbling higher… and higher… and higher…
Stepping away from the table, Belos teleported from the lab – just before another explosion.
"Uh… Steve, you okay, buddy?"
o – o – o – o
Announcing a concrete date for the Day of Unity… not a great idea either… Belos mused as he appeared in his study. This was the place he went to think privately, away from the never-ending whining of the outside world: the walls were either covered with bookcases full of ancient tomes or flags bearing the symbol of his Coven. But at that moment, Belos was less concerned with the décor and more about the trouble his overconfidence had caused him.
It wasn't like he had been given a choice about when the Day had to be – it was completely outside his control. But he supposed he could have held off on sharing that little nugget until everything was in place. But no, he just had to print those pamphlets! After all, what could go wrong?
I suppose that's my fatal flaw… the Emperor thought as he drummed his gauntleted fingers on his desk, ignoring the jabs of pain shooting up his weary fingers and focusing on forcing a lid onto the worry potion's cauldron. Ruling almost unchallenged for fifty years would go to anyone's head, and the events of the last few days had certainly proved he needed to step up his game – the Belos who had crushed the old warlords would never have fallen for the human's little trick with the fire glyphs.
And speaking of Luz the human…
Belos knew bravery, ingenuity and spirit when he saw it, and the human had had it in spades. Combine all of that with how powerful she had become in little over a month – Warden Wrath had tried to cover up the breakout at the Conformatorium, but it was a little difficult to hide several empty cells, massive holes in the walls, fireworks and the guards who had seen the human defeat him! Allies or no, she had still defeated him – and that had been without magic. The Emperor had first-hand experience of what she could do with it.
With more practice, the Titan knows what she would be capable of – especially if she found out the portal was being rebuilt.
The desire to go home was a powerful motivator…
For a second, Belos felt a chill creep up his back at the thought of the human breaking into his castle and taking back the portal. It was unlikely, but it was possible… always possible – and especially with his condition…
What am I thinking?
The Belos of fifty years ago would never have trembled at the thought of a child! She had been here a month – he had been here for over half a century! He had an army at his command! The resources of an empire! A lifetime of experience!
Belos clenched his gauntleted fist, like he was crushing a rock to dust between his fingers!
Just try to interfere, human, and you'll see what I'm truly capable of!
On one wall of the Emperor's Study was a door, and before he teleported back to the lab to continue oversight of the portal's construction, Belos glanced at it – to remind himself.
The door lead into a smaller, much less well-decorated room than his study – it was more like a cell from the Conformatorium. And the Witch inside would was wearing a dress that would have been white and dark grey, with a hat that would have been white and gold atop her long hair that would have teal-green, framing a face that was twisted in anger, defiance – and fear.
The petrification process had frozen that look onto her face forever. In Belos' mind, it was fitting – under all that bravado, all the big dreams, all the rare magic… was just another fool biting off more than she could chew!
You'll see, human…
Just wrote this quick little drabble to celebrate the Season 2 premier. I was inspired by the final scene of Gravity Falls: The Hand That Rocks the Mabel. You know, when Gideon was shown to have the second Journal?
Chills, people, chills…
Anyway, hope you all figured out who Belos had tucked away in his study.